Establishing a Mandatory Minimum Sentence for Assault with the Intent to Kill (H 8055)

This legislation seeks to establish a mandatory minimum prison sentence of ten years for assaults with intent to commit murder. While we recognize the seriousness of this crime, we argued that approval of such a penalty would be an unfortunate step backwards in this state's efforts to promote criminal justice reform.

 
Whatever the offense, mandatory sentencing undermines individualized justice and inappropriately ties the hands of judges. Just as importantly, these sentencing schemes tend to have an alternative, and just as troubling, intended effect – forcing individuals to plead to other charges for the same conduct, even if they are innocent, in order to avoid the potential imposition of a mandatory sentence.