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Washington (AP) — Supreme Court makes it easy on Monday In order for prisoners in certain prisons to seek shorter sentences under bipartisan 2018 federal law aimed at reducing racial disparities in prisons for cocaine crimes.
Judges were asked to resent prisoners Judges may consider a variety of factors, including those unrelated to crack cocaine crimes I ruled 5-4 when there was. Longer stints in prison, disproportionate to people of color.
The High Court has resolved disagreements among national courts of appeal on what judges should do in these cases.
The case before the judge involved Carlos Concepcion, who was sentenced to 19 years in prison after being convicted of possessing at least 5 grams of crack cocaine with the intention of distributing it. I did.
However, the length of Concepcion's sentence was actually determined by a previous state court conviction that made him a career criminal under federal law.
In 2019, Conception called for a commutation under the First Steps Act, which President Donald Trump signed the law a year ago. The conception claimed that the law allowed him to qualify for a short period of time, but he also pointed out his previous conviction.
Still, the judge refused to consider changing the judgment.
"The district court in this case refused to consider the claimant Carlos Concepcion's allegation that the intervention of law and facts upheld his motion, and mistakenly did not have the discretion to do so. I believed, "Judge Sonia Sotomayor wrote. Her opinion on the court.
Joined a rare group of judges, Clarence Thomas, Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan, and Neil Gorsuch.
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