
Supreme Court weighs whether law reducing crack cocaine sentences is retroactive
But Congress left a key bit of the legislation unexplained: whether the reduced sentences for crack should apply to those who committed their crimes before the law took effect but who were not sentenced until afterward.
An hour-long argument at the Supreme Court on Tuesday did not seem to produce a definitive answer.
Lawmakers intended for the new sentencing structure to take effect immediately, said Stephen B. Eberhardt, a lawyer arguing for two Illinois men who did not receive the benefits of the measure even though they were sentenced after President Obama signed it in August 2010. Read the full story at The WashingtonPost.com