Obama Plans Broader Use of Clemency to Free Nonviolent Drug Offenders

[still_one]

WASHINGTON — Sometime in the next few weeks, aides expect President Obama to issue orders freeing dozens of federal prisoners locked up on nonviolent drug offenses. With the stroke of his pen, he will probably commute more sentences at one time than any president has in nearly half a century.


http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/04/us/obama-plans-broader-use-of-clemency-to-free-nonviolent-drug-offenders.html

[NBachers]

1. Free Don Siegelman!

[still_one]

3. I suspect that will happen.

[elleng]

10. Sure as hell SHOULD have happened,

6 years ago!

[still_one]

12. Timing is everything. In my view it is no coincidence that the President is doing a lot of things

in his second term.

[99th_Monkey]

8. +100 nt

[elleng]

9. DAMN RIGHT!

[arcane1]

2. Bravo!! Now stop arresting them in the first place!

[still_one]

5. That will require Congress or state legislatures.

[arcane1]

6. I'm referring to this, which he could stop with a single word:

Justice Department Defying Congress, Breaking the Law on Medical Marijuana

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently told the Los Angeles Times that a bipartisan amendment passed by Congress last year prohibiting DOJ from spending any money to undermine state medical marijuana laws doesn't prevent it from prosecuting people for medical marijuana or seizing their property.

The statement comes as the agency continues to target people who are complying with their state medical marijuana law. This insubordination is occurring despite the fact that members of Congress in both parties were clear that their intent with the amendment was to protect medical marijuana patients and providers from federal prosecution and forfeiture.

-snip-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-piper/justice-department-defyin_b_7000178.html

[brer cat]

4. Excellent. nt

[NCjack]

7. Pres. Obama, USA needs pardons to free thousands of non-violents in prison on

chickenshit charges.

[Fred Sanders]

11. SCOTUS decision drawing the line on what "violent offense" means in terms of enhanced sentences has opened the door.

The legal reasoning behind the decision, where merely possessing a shot gun illegally was declared by lower courts, either relying on the federal law or State laws that mirrored the federal wording, to be a violent offense, and then used to enhance a sentence of previously convicted felons, on top of the sentence for a predicate offense, has widespread application to many sentences where the enhancement was highly questionable, including may state classifications of drug trafficking and possession charges as "violent".

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/06/28/1397483/-Speaking-of-the-SCOTUS-3-Strikes-Law-Struck-Down-Private-Prisons-Haz-a-Sad

Kick to my topical thread and PDF of decision:


http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141128208

[restorefreedom]

13. next gop meme:

"socialist kenyan marxist muslim president to release drug dealers into unsuspecting gated community neighborhoods. lock up your children!"

[Comrade Grumpy]

14. Obama asked drug war prisoners to apply for clemency. 30,000 have.

This is just the beginning.

[markpkessinger]

16. As I understand it, the plan is to grant clemency to 80 prisoners . ..

. . . Nice for those 80, but this really doesn't do much to address the broader problem. And even with these additional 80, he will still go down in history as one of the stingiest presidents in history in his use of his clemency/pardon authority.

[Ed Suspicious]

15. Talk is cheap.

. . . And Dozens?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

17. If he pardoned everyone who deserves it the jails would empty out....

Considering the demographics in the system that would equate Obama with Lincoln when it came to freeing black people. Especially in the South where they arrest them to keep them from voting.

FOX "News" would claim he's declaring war on white people.

[markpkessinger]

18. Indeed . . .

. . . tokenism spun as substantive action.

[Uncle Joe]

19. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, still_one.