S. 1789 would restore fairness to Federal cocaine sentencing.
Detailed Summary
Fair Sentencing Act of 2009 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to: (1) increase the amount of a controlled substance or mixture containing a cocaine base (i.e., crack cocaine) required for the imposition of mandatory minimum prison terms for crack cocaine trafficking to eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine; (2) increase monetary penalties for drug trafficking and for the importation and exportation of controlled substances.
Eliminates the five-year mandatory minimum prison term for first-time possession of crack cocaine.
Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend, if appropriate, its sentencing guidelines for trafficking in a controlled substance to reflect the use of a dangerous weapon or violence in such crime and the culpability and the role of the defendant in such crime, taking into account certain aggravating and mitigating factors.
Directs the Comptroller General to report on the effectiveness of drug court programs funded by the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs.
Status of the Legislation
Latest Major Action: 10/15/2009: Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Points in Favor
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Points Against
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Visitor Comments
DavidK
October 16, 2009, 9:55am (report abuse)Terrific...the Senate can take up protecting Cocaine users and traffickers taking this up but can't take the time to help the unemployed, by passing an unemployment extension....
!!!
October 16, 2009, 11:41am (report abuse)Lock up ALL the druggies and leave them there.
DonnaH
(logged in user) October 16, 2009, 1:25pm (report abuse)How can anyone be for or against a bill that has not even been published yet?
How do they know what it is they are voting for or against?
For DonnaH
October 16, 2009, 3:08pm (report abuse)Because it is a companion to the house bill already introduced. Lock them all up and throw away the key.
knowlege
October 21, 2009, 9:16pm (report abuse)until you study and understand this could happen to one of your families lets not be stupid and remember most of these cases are conspiracy to sell drugs...
American Girl
October 25, 2009, 12:42am (report abuse)This Bill needs to be retroactive.
He introduced the law that destroyed Tens of Thousands of lives, families and communities.
Now he needs to begin to correct it by making this bill retroactive.
Put an end to legal KidNapping, Violence, Murder, Slavery and theft (aka the drug war) and lets find an actual solution to drug addiction.
America is SUPPOSED to be a free country, so why are we prohibited from using drugs and punished by violence, family destruction, theft, kidnapping, slavery, rape and death. Drugs do not do this, our GOVERNMENT does this. Stop the lies, stop the violence and murder.
Let's stop using the "war on drugs" to cover up legal VIOLENT crime. Wake up America!!
American Girl
October 25, 2009, 1:03am (report abuse)Yes, "conspiracy" is also LEGAL population control and big business. Under current conspiracy laws they can bribe and convict anyone, their mother, you, or your mother/wife, child, etc. Here's conspiracy law 101: All it takes is one (bribed) witness and a cop to convict you of "conspiracy" landing you in prison for 5years to life (99yrs).
Bribed "witnesses" are co-defendants offered a life vest (reduced or eliminated time) in trade for testifying against another person. Bribing witnesses is against our constitutional rights, yet it still goes on. You don't choose money over freedom.
Conspiracy convictions have been happenning across America for the many years & makes up for 60% of all drug convictions.
Most of these people are not guilty. Wake up America! Things are not what they seem. It could happen to YOU.
Do you want to get convicted of conspiracy just to condemn drug users & dealers? Or would you rather be intelligent and rally to restore freedom in America??
?
November 5, 2009, 11:51am (report abuse)Let the without sin cast the first stone. It is unfair that a minor drug pocession of a first time offender can carry more weight that someone who commits a violent crime. OBAMA 4 Change
Poor Druggies
November 14, 2009, 12:16am (report abuse)It is quite fair that a drug offender be sentenced to a long term. In fact, the sentence for ANY drug offense should be life without parole. And if that doesn't work perhaps we should just send all drug offenders to China and let them take care of the problem. They have a very successful way of stopping an individual from ever committing another drug offense. A bullet. Works every time.
MRS MATRIX
November 18, 2009, 4:26am (report abuse)It seems as everyone here is forgetting what this bill is about. People in middle-class "white America" would never understand this because they are not wrongly affected by this law. When little white girls and boys from affluent families are arrested for bingeing on alcohol, pills and cocaine, they get a slap on the wrist. However, when young "Tyrone" is thrown away for 20 years for having a few grams of his desired drug, no one sees this. This law has thousands of young and old men incarcerated for durations fit for a murderer, yet no one sees this as a problem. This law is not about reform, it is about revenge! how can an 18 yr old male convicted and sentenced for 20 years become reformed? when he leaves prison at the tender age of 38, what is he capable of? People can not just pick their lives up where they left off. What kind of world is this we live in, when convicted murderers do less time than petty drug dealers? Our society has blinded us, we need to be more aware of life.
To MRS MATRIX
November 20, 2009, 1:00am (report abuse)Just what kind of racist crap are you spouting? You are a purely ecil person. How can you run down the young black man and then try to sound so proper. You are a real piece of work.