When Judges Can’t Judge: The Human Cost of Mandatory Sentences Because prosecutors decide which charges to file, or in other words, which mandatory penalties to trigger, they control the sentencing ...

Mandatory minimum sentences completely eliminate a judge's discretion when choosing an appropriate punishment for an offender. This curtailing of the courts traditional sentencing rights greatly ...

It didn't get much media attention, but if you go to page 654 of the 655-page the National Defense Authorization Act of 2010, signed by President Barack Obama on Oct. 28, 2009, you will find Sec. 4713 ...

Advocates for changes to the laws say mandatory minimum sentencing does not allow a judge to consider unique circumstances surrounding a case. Gwen Levi walks with her head held high down a busy ...

I'm writing in response to David Reinhard's Op-Ed in Sunday, October 4 issue of the Oregonian. Mandatory minimum sentencing takes away the rights invested to judges. Their hands are tied with a "one ...

In back-to-back rulings, the New Jersey Supreme Court narrowed the scope of the state’s rules for mandatory prison time for certain gun offenses. In two decisions a day apart, the Supreme Court said ...