In case you haven’t heard the news, Donald Trump has nominated Jeff Sessions to be the new Attorney General.
Sessions is an Alabama senator and previously a federal prosecutor. He is old and old-school, which means a strict law-and-order approach to criminal justice will be returning to Washington, D.C.
What does an Attorney General do?
The Attorney General sets the policy and directives of United States attorneys across the country. The United States President also appoints those U.S. attorneys.
According to NAAG (National Association of Attorneys General):
As the chief legal officer of the states, commonwealths and territories of the United States, the attorneys general serve as counselors to their legislatures and state agencies and also as the “People’s Lawyer” for all citizens.
What to expect?
With Jeff Sessions, we can expect someone who is going to oppose any mandatory minimum sentencing, even for non-violent offenders such as drug offenders or people accused of child pornography.
We can also anticipate that he will oppose “charge bargaining,” where a more serious charged would be dismissed in return for a plea on the less serious charge, and will mandate the prosecutors (absent extraordinary circumstances) ask judges to sentence the defendant to where he falls under the sentencing guidelines (and not below).
What’s next?
What does this all mean for someone federally charged with child pornography?
Now, more than ever, they will need a skilled criminal defense attorney who has experience handling these types of cases, who understands how to defend against them, and who knows how to advocate for the best possible outcome.
At the Neal Davis Law Firm, we specialize in these types of cases. If you or a loved one have been accused of possessing or distributing child pornography – or another federal offense – schedule a consultation with our expert attorneys to start building your defense.
