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"House can reduce powder cocaine vs. crack sentencing disparity"

By Douglas A. Berman

The title of this post is the headline of this editorial from today's Washington Post urging the House of Representatives to take steps to pass the compromise reform of federal mandatory minimum sentencing laws that got Senate approval way back in March.  Here are excerpts: The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 brings fairness and sanity to this 20-year saga [concerning crack/powder sentencing disparity].  The bill, which the House is expected to take up soon, eliminates a mandatory minimum sentence for simple possession -- an important achievement in and of itself.  An offender would have to be convicted of peddling 28 grams or more of crack to be hit with a five-year mandatory sentence.  A 10-year prison term would be handed down for 280 grams or more...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on July 21, 2010 (boomark / email).