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Best Chicago Drug Lawyers Leonard Trial Lawyers explain President Biden Commuting Federal Drug Sentences

by | Jan 21, 2025 | Firm News

Best Chicago Drug Lawyers Leonard Trial Lawyers explain President Biden Commuting Federal Drug Sentences. One of the issues that society is still dealing with is the exceptionally long federal sentences that were handed by federal court Judges over the last two to three decades. Many of those sentences were issued to defendants who had committed non-violent federal drug offenses. Moreover, it has been statistically and empirically demonstrated that such sentences were given out disproportionately to defendants of color.

Outgoing President Biden took a significant step towards rectifying those extreme sentences by ordering that approximately 2,500 federal detainees serving time within the Federal Bureau of Prisons have their sentences commuted and that they be released from custody. For the defendants, their families, friends, and communities, this is an action that is too little and tool late. However, President Biden should be commended for moving on this controversial and long-simmering issue.

President Biden’s statement in support of this action, stated in part as follows:

“This action is an important step toward righting historic wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities and providing deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their families and communities after spending far too much time behind bars.”

One of the many excellent articles regarding Biden’s action can be found in the New York Times at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/17/us/politics/biden-commute-sentences-drug-offenders.html?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20250117&instance_id=144988&nl=breaking-news&regi_id=162462957&segment_id=188491&user_id=a9913d8e8d4dab0a513f0bd90988ab24

President Biden’s actions underscore an important point regarding criminal defense lawyers and our system: never give up and keep pushing the Courts and the politicians, even if you are not at first succeeding.

The attorneys at Leonard Trial Lawyers, including Michael Leonard and Matthew Chivari, have that type of fight.

Michael Leonard

Leonard Trial Lawyers

January 21, 2025