“Judge Jackson has a pattern of letting child porn offenders off the hook for their appalling crimes, both as a judge and as a policymaker. She’s been advocating for it since law school. This goes beyond “soft on crime.” I’m concerned that this a record tha
Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri exposed on Wednesday cautionary details surrounding President Joe Biden's Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and the alarming pattern when it comes to Judge Jackson's treatment of sex offenders, especially those preying on children.
"Judge Jackson has a pattern of letting child porn offenders off the hook for their appalling crimes, both as a judge and as a policymaker. She's been advocating for it since law school. This goes beyond "soft on crime." I'm concerned that this a record that endangers our children," Senator Hawley said in a Twitter post.
I’ve been researching the record of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, reading her opinions, articles, interviews & speeches. I’ve noticed an alarming pattern when it comes to Judge Jackson’s treatment of sex offenders, especially those preying on children
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO)
"As far back as her time in law school, Judge Jackson has questioned making convicts register as sex offenders - saying it leads to "stigmatization and ostracism." She's suggested public policy is driven by a "climate of fear, hatred & revenge" against sex offenders," Hawley explained with documents to support the claims.
The Republican Senator explained how Judge Jackson questioned sending dangerous sex offenders to civil commitment and advocated for drastic changes in how the law treats sex offenders by eliminating the existing mandatory minimum sentences for child porn.
In her time on the US Sentencing Commission, Judge Jackson said she "mistakenly" assumed that child pornography offenders are "pedophiles" and she wanted "to understand this category of nonpedophiles who obtain child pornography," documents show.
In her time on the U.S. Sentencing Commission, Judge Jackson said she “mistakingly assumed that child pornography offenders are pedophiles” and she wanted “to understand this category of nonpedophiles who obtain child pornography.” pic.twitter.com/ZM16VAqpLo
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO)
Further research into the Supreme Court nominee revealed that Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson deviated from federal sentencing guidelines in every single child porn case, favoring the child porn offenders while on the federal bench.
Senator Hawley details the following decisions in which Judge Jackson gave light sentences to sex offenders:
In the case of United States v. Hawkins, the sex offender had multiple images of child porn. He was over 18. The Sentencing Guidelines called for a sentence of up to 10 years. Judge Jackson sentenced the perpetrator to only 3 months in prison, Hawley explained.
In United States v. Stewart, the criminal possessed thousands of images of child porn and hoped to travel across state lines to abuse a 9-year-old girl. The Guidelines called for a sentence of 97-121 months. Judge Jackson sentenced the criminal to just 57 months.
In United States v. Cooper, in which the criminal had more than 600 images and videos and posted many on a public blog, the Guidelines called for a sentence of 151-188 months. Judge Jackson settled on 60 months; the lowest possible sentence allowed by law.
In United States v. Chazin, the offender had 48 files of child porn, which he had accessed over a period of years. The Guidelines recommended 78-97 months. Judge Jackson gave him 28 months.
In United States v. Downs, the sex offender posted multiple explicit images to an anonymous instant messaging app, including an image of a child under the age of 5. The Guidelines recommended 70-87 months. Judge Jackson gave him the lowest sentence allowed by law, 60 months.
In United States v. Sears, the sex offender distributed more than 102 child porn videos and sent lewd pictures of his own 10-year-old daughter. The Guidelines recommended 97-121 months in prison. Judge Jackson gave him 71 months.
In United States v. Savage, the sex offender was convicted of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and also admitted to transporting child porn. The Guidelines recommended 46-57 months. Judge Jackson gave him 37 months.
So far, the Sentencing Commission has refused to turn over all Judge Jackson’s records from her time there. In light of what we have learned, this stonewalling must end. We must get access to all relevant records
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO)
Biden's Supreme Court nominee once authored an unsigned "Note" in the Harvard Law Review arguing that America's judicial system is "unfair" to sexual predators, according to findings discovered by an American Accountability Foundation investigation.
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