Justice Kennedy: Sentences Are Too Long
Justice Criticizes Lengthy Sentences:
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy of the Supreme Court said today that prison terms were too long and that he favored ending mandatory minimum sentences for some federal crimes.
"Our resources are misspent, our punishments too severe, our sentences too long," Justice Kennedy said in remarks prepared for delivery to the annual meeting of the American Bar Association. "I can accept neither the necessity nor the wisdom of federal mandatory minimum sentences," he said. "In too many cases, mandatory minimum sentences are unwise or unjust."
Justice Kennedy's criticism puts him at odds with Attorney General John Ashcroft, who wants prosecutors to monitor which judges impose more lenient sentences than federal guidelines recommend. Such oversight, critics say, could limit judicial independence.
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