April 22, 2009 01:44 AM UTC

Sentencing Reform Dropped

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• by: Colorado Pols

From The Associated Press:

Facing opposition from district attorneys, Colorado lawmakers are dropping a plan to overhaul sentencing laws this year.

Instead, they hope to prod the state’s criminal justice commission to tackle the issue.

Senate Majority Leader Brandon Shaffer announced the change of course on Tuesday at a news conference called by prosecutors to denounce the sentencing reform bill.

Shaffer says sponsors are rewriting the bill to direct the commission to recommend changes, with possible benchmarks or deadlines for action.

Our understanding is that while several prosecutors weren’t opposed to the idea of sentencing reform, the legislation in question contained several unintended loopholes that could have resulted in significant problems. With just a few weeks left in the 2009 legislative session, it was probably a wise move to drop this bill until all of the kinks were worked out.