JUSTICE ACTION NETWORK APPLAUDS DURBIN AND GRASSLEY FOR INTRODUCING LEGISLATION TO END UNJUST PRACTICE OF INCREASING SENTENCES FOR INDIVIDUALS ACQUITTED BY JURY

The Prohibiting Punishment of Acquitted Conduct Act of 2021 Would Ensure Defendants are Protected by Fifth, Sixth Amendments

(Washington, D.C.) -- Yesterday, Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Prohibiting Punishment of Acquitted Conduct Act of 2021 – smart bipartisan legislation that would prohibit courts from imposing enhanced sentences for conduct a person has been acquitted of by a jury. The bill is cosponsored by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Mike Lee (R-UT), and Representatives Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) and Steve Cohen (D-TN) plan to introduce companion legislation in the House next week. In response to the introduction of this critical and long-overdue legislation, Holly Harris, President and Executive Director of Justice Action Network, the country’s largest bipartisan criminal justice organization, issued the following statement:  

“The Constitution guarantees a right to due process and a trial by jury. For too long, courts have been able to circumvent both -- overriding jury verdicts and imposing increased sentences for people who have been acquitted of crimes. This legislation will lead to fairer sentencing and ensure that people are protected by the Fifth and Sixth Amendments.

“We are pleased to see that Senators Durbin and Grassley are once again teaming up to correct injustices in the legal system. Criminal justice reform continues to be an area where lawmakers can put partisanship aside and work together to deliver for the American people. We’d also like to thank Senators Leahy, Tillis, Booker, and Lee for reaching across the aisle to advance this crucial legislation, as well as Representatives Armstrong and Cohen for carrying this bipartisan measure into the House.”

The Prohibiting Punishment of Acquitted Conduct Act of 2021 has garnered support from advocacy groups across the political spectrum, including the Due Process Institute, the American Civil Liberties Union, FAMM, Faith and Freedom Coalition, Americans for Prosperity, Prison Fellowship, Drug Policy Alliance, The Innocence Project, Americans for Tax Reform, DreamCorps JUSTICE, Right on Crime, The Sentencing Project, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, ALEC Action, and the Texas Public Policy Foundation.