Virginia House committee takes step to eliminate most mandatory minimum sentences
(The Center Square) – Legislation that would eliminate most mandatory minimum sentences has advanced out of a Virginia committee, along with a number of other criminal justice reform bills that failed to pass in last year’s special session.
House Bill 2331, sponsored by Del. Michael Mullin, D-Newport News, would abolish about 200 mandatory minimum sentence requirements, which account for most of the mandatory minimum laws in the commonwealth. This includes gun-related and drug-related crimes. The bill maintains mandatory minimum sentences for some of the most serious crimes.
A mandatory minimum sentence requires a judge to impose a minimum sentence for certain crimes.
The legislation has been pushed by Democratic lawmakers who passed a slew of criminal justice reform bills during last year’s special session. Democrats have said the legislation would grant more flexibility for judges to look at extenuating circumstances within cases, but Republicans have argued it favors a soft-on-crime approach.
Tinsae Gebriel, the director of policy for Families Against Mandatory Minimums, praised the legislation for eliminating most of the state’s mandatory minimums but also said it falls short of their goals, which would be an end to all mandatory minimum sentencing laws.
“We believe that judges should have the authority to consider all the relevant facts and circumstances in every case before imposing a fair punishment,” Gebriel said. “Years of research shows that mandatory minimums do not reduce or deter crime. But they do impact communities of color disproportionately. This is a chance to right that wrong, so we’re hopeful that the chambers will ultimately come to an agreement on a bill that more closely mirrors the recommendation of the crime commission.”
The bill advanced through the Courts of Justice Committee on Friday in a 13-7 vote.
Other pieces of legislation also advanced through the committee, including House Bill 2047, which allows evidence to be entered into court regarding a person’s mental state. It received unanimous bipartisan support.
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