You can only err on the side of toughness:

Talk Left discusses Tom Feeney's Amendment to the Child Abduction Prevention Act - the one that limits judges' ability to reduce sentences. We took a look at the Congressman's website, where he has this to say: [emphasis added]

On April 4, 2003 the soft on crime editorial board of the Washington Post commented on Congressman Tom Feeney's Amendment to the Child Abduction Prevention Act. The amendment that was overwhelmingly passed by the House of Representatives, by a vote of 357 to 58, on March 27th was also opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Criminal Defense Lawyers.

[then he posts a Washington Post editorial, which we excerpt]

The Feeney amendment would ban nearly all downward departures not requested by the government while leaving in place judges' power to make sentences harsher. .... To make matters worse, it would require the Justice Department to report to Congress each time a judge makes a downward departure -- so that judges everywhere could expect congressional scrutiny whenever they showed mercy.

posted by Quiddity at 4/09/2003 07:47:00 PM