Armstrong and Cohen Applaud Advance of Prohibiting Punishment of Acquitted Conduct Act

Statement

Today, Congressman Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) and Congressmen Steve Cohen (D-TN) applauded the Judiciary Committee vote advancing their bill, the Prohibiting Punishment for Acquitted Conduct Act, to the full House. The measure will end the unjust practice of judges increasing sentences based on conduct for which a defendant has been acquitted by a jury.

"I applaud my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee for their passage of the Prohibiting Punishment of Acquitted Conduct Act. The right of criminal defendants to be judged by a jury of their peers is a foundational principle of the Constitution. The current practice of allowing federal judges to sentence defendants based on conduct for which they were acquitted by a jury is not right and is not fair. I will continue to work with Congressman Cohen to get its full consideration on the House floor," said Congressman Armstrong.

"This legislation closes a loophole in federal sentencing law that allows a judge to enhance a defendant's sentence based on conduct they were acquitted of by a jury of their peers. It's a matter of basic fairness and advancing it on a bipartisan basis shows both the need for criminal justice reform and that such reform is possible. I look forward to working with Congressman Armstrong to make it a reality," said Congressman Cohen.

Source