Congress Says Criminal Justice Reform Legislation Likely Next Year

Last week, President Obama met with numerous congressional leaders of both parties to encourage them to move forward with pending legislation that would reform the federal criminal justice system. (WaPo, Sentencing Law and Policy Blog). Both the House and Senate have considered numerous proposals, some of which include provisions that would reduce the mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug crimes; others would add provisions to nearly all federal offenses that require the government to prove, at least, that the defendant "knew, or had reason to believe, that the conduct was unlawful"; and others would eliminate federal offenses that criminalize "trivial conduct."

Although much still needs to be decided, the Senate Minority Whip, Richard Durbin, believes that congress has "a good chance" of passing criminal justice reform legislation in early 2016 and sending it to the president "before the midpoint of the year." Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley also seemed optimistic.

Our hard-hitting Raleigh criminal defense lawyers include Joseph Cheshire, Bradley Bannon, Collin Cook, Elliot Abrams, and Keat Wiles. We will continue to monitor these developments in criminal justice reform to see how these changes may benefit our clients.

We have a reputation for fighting for justice and of winning tough drug cases. The earlier you retain a qualified lawyer, the better your chances of a successful outcome to your drug offense case. Our Raleigh drug crime lawyers lodge a thorough investigation to gather crucial evidence for motions to suppress whenever possible. This hard-hitting approach can often keep unlawfully obtained damaging evidence out of court. Call Cheshire Parker Schneider & Bryan at (919) 833-3114 to schedule an appointment.