In the week since Biden Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was questioned about her pattern of reduced sentencing in grisly child pornography cases, two narratives have developed.
The first view holds that the question of sentencing, and the implication that Judge Jackson is soft on child pornography offenders, is "Disingenuous," "a smear," and "Meritless to the point of demagoguery." According to this narrative, such claims distort the rate at which judges routinely depart from the sentencing guidelines and do not distinguish the harm between the production of child pornography and mere possession of it.
A cursory examination of the sentencing record of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as it relates to child pornography reveals that these cases are not simply about the perceived injustice of sentencing a just-turned-18-year-old to years in prison for a crime he wouldn't be punished for at the age of 17.
As Judge Jackson noted in her confirmation hearing, the sentencing guidelines passed by Congress are out of date, and often don't meaningfully distinguish between the production of child pornography and mere possession of it, and because of this, many judges and even prosecutors depart from the guidelines.
According to data from the Sentencing Commission, cross-referenced with Judge Jackson's sentencing in child pornography cases, on average she imposed sentences that were 57 percent less than the national average for possession of child pornography.
In 2003, Congress acted to pass the PROTECT Act, with the express purpose of giving prosecutors more robust tools to crack down on child pornography and sex crimes.
"We must send child pornographers the message that Congress will not tolerate child abuse or child pornography, today, tomorrow, or ever, no matter what the state of technology is."
It's becoming increasingly difficult to discern fact from fiction, and unfortunately the media has a strong bias. They spin stories to make conservatives look bad and will go to great lengths to avoid reporting on the good that comes from conservative policies. There are a few shining lights in the media landscape-brave conservative outlets that report the truth and offer a different perspective. We must support conservative outlets like this one and ensure that our voices are heard.
No comments:
Post a Comment