re: #21 Targetpractice

Ah, this helps things make sense:

So the “resentencing” business is the 9th Court overturning a District Court judge’s ruling that was based upon personal opinion rather than the letter of the law.

There’s a legit point buried under all that hot mess though, mandatory minimums completely do away with judicial discretion, which at least used to be a valuable tool in mitigating prosecutorial overreach. It doesn’t sound like the Hammonds are the most deserving recipients for leniency, and local corruption may well be at the root of the district court judge’s decision in this case, but minimum sentencing is also why we have such an appallingly high rate of incarceration.