Press Releases

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett and Harford State’s Attorney Joseph Cassilly Testify and Urge Congress to Reduce the 100-1 Crack/Powder Cocaine Disparity

Washington, Feb 26 -

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett and Harford State’s Attorney Joseph Cassilly testified before a House hearing today and urged Congress to reduce the 100-1 disparity in the treatment of crack compared to powder cocaine. They testified before a “Hearing on Cracked Justice – Addressing the Unfairness in Cocaine Sentencing,”
held by the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism & Homeland Security of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary. Details about the hearing are posted at http://judiciary.house.gov/oversight.aspx?ID=416.

A summary of Congressman Bartlett’s testimony is below.

“Thank you for the opportunity to share my views with you today concerning the 100-1 Crack vs. Powder Cocaine Disparity. I recognized in 2002 that this ratio that had been adopted in haste and driven by fear was not justified by the facts. I recognized that this disparity which discriminated against lower income individuals who more often use crack was not justified by the effects of crack compared to powder cocaine and I introduced a bill to address it. Since then, more evidence has accumulated to strengthen my conviction. I am here today to specifically welcome and support the position by Joseph Cassilly, State’s Attorney for Harford County, in my district. Mr. Cassilly will testify on behalf of the National District Attorneys Association and address the evidence that supports reducing the sentencing disparity. I welcome this hearing. I hope that Congress will follow the recommendations of numerous authorities and approve reducing this ratio.

“I am a scientist; I have a Ph.D. in human physiology. With the substantially more evidence that we have now, the 100-1 unequal treatment is not justified. Our laws should reflect the evidence of harm to society. If we don’t adjust this ratio by reducing it, we would be clinging to fear instead of facts.

“The law places great value on maintaining precedent, but precedent based on fear should not be protected. I am also an engineer. As an engineer, I know that in order to make improvements, we should be in a constant state of reexamination. The past good faith reasons for the 100-1 disparity cannot be justified by the current evidence that has accumulated. Politics and the law must catch up to scientific evidence.

“I hope that my colleagues will not allow the pursuit of the perfect to prevent the potential adoption of a compromise that would reduce the unjustified current 100-1 disparate ratio in the treatment of crack compared to powder cocaine. I thank you for your efforts on behalf of the Congress to advance the goal of justice in our society.”