In a press release dated April 27th, the United States Sentencing Commission reports that it will promulgate new guidelines to change the 100:1 ratio for crack cocaine.  It states:

The Commission also voted today to promulgate an amendment that modifies the penalties for crack cocaine offenses. The Commission described the problems associated with the 100-to-1 drug quantity ratio as so urgent and compelling that it promulgated the guideline amendment as a measure to alleviate some of those problems.

So urgent and compelling?  Where have you guys been for the past decade?  On the one hand, at least they finally realized what everyone else has known forever.  On the other hand, what in the world took them so long to gleen the obvious. 


Internet Photo of wild USSC Party?

But, the USSC gives, and the USSC takes away.  In the same press release, they include:

– an amendment implementing provisions of the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 and the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2007. The amendment establishes new guideline penalties for offenses created by the PATRIOT Reauthorization Act relating to (1) narco-terrorism,

Add the word “terrorism” to any other word in the criminal lexicon and, voila, you have an enhanced sentence.  Mind you, the sneaky part is that all those silly constitutional safeguards that the USA Patriot Act is designed to circumvent no longer apply.  Can you say “jaywalking-terrorism?”