As the cases of January 6 rioters are adjudicated in Federal courts, complaints are heard that the light sentences meted out do not match the serious nature of these crimes. This is yet another instance of criticism of the inequities in the application of the law that plagues our criminal justice system. Disparities based on race or economic status are frequently referred to as other evidence of the need for criminal justice reform. The infamous 2015 case of Brock Turner, a student-athlete at Stanford who was convicted on 3 counts of felony sexual assault of an unconscious female student but received a 6-month jail sentence is often cited as an example of preferential treatment afforded certain persons..
Do you agree that the criminal justice system needs to be improved in treating all Americans equally?
Individual crimes at the Capitol on January 6th are serious, but the underlying 'movement' to trash the Constitution and an election behind them are unaccountable in law. To date our elected officials are expected to adhere to the mores, procedures and laws governing the nation, but Republicans have abdicated that by violating their oaths of office without remorse. You can't convict or punish people for their beliefs, only their actions contrary to law, after their commission or omission.
Passage of the Voting Rights Act by congress can help steer office seekers to do the right thing, but I see in personal experiences, professional life, and in elected officials today that there is much reticence in punishing Republicans and insurrectionists by Democrats. Trump Republicans have no such scruples and so we may shortly lose our democratic federal republic with such pulling of punches, shadow boxing and rationalizing.
That's the jeopardy our nation faces and all subordinate issues won't matter under the impending dictatorship and banana republic in America.
To some degree. If there is great latitude under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines then changes may not be necessary so long as each convicted defendant receives the same minimal sentence and is given an opportunity to present information in support of mitigating the sentence portion beyond the minimum.
Individual crimes at the Capitol on January 6th are serious, but the underlying 'movement' to trash the Constitution and an election behind them are unaccountable in law. To date our elected officials are expected to adhere to the mores, procedures and laws governing the nation, but Republicans have abdicated that by violating their oaths of office without remorse. You can't convict or punish people for their beliefs, only their actions contrary to law, after their commission or omission.
Passage of the Voting Rights Act by congress can help steer office seekers to do the right thing, but I see in personal experiences, professional life, and in elected officials today that there is much reticence in punishing Republicans and insurrectionists by Democrats. Trump Republicans have no such scruples and so we may shortly lose our democratic federal republic with such pulling of punches, shadow boxing and rationalizing.
That's the jeopardy our nation faces and all subordinate issues won't matter under the impending dictatorship and banana republic in America.
To some degree. If there is great latitude under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines then changes may not be necessary so long as each convicted defendant receives the same minimal sentence and is given an opportunity to present information in support of mitigating the sentence portion beyond the minimum.
I think the problem occurs more at the state and local level, especially the difference in sentencing among jurisdictions for similar offenses.
Equal justice for equal crimes would be ideal, but in America, justice isn’t blind. To our own detriment & peril.