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Is DOJ eager for (and obliquely urging) reducing the severity of the federal guideline for child porn downloading?

By Douglas A. Berman

Among the many interesting aspect of the letter sent last month by the Justice Department's Criminal Division to the US Sentencing Commission (basics here) is its discussion of possible reform of the sentencing guidelines for child porn offenses.  Consider, in particular, these passages: We also believe the Commission should conduct a review of ? and consider amendments to ? those guidelines that have lost the backing of a large part of the judiciary. These reviews should begin with the guidelines for child pornography possession offenses and fraud offenses.... The goal of any such reform would be to update the guidelines to address changing technology and realities surrounding these offenses, improve the consistency of sentences across child exploitation crimes, and ensure that the sentences for ceiiain child exploitation offenses adequately reflect the seriousness of the crimes...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on July 14, 2010 (boomark / email).