>>> I TRUST OUR PROSECUTORS IN THE FIELD TO MAKE GOOD
JUDGMENTS. THEY DESERVE TO BE UNHANDCUFFED
AND NOT MICROMANAGED FROM WASHINGTON.
WE ARE RETURNING TO THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS AS
PASSED BY CONGRESS, PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
IF YOU ARE A DRUG TRAFFICKER, WE WILL NOT LOOK THE OTHER WAY, WE
WILL NOT BE WILLFULLY BLIND TO YOUR MISCONDUCT.
>> SOME ALARMING DEVELOPMENTS. ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS
IS NOW SEEKING TOUGHER PUNISHMENT FOR DRUG CRIMES,
SENDING A MEMO DIRECTING ALL 94 U.S. ATTORNEYS OFFICE TO CHARGE
DRUG DEFENDANTS WITH THE MOST SERIOUS CRIMES POSSIBLE, WHICH
CARRY THE MOST SEVERE PENALTIES. IT'S A STUNNING REVERSAL OF
OBAMA ERA POLICY. SESSIONS IS MAKING THIS MOVE
NOW, HNOW, HE SAYS, TO TRY TO C WHAT HE SAYS IS AN INCREASE IN
VIOLENCE. SO, CHERILYN, ON THIS MEMO -- SO
MUCH WE COULD TALK ABOUT WITH JEFF SESSIONS BUT ERIC HOLDER
BACK IN 2013 ISSUED A MEMO THAT CALLED ON U.S. ATTORNEY'S
OFFICES TO AVOID CHARGING CERTAIN OFFENDERS THAT HAD LONG
MINIMUMS, TRYING TO REDUCE THE FEDERAL PRISON POPULATION.
HERE'S WHAT SESSIONS HAS REVISED THAT WITH.
HE CALLS IT A CORE PRINCIPLE THAT PROSECUTORS SHOULD CHARGE
AND PURSUE THE MOST SERIOUS, READILY PROVABLE OFFENSE, ANY
INCONSISTENT PREVIOUS POLICY BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IS NOW
RESCINDED EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. >> THIS IS REALLY SIMPLE.
SMART ON CRIME. YOU AND I WOULD PROBABLY THINK
THIS WAS SMART. YOU'VE GOT A WHOLE ARRAY OF
PEOPLE YOU CAN PROSECUTE. YOU WANT THE PERSON WHO IS THE
MOST DANGEROUS, ENGAGEDNGAGED I MOST SERIOUS DRUG CRIMES AND YOU
WANT TO TARGET THOSE AREAS THAT ARE SEEING THE MOST SERIOUS DRUG
CRIME. THAT'S SMART ON CRIME, ERIC
HOLDER'S 2013 MEMO. LET'S TAKE OUR RESOURCES AND PUT
THEM THERE. LET'S NOT OVERCHARGE BUT LET'S
FOCUS ON THOSE WHO ARE THE MOST DANGEROUS.
NOT SO SMART, JEFF SESSION'S MEMO FROM YESTERDAY IS LET'S
TAKE EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT WE'RE CHARGING, EVERY DRUG
DEFENDANT, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR BACKGROUND, NO WHAT THEIR LEVEL
OF INVOLVEMENT AND CHARGE THEM WITH THE MOST SERIOUS OFFENSE WE
CAN CHARGE THEM WITH THUS LEADING WITH THAT PERSON GOING
INTO JAIL ON THESE MANDATORY MINIMUM PENALTIES THAT KEEPS
THEM IN JAIL FOR A LONG TIME, IT CALLS THE TAXPAYERS MONEY
HOLDING SOMEBODY FOR A LONG TIME WHO IS NOT A SERIOUS THREAT FOR
SOCIETY AND IT MOVES RESOURCES AWAY FROM WHERE THEY BELONG, THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE THE MOST SERIOUS CRIMINALS.
>> ERIC HOLDER RESPONDED BY TWEET.
HE SAID THE POLICY IS NOT TOUGH ON CRIME, IT'S DUMB ON CRIME.
THIS HAS NOT ONLY BEEN DISCREDITED BUT HAVE BEEN
RELEGATED TO THE FRINGES OF DEBATE.
IT'S THIS FRINGE IDEA THAT THERE'S THIS MASSIVE CRIME WAVE
BY DRUG -- >> THIS IS THE ASHCROFT EDICT
BACK IN 2004. YESTERDAY THE NEW PRESIDENT OF
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAID I DON'T
THINK WE'RE AT THE STATE LEVEL GOING BACK TO THIS.
MOST PROSECUTORS RECOGNIZE MANDATORY MINIMUMS ARE NOT THE
WAY. WE HAVE A SITUATION IN WHICH THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS LEADING THE WAY IN SETTING THE EXAMPLE
FOR STATES. NOW THE STATES ARE SAYING,
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, YOU GOT IT WRONG.
WE'RE IN THE GOING BACK TO SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY BEEN
BUSINESS CREDITED AND DOESN'T WORK.
>> DAVID CORN, THIS STRIKES ME AS SOMETHING THAT IS A
PARTICULAR OBSESSION OF JEFFERSON SESSIONS WHO ONCE SAID
THE ONLY TIME HE TURNED AGAINST THE KLAN IS WHEN HE HEARD THAT
THEY SMOKED WEED, HE WAS OBSESSED WITH MARIJUANA.
IS JEFF SESSIONS OBSESSED WITH HIS OWN OBSESSIONS.
>> WE'D SEEN BIPARTISAN MOVEMENT WITH REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS
TALKING ABOUT JUSTICE REFORM AND DEALING WITH THE MASS
INCARCERATION WHICH DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTS
AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN. EVEN TRUMP TALKED ABOUT THIS
WHEN HE SAID TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY, WHAT DO YOU GOT TO
LOSE? WE'VE SEEN A LOT WHAT THEY'VE
GOT TO LOSE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
SESSIONS IS SWIMMING AGAINST THAT TIDE AND SEEMS TO BE
EXERTING HIS POWER THE SAME WAY, THIS SAME WEEK HE VIOLATED HIS
OWN RECUSAL BY PARTICIPATING IN THE FIRING OF JIM COMEY WHEN HE
SAID HE WOULDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE RUSSIAN
INVESTIGATIONS, HE HELPED CAN THE GUY IN CHARGE OF IT.
SO HE DOES SEEMING TO REALLY CONSOLIDAING POWER AT THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FOR NO GOOD END.
>> AND IN A VERY SPECIFIC WAY. HE EITHER IS JUST INDULGING HIS
OBSESSIONS OR SOME PRIVATE PRISON INTEREST AND THEY'RE
GOING TO ENRICH HIM OR THIS IS ABOUT A KIND OF TROLLING OF
PEOPLE OF COLOR THAT IS COMMON IN YOUR PARTY.
JEFFERSON SESSIONS AMADE THE TURMOIL HE'S FACING NOW ON
RUSSIANGATE TOOK THE TIME OUT TO BE HONORED BY A POLICE UNION
BOSS IN NEW YORK, A GUY NAMED EDWARD MULLENS.
HE'S BEEN CALLED CRAZY EDDIE BY THE FORMER NYPD COMMISSIONER.
THIS ISS A GUY WHO OBJECTED TO THE ERIC GARNER SETTLEMENT, WHO
SAID IT WAS A TRAVESTY, WHO WALKED OUT WHEN POLICE HAD TO
ADMIT THAT THEY BEAT A 60-SOMETHING-YEAR-OLD MAN AND
THEY HAD TO SETTLE, HE WALKED OUT AND CALLED THAT A TRAVESTY.
HE OBJECTED TO BEYONCE'S PERFORMANCE AT THE SUPER BOWL.
THIS IS AN EXTREMIST AND JEFF SESSIONS PROUDLY STANDS NEXT TO
HIM. >> UNLIKE THE PRIOR SEGMENT, I
THINK DAVID IS 100% RIGHT. THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM IS
VERY IMPORTANT. IF YOU LOOK, TRUMP VOTERS WANT
IT. 81% OF TRUMP VOTERS ACCORDING TO
A CHARLES H. KOCH STUDY THAT CAME OUT, 81% ARE IN FAVOR OF
JUSTICE REFORM, AND THEY'RE IN FAVOR OF FORFEITURE LAWS AND 63%
ARE IN FAVOR OF JUDICIAL DISCRETION TO AVOID THESE
MANDATORY MINIMUMS. WE NEED TO BE TOUGH ON CRIME
BUT WE HAVE TO BE SMART ON CRIME.
THIS IS NOT IT. WHEN WE HAVE MURDERERS AND
RAPISTS GETTING LESS TIME IN PRISON BECAUSE OF WHAT'S GOING
ON IN TERMS OF OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, THAT'S WRONG.
AND WHAT'S ALSO WRONG IS WHERE JEFF SESSIONS IN HIS PRESS
SESSION ANNOUNCED THIS, HE SAID WE DON'T NEED WASHINGTON
MICROMANAGING, WHICH IS WHY I'M TELLING EVERYONE WHAT TO DO.
>> YOU RAISED A GOOD POINT. BROCK TURNER GOT THREE MONTHS IN
PRISON FOR VIOLENTLY RAPING A WOMAN.
MEANWHILE NONVIOLENCE DRUG OFFENDERS WHO ARE INCARCERATED
FOR DECADES RIGHT NOW. I'M GOING TO DEVIATE FROM
EVERYONE ON THIS PANEL AND I BELIEVE THE WAR ON DRUGS AND THE
WAY JEFF SESSIONS WANTS TO PROSECUTE IT IS A WAR ON THE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY. WE KNOW WHEN PROSECUTORS HAVE
DISCRETION, THAT THE SENTENCES, THE WAY THEY GO AFTER DRUG
OFFENDERS IS VERY DIFFERENT IF THEY'RE AFRICAN-AMERICAN VERSUS
WHETHER THEY'RE ANY ANY OTHER G IN THIS COUNTRY.
THIS IS DANGEROUS AND PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND JEFF SESSIONS
SINGLE HANDEDLY LED THE CHARGE TO BLOCK THE VERY BIPARTISAN
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM THAT WAS SOUGHT IN THE SENATE.
>> AND IMMIGRATION REFORM. I WOULD BE REMISS, I HAVE THE
GREAT CHERILYN IN FRONT OF ME. I'M GOING TO ASK YOU QUICKLY,
THE LDF IS INVOLVED IN FICTIONAL VOTER FRAUD.
>> JEFF SESSIONS PROSECUTED OUR CLIENTS UNSUCCESSFULLY FOR VOTER
FRAUD. THIS IS SOMETHING WE TALKED
ABOUT WHEN HE WAS NOMINATED FOR THIS POSITION.
THE PRESIDENT CREATED AS CO CHAIRS -- WE TRULY BELIEVE THAT
THIS IS ESSENTIALLY AN EFFORT TO NATIONALIZE SOMETHING THAT HAS
BEEN ON THE FRINGE ANDAND CREAT NATIONAL VOTER INTIMIDATION PLAN
AGAINST AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND LATINOS.
WE FILED A FOIA REQUEST. SENATOR McCONNELL SAID NO
FEDERAL FUNDS SHOULD GO FOR THIS INVESTIGATION.
WE'VE FILED FOIAS FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE OF KANSAS.
WE'LL BE ALL OVER THIS. >> AND I BELIEVE WE'LL HAVE A
MEMBER OF YOUR TEAM TOMORROW TO TALK ABOUT THIS MORE.
NOT ON THE FEDERAL SIDE BUT ON THE STATE SIDE, IF YOU GO TO
PRISON ON A STATE MARIJUANA CHARGE, YOU ALSO LOSE YOUR RIGHT
TO VOTE. IT'S PULLING PEOPLE NOT JUST OUT
OF SOCIETY, OUT OF THEIR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES AND
AWAY FROM THE ECONOMIC LIFE OF THEIR COMMUNITY, IN A LOT OF
CASES, IT'S DISENFRANCHISING THEM AS WELL.
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