Commonwealth v. Laltaprasad

Brief for the Constitution Project, Drug Policy Alliance, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, as Amici Curiae.

Brief filed: 03/25/2016

Documents

Commonwealth v. Laltaprasad

Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts; Case No. SJC-11970

Argument(s)

There is a broad national consensus that strict mandatory minimum laws fail to further the primary purposes of sentencing. A majority of states and the federal system have safety valves or have enacted substantial mandatory minimum reforms. Safety valves are the norm and exist in a majority of states and the federal system. Reforms across the country reflect the national consensus that mandatory minimums should be limited or eliminated.

Author(s)

Emma Quinn-Judge and Monica Shah, Zalkind Duncan & Bernstein LLP, Boston, MA; Daniel K. Gelb, Gelb & Gelb LLP, Boston, MA.