Holder Talks About Getting "Smart" On Crime

On Monday, United States Attorney General Eric Holder addressed the American Bar Association in Chicago. In his speech not only did he call for getting tough on crime, but he called for getting "smart" on crime as well. He said that jail is not the only answer to law enforcement. Roughly 1 in every 100 American adults is behind bars. He noted that this is "the highest incarceration rate in the world." He noted this rate continues to rise and that the rate of incarceration cannot be sustained from an economic standpoint. He called for programs that keep tabs on inmates after they are released and drug treatment programs as an alternative to jail for first time offenders. He also called for programs to study how to help children at risk of becoming criminals and called for the lack of funding for public defenders. Once again he addressed the sentencing disparities between powder and crack cocaine. He ended his speech by stating that his goal is to move towards a system of fairness and effectiveness.

For more information about the Chicago criminal defense attorneys at Legal Defenders, P.C., visit us at www.thelegaldefenders.com or call us anytime at 1-800-228-7295.

House Moves Forward With Bill Eliminating Disparities In Cocaine Sentences

On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would eliminate sentencing disparities between powder cocaine and crack cocaine. The bill was approved by a vote of 16 to 9 and now moves the full House for its consideration. We have been reporting for a long time about this issue, such as the 100 to 1, crack to powder disparity. This disparity is unjust because it unfairly punishes African-American defendants who are more likely to be convicted of crack cocaine offenses than White offenders who are more likely to be arrested with powder cocaine. The current sentencing guidelines treat crack offenders much more harshly than powder cocaine offenders. In 2007, the U.S. Sentencing Commission amended the Sentencing Guidelines to fix this injustice and voted to give retroactive effect to those amendments. At least 3000 inmates have had their sentences reduced because of these sentencing amendments. Just last month, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder urged reform of the sentencing laws to deal with this disparity.

We will keep our readers updated on the progress of this legislation.

For more information about the Chicago criminal defense attorneys at Legal Defenders, P.C., visit us at www.thelegaldefenders.com or call us anytime at 1-800-228-7295.

Attorney General Urges Changes In Cocaine Sentencing Guidelines

On Wednesday, Attorney General Eric Holder called for reform of the sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine. In an address before a symposium sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus and Harvard Law School, Holder called for a thorough review of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines because of the "unwarranted" disparities between punishments for different forms of cocaine. Holder pointed out that the disparities in the way crack cocaine and powder cocaine are treated under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines erodes public trust and confidence in the justice system. In 2007 the U.S. Sentencing Commission voted to give retroactive effect to an earlier sentencing guideline amendment that reduced crack cocaine penalties. A study by the U.S. Sentencing Commission from April 2008 reports that over 3,000 defendants convicted of crack cocaine offenses have had their sentences reduced under this amendment. The final decision on whether to reduce a defendants sentence rests with the sentencing judge.

For more information about the Chicago Criminal Defense Attorneys at Legal Defenders, P.C., visit us at www.thelegaldefenders.com or call us anytime at 1-800-228-7295.