Pubdate: Wed, 13 Feb 2008
Source: USA Today (US)
Page: 8A
Copyright: 2008 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc
Contact:  http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/index.htm
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/466
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Sentencing+Commission
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/crack+cocaine

AG'S EFFORT TO REVISE SENTENCING RULE FOILED

Senate Democrats rejected Attorney General Michael Mukasey's request 
to roll back sentencing guidelines that would enable thousands of 
prisoners to seek reductions in sentences for crack-cocaine 
convictions. Mukasey asked Congress to alter the U.S. Sentencing 
Commission's directive, effective March 3, that would allow for the 
reduction requests. The directive could flood courts with requests 
from thousands of violent criminals, the Justice Department says.

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., called Mukasey's concerns a "scare 
tactic." Federal law comes down harder on crack violations than 
powder-cocaine violations. Kennedy says that amounts to 
discrimination because more blacks are arrested for crack violations. 
The Sentencing Commission adopted the harsher sentence in the 1980s 
in response to a crack epidemic. 
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