Today, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), the NAACP, and Cooley LLP filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the petitioners in Carter v. United States and Rutherford v. United States, two cases where the Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s denial of sentencing reduction motions in a manner inconsistent with federal sentencing reforms.
The brief explains how the Third Circuit erred in Rutherford and Carter, showing that the First Step Act did not limit the district court’s discretion to consider extraordinary and compelling circumstances, such as extremely long sentences that can no longer be imposed under today’s laws, when deciding sentence-reduction motions. The brief further argues that Congress intended for courts to be allowed to reduce the term of imprisonment for those currently serving harsh sentences. This relief is necessary to correct unjust sentences that disproportionately affect the Black community.
“For too long, Black people have faced lengthy, unjust, and disproportionate prison sentences that they would not receive under today’s laws. There have been important steps to address these racial disparities and harsh sentencing schemes, but we must still secure justice and provide resentencing for those who are still enduring draconian prison sentences,” said LDF Assistant Counsel Jory Burks. “We urge the Court to address this ongoing injustice and allow victims of these extreme sentencing disparities long-overdue relief.”
“Stacked sentences have stolen years from Black people, tearing families and communities apart. Congress ended this cruel practice with the First Step Act, now we’re calling on the Supreme Court to affirm what we know to be true: everyone deserves a second chance, and our courts must have the power to grant it,” said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson. “The American people need fairness, rehabilitation, and proportionality-guided sentencing—not outdated, punitive practices.”
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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation’s first civil rights law organization. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Please note that LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights.
