SCOTUS: Mandatory Minimum Drug Sentences in Jury's Hands

[radcen]

SCOTUS: Mandatory Minimum Drug Sentences in Jury's Hands

Supreme Court Ruling Will Make it Harder to Impose Mandatory Minimums on Drug Offenders - US News and World Report

 

[Sarcogito]

Good news.

 

[Spartacus FPV]

I imagine the prison industrial complex will not like this... maybe next they'll make it harder to kick out murderers to make room for non-violent offenders.

 

[chromium]

Juries are pretty incompetent to leave any individual's fate in their hands, but even that is better than the abhorrent sentences that have been meted out under the war for drugs.

 

[Thoreau72]

Very good news indeed, and perhaps an unintended consequence of this ruling will be that juries start to be informed of their powers and duties.

Ever since the Sparf decision in 1895, juries have been treated like mushrooms.

 

[Captain Adverse]

SCOTUS: Mandatory Minimum Drug Sentences in Jury's Hands

Supreme Court Ruling Will Make it Harder to Impose Mandatory Minimums on Drug Offenders - US News and World Report

This is VERY good news, a definite step in the right direction in opposition to the war on drugs. BUT!!!! Damn those 5-4 rulings!!!! This should have been 9-0 or at worst 8-1...sheesh!

Now, the only thing I am concerned about is how a judge's jury instructions will be modified in each State that has mandatory minimums, and how the Federal courts will handle it.

 

[Thoreau72]

This is VERY good news, a definite step in the right direction in opposition to the war on drugs. BUT!!!! Damn those 5-4 rulings!!!! This should have been 9-0 or at worst 8-1...sheesh!

Now, the only thing I am concerned about is how a judge's jury instructions will be modified in each State that has mandatory minimums, and how the Federal courts will handle it.

9-0 ? 8-1?

What, do you think the court is comprised of honorable persons devoted to the USC?

 

[Ikari]

Mandatory sentencing is stupid. We have judges for a reason.