At Monday’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) listed seven child pornography cases in which President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, sentenced the convicted defendant to a lesser sentence than federal guidelines recommended and prosecution requested.
Sen. Hawley summarized the findings of the seven cases regarding child pornography charges presided over by Jackson during her district court tenure, in which she had discretion in her sentencing.
In two cases, Judge Jackson gave the lowest sentence permitted by law:
1. Defendant distributed multiple images of child porn, possessed dozens more, including videos:
- Federal sentencing guidelines: 97-121 months in prison.
- Prosecutors recommended 24 months in prison.
- Judge Jackson gave the defendant three months in prison.
2. Defendant possessed 48 files of child pornography:
- Federal guidelines: 78-97 months in prison.
- Prosecutor recommended the same (78-97 months).
- Judge Jackson sentenced him to 28 months.
3. Defendant distributed dozens of images of child pornography, possessed over six hundred:
- Federal guidelines: 151-188 months in prison.
- Prosecutor recommended 72 months.
- Judge Jackson gave the defendant the lowest sentence permitted by law (60 months).
4. Defendant distributed 33 graphic images and videos of child sexual assault on anonymous messaging app:
- Federal guidelines: 70-87 months in prison.
- Prosecutor recommended 70 months in prison.
- Judge Jackson sentenced to the lowest sentence permitted by law (60 months).
5. Defendant distributed scores of images and children suffering sexual abuse:
- Federal guidelines: 97-121 months in prison.
- Prosecutor recommended 97 months in prison.
- Judge Jackson gave him 57 months
6. Defendant distributed over a hundred videos of child pornography:
- Guidelines: 97-121 months in prison.
- Prosecution recommended 97 months.
- Judge Jackson gave 71 months.
7. Defendant was convicted of traveling across state lines to engage in sexual intercourse with a child and also possessed six separate thumb drives of child pornography:
- Guidelines: 46-57 months in prison.
- Prosecutor recommended 49 months.
- Judge Jackson sentenced to 37 months.
Sen. Hawley said that he was troubled by the sentences doled out by Judge Jackson in these cases and that he hoped to discuss them with her as the hearings continued.
Authored by Craig Bannister via CNS News
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