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Can concerns for dollars and cents finally bring sense to federal mandatory minimum sentencing statutes?

By Douglas A. Berman

As previously previewed here, the House Judiciary's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security this morning held a hearing this morning on "Mandatory Minimums and Unintended Consequences."  I cannot yet find any press reports on the hearing, but all of the written testimony from the five witnesses can be found at this House webpage.  All the written testimony is worth checking out, but I found these written remarks of Grover G. Norquist, who is President of Americans for Tax Reform, to be the most refreshing.  It highlights the latest way in which the economic of harsh sentencing helps create a new push for needed reforms.  Here are excerpts from his Norquist's written testimony: To begin with, [the] pedigree [of mandatory minimum sentencing laws] makes them highly suspect...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on July 14, 2009 (boomark / email).