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Cotton to demand vote in effort to further restrict criminal justice system overhaul
Source: Washington Post
Cotton to demand vote in effort to further restrict criminal justice system overhaul
By Seung Min Kim December 12 at 6:12 PM
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is expected to demand a vote in the coming days on legislation that would further restrict a broad overhaul of the criminal justice system, in an attempt to derail the popular bill backed by President Trump.
Cotton, along with Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.), are drafting an amendment to the First Step Act that would bar people convicted of various offenses, including certain sex crimes, from being able to qualify for reduced sentences. Those crimes are not explicitly listed in the new 149-page draft of the bill released Wednesday, although its authors have disputed claims that violent criminals would be prematurely released under their legislation.
In a summary of their amendment obtained by The Washington Post, Cotton and Kennedy want to add seven specific offenses to the list of crimes that would not be able to earn time credits that eases prison sentences. They include: coercing a minor for sexual activity, carjacking with intent to cause death or injury; assaulting a law enforcement officer; harming someone while robbing a bank; helping a federal prisoner escape, committing a hate crime; and assaulting a minor.
To make their case, the two Senate Republicans point to former NASCAR driver Richard Crawford, convicted earlier this year of trying to entice a 12-year-old girl. Cotton and Kennedy argue that in their reading of the bill, Crawford could have his current prison sentence cut by nearly a third.
Cotton and Kennedy’s amendment could be one of a number of potentially uncomfortable votes in the Senate, where the White House-backed criminal justice bill has attracted support from a broad coalition of lawmakers, although vehemently opposed by a handful of conservative senators.
-snip-
By Seung Min Kim December 12 at 6:12 PM
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is expected to demand a vote in the coming days on legislation that would further restrict a broad overhaul of the criminal justice system, in an attempt to derail the popular bill backed by President Trump.
Cotton, along with Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.), are drafting an amendment to the First Step Act that would bar people convicted of various offenses, including certain sex crimes, from being able to qualify for reduced sentences. Those crimes are not explicitly listed in the new 149-page draft of the bill released Wednesday, although its authors have disputed claims that violent criminals would be prematurely released under their legislation.
In a summary of their amendment obtained by The Washington Post, Cotton and Kennedy want to add seven specific offenses to the list of crimes that would not be able to earn time credits that eases prison sentences. They include: coercing a minor for sexual activity, carjacking with intent to cause death or injury; assaulting a law enforcement officer; harming someone while robbing a bank; helping a federal prisoner escape, committing a hate crime; and assaulting a minor.
To make their case, the two Senate Republicans point to former NASCAR driver Richard Crawford, convicted earlier this year of trying to entice a 12-year-old girl. Cotton and Kennedy argue that in their reading of the bill, Crawford could have his current prison sentence cut by nearly a third.
Cotton and Kennedy’s amendment could be one of a number of potentially uncomfortable votes in the Senate, where the White House-backed criminal justice bill has attracted support from a broad coalition of lawmakers, although vehemently opposed by a handful of conservative senators.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/cotton-to-demand-vote-in-effort-to-further-restrict-criminal-justice-system-overhaul/2018/12/12/75422516-fe60-11e8-ba87-8c7facdf6739_story.html