Patrick Leahy chairs ‘mandatory minimum’ hearings, Rand Paul is lead witness
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday chaired a hearing titled “Reevaluating the Effectiveness of Federal Mandatory Minimum Sentences.” Leahy is the coauthor of the bipartisan Justice Safety Valve Act of 2013, which allows judges greater flexibility in sentencing federal crimes subject to mandatory minimums.
Sen. Patrick Leahy
Image/US Congress
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Republican co-author of the bill, was the lead witness at yesterday’s hearing.
This follows Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision last month not to pursue mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug cases.
The Justice Safety Valve Act of 2013 was introduced by Leahy and Paul in March and is designed to restore the sentencing discretion back to the judges.
“Senator Paul and I believe that judges, not legislators, are in the best position to evaluate individual cases and determine appropriate sentences. Our bipartisan legislation has received support from across the political spectrum,” Leahy said.
“We cannot afford to stay on our current path. Reducing mandatory minimum sentences, which have proven unnecessary to public safety, is an important reform that our federal system desperately needs. This is not a political solution – it is a practical one, and it is long overdue.”
Watch Sen Paul’s testimony below:
