Lighter sentences sought for some business crimes

[unhappycamper]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WHITE_COLLAR_SENTENCING?SITE=VANOV&SECTION=BUSINESS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Lighter sentences sought for some business crimes
By ERIC TUCKER
Associated Press
Aug 14, 3:16 AM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The federal panel that sets sentencing policy eased penalties this year for potentially tens of thousands of nonviolent drug offenders. Now, defense lawyers and prisoner advocates are pushing for similar treatment for a different category of defendants: swindlers, embezzlers, insider traders and other white-collar criminals.

Lawyers who have long sought the changes say a window to act opened once the U.S. Sentencing Commission cleared a major priority from its agenda by cutting sentencing guideline ranges for drug crimes. The commission, which meets Thursday to vote on priorities for the coming year, already has expressed interest in examining punishments for white-collar crime. And the Justice Department, though not advocating wholesale changes, has said it welcomes a review.

It's unclear what action the commission will take, especially given the public outrage at fraudsters who stole their clients' life savings and lingering anger over the damage inflicted by the 2008 financial crisis. But the discussion about tweaking sentences for economic crimes comes as some federal judges have chosen to ignore the existing guidelines as too stiff for some cases and as the Justice Department looks for ways to cut costs in an overpopulated federal prison system.

Sentencing guidelines are advisory rather than mandatory, but judges still rely heavily on them for consistency's sake. Advocates arguing that white-collar sentencing guidelines are "mixed up and crazy" could weaken support for keeping them in place, said Ohio State University law professor Douglas Berman, a sentencing law expert.

[sendero]

1. They should remove all sentences..

... for things that should have never been a crime in the first place, i.e. pot and INCREASE sentences for fraudsters.

[rurallib]

2. those crimes mentioned above often have victims who are totally devastated

in many cases the fraud or swindle bilks people of their life savings and security.
These crimes are often more devastating than physical crimes, certainly much worse than anything to do with marijuana. And they want to reduce sentences?

The only thing I can guess is that most of the perpetrators mentioned above will be white. Thus - go easy.