Criminal
Dec. 20, 2013
Blame Congress, not prosecutors, for the absurdity of mandatory minimums
The public needs to hold their politicians directly accountable for the runaway sentences, not the prosecutors who must play on the field laid out for them. By Wes Porter
Contrary to public perception, prosecutors do not "coerce" or "threaten" otherwise innocent people to plead guilty using mandatory minimum sentences. "Mandatory minimums," as they are called, are minimum terms of imprisonment for specific offenses imposed by statute instead of a judge. Judge John Gleeson of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York joined the chorus of critics in an October 2013 court...
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