Legal Commentary

Congressional Black Caucus and Harvard to Hold Mandatory Minimum Program

By Jeralyn

The Congressional Black Caucus is teaming with Harvard Law School to put on this program in Washington next week. The speakers are terrific.

The Congressional Black Caucus Community Re-Investment Taskforce and the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School invite you to attend "Rethinking Federal Sentencing Policy" 25th Anniversary of the Sentencing Reform Act

Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means
1100 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Agenda and speakers below:

Welcome and Opening Remarks by
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX)
Rep. Danny Davis (IL)
Rep. Charles Rangel (NY)

Welcome and Introduction of Attorney General by
Rep. John Conyers (MI)

Remarks by
Eric Holder, Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice

Introduction of Justice Breyer
Charles J. Ogletree, Jr. Executive Director,
Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race Justice,
Harvard Law School

Hon. Stephen Breyer, Associate Justice
Supreme Court of the United States

Kate Stith, Acting Dean Yale Law School

Mandatory Minimums

Panel One: Rep Maxine Waters (CA)
History of Mandatory Minimums

Nancy Gertner, Judge, U.S. District Court for the
District of Massachusetts
Hon. J. Spencer Letts, Judge, U.S. District Court,
Central District of California
Eric Sterling, President, Criminal Justice Policy Foundation

Panel Two: Rep. Bobby Scott (VA)
The Need for Repeal, Including Legislative Update

A.J. Kramer, Federal Defender, Federal Public Defender of the District of Columbia
Julie Stewart, President, Families Against Mandatory Minimums
Marc Mauer, Executive Director, The Sentencing Project
Margaret Love, Former Pardon Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice

Disparity Between Crack and Powder Cocaine

Panel Three: Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX)

Hon. Reggie B. Walton, Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Hon. William Sessions, Vice Chairman, U.S. Sentencing Commission
Bruce Nicholson, Legislative Counsel, American Bar Association
David Kirby, Former United States Attorney for the
District of Vermont

Good Time, Community Corrections and Reentry

Panel Four: Rep. Danny K. Davis (IL)
Hon. Ann Aiken, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court of the District of Oregon
Loretta S. Martin, Chief Probation Officer for the Central District of California
Harley G. Lappin, Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons
Jane Browning, Executive Director, International Community Corrections Association
Kristen Mamer, Director Public Affairs, FedCure
Isaac Fulwood, Jr., Chairman, U.S. Parole Commission (Invited)

Full post as published by TalkLeft on June 18, 2009 (boomark / email).