Yesterday, based on reporting by the National Law Journal, Crime & Justice News reported that the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) opposes a bill pending in the U.S. Senate to reform federal sentencing Laws. Actually, NDAA says it does not oppose the bill but has “concerns” about it that the group hopes will be addressed in the legislative process. In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is considering the legislation, NDAA says, “our members worry that retroactivity of sentencing reductions may lead to reopening old wounds for victims who have had cases resolved by collaboration between state and federal prosecutors, with the ultimate plea in federal court not necessarily reflecting the inclusion of serious violent state charges.”
If the legislation passes, NDAA says, “Our members strongly feel that these applications for retroactive reductions should be undertaken with great care and scrutiny so that the court will have the full perspective of the character of the defendant and the nature of his or her offense to consider before granting any sentence reduction.” The prosecutors’ group said it had other concerns about the bill that it did not specify publicly. The organization did not say if it would favor or oppose the bill, which is scheduled to be discussed tomorrow by the committee, if its issues were not addressed.