Attorney General Jeff Sessions has released a memo establishing new prosecuting guidelines for the Justice Department. The memo directs federal prosecutors to pursue the most serious charges possible against most criminal suspects.
The memo rescinds policy put forth by former Attorney General Eric Holder. Holder had issued a similar memo in August 2013 which instructed federal prosecutors to refrain from charging certain suspects with with drug offenses that would lead to long prison sentences.
Sessions’ memo outlines some core principles that federal prosecutors should adhere to.
First, it says prosecutors should charge and pursue the most serious and readily provable crimes and enforcing the law which Sessions says is “moral and just.”
And second, Sessions says that prosecutors must disclose fall facts impacting sentencing guidelines and seek a reasonable sentence in all cases.
A copy of Sessions’ memo is included below.
2015-05-10 Sessions Memo to Federal Prosecutors
