Pubdate: Sun, 23 Mar 2014
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2014 The Washington Post Company
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/mUgeOPdZ
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author: Eric E. Sterling
Cited: http://www.cjpf.org/

AIM FEDERAL DRUG INVESTIGATIONS AT BIG FISH

Regarding the March 20 editorial "Sense in sentencing":

What The Post called "the tough minimum-sentencing guidelines [that]
were supposed to be aimed at bigger fish" was part of the Anti-Drug
Abuse Act of 1986. I was counsel to the House Judiciary Committee as
Congress "mis-aimed" the law toward the "minnows." Two fixes are needed.

First, dramatically increase the insignificant quantities that trigger
the five- and 10-year mandatory minimums (currently, 28 and 280 grams
of crack, and 500 and 5,000 grams of powder cocaine). The mandatory
minimums are not unjust when imposed on the cartel leader who imported
a ton of cocaine (1 million grams).

Second, properly supervise and manage the federal prosecutors and
investigators so they stop charging minnows. Limit federal drug
efforts to criminals who operate internationally, manage private
armies and benefit from hundreds of millions of dollars in laundered
money. Aim federal investigations at big fish exclusively; the states
can handle the rest.

Eric E. Sterling, Silver Spring

The writer is president of the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation.
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