Attorney General Jeff Sessions defended his memo to prosecutors to charge suspects with the most serious, provable crimes on May 12.
“I have empowered our prosecutors to charge and pursue the most serious offense as I believe the law requires, most serious readily provable offense. It means that we are going to meet our responsibility to enforce the law with judgment and fairness. It is simply the right and moral thing to do,” said Sessions.
He said the tougher approach is necessary for public safety. He cited the country’s opioid addiction and rising murder rates in cities. Sessions says drugs and violence go hand-in-hand.
The move undoes a memo by former attorney general Eric H. Holder Jr. which instructed prosecutors to be more lenient on defendants with non-violent drug offenses.
