Attorney General John Ashcroft issued new guidelines to federal attorneys Monday, instructing them to push for the heaviest charges they can prove in criminal cases, and to limit their use of plea bargains.
The changes are designed to make law enforcement more uniform throughout the country, though some judges and prosecutors say the mandate trespasses on their discretion.
However, the guidelines include exceptions for instances in which prosectors can obtain critical evidence by plea bargaining and cases in which the sentence would not be affected by multiple charges.
-- Complied by Jon Breece
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From the Archives: 1990s
By Tori Vonderheid and Livia Shrednick | 7 hours agoUniversity physician Dr. Joel Trugman discovered that some children who had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, an incurable movement disorder, instead have a rare biochemical disorder that is treatable.
New Education Department letter urges university reforms — U.Va. professors weigh in
By Grace Little | 3 days agoThe letter called on all postsecondary institutions to issue statements of allegiance to its educational mission and address questions regarding fair admissions criteria, open discourse, intellectual pluralism and affordability.
Amid pushback, City Council budgets $4 million toward encampment removal efforts
By Luca Bailey | 4 days agoThe Council also received a status update on the City’s efforts to clear the area.
