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| New DEA Chief Signals New Approach |
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Posted by FoM on August 25, 2001 at 20:28:55 PT By ABC News.com Source: ABC News 
President Bush's new drug czar takes charge with a look at more fairness in prosecutions. President Bush's new drug czar signalled today that the administration may take a new approach to punishing drug offenders. Former Arkansas congressman Asa Hutchinson was officially sworn in this afternoon as administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Hutchinson told the assembled crowd of family, friends and other law enforcement officials, "The task before us is daunting." But he promised to bring both a spirit of urgency and a sense of excellence to the job. New Look While emphasizing that he doesn't think "something is out of whack" at the DEA, Hutchinson said he would consider new strategies. Hutchinson told reporters he believes "mandatory minimum" sentences have been effective in reducing the use of cocaine, in both crack and powder form. But he noted that as a member of Congress he'd been hesitant to expand such laws because they take discretion away from judges. The new DEA head said he supports a "safety valve" to let judges opt out in appropriate circumstances. Standards for punishing cocaine offenders also need refining, Hutchinson said. He believes the 100-to-1 disparity in sentences for crack and powder cocaine needs to be diminished. Current law allows someone caught with 5 grams of crack cocaine to be subject to the same penalty as another found with 500 grams of powder. Crack has been more often associated with poor and minority offenders. Hutchinson said the disparity and that "unfairness" need to be reduced, and he intends to work with Congress and others in the administration to find the "appropriate way" to do that. Reminding reporters the DEA is a law enforcement agency first, he added an important component of fighting illegal drugs must be reducing the demand. He said the DEA can provide leadership in both education and prevention. He pointed out, however, that the reason actor Robert Downey Jr. is currently enrolled in a rehabilitation plan is because of his earlier encounters with law enforcement. Court Appearance Hutchinson also expressed interest in drug courts and programs that offer treatment in lieu of incarceration for first-time, nonviolent offenders. He wants to "watch" such an ongoing program in California. But he noted two concerns: There must be adequate facilities, and there should be a drug-testing component, so that offenders can prove they are remaining clean. And in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling upholding federal laws that ban the use of marijuana, even for medicinal use, Hutchinson said he would work with Attorney General John Ashcroft to develop a strategy to enforce the nation's marijuana laws. "It's important to send the right signal," he said, to make clear "we're not going to tolerate a violation of federal law." But he also pointed out there are "a lot of different aspects that we have to consider." He had earlier expressed sympathy for those who are in pain and believe marijuana helps, but pointed out that the scientific and medical community have found "no legitimate medical use" for the drug. Hutchinson Background Hutchinson was confirmed by a 98-1 vote of the Senate earlier this month. He had been a member of the House from Arkansas since first being elected in 1997. During impeachment proceedings against former President Clinton, Hutchinson, as a member of the House Judiciary committee, served as one of the prosecutors. From 1982 to 1985, he served as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas. At age 31, he was the youngest ever U.S. Attorney. During that time he won a guilty plea to a drug charge from Roger Clinton, the former president's brother. The 50-year-old Hutchinson took the oath of office from Federal Judge Morris Arnold, also of Arkansas. In his first official day on the job, he praised the energy and dedication of his new employees "You try to beat these people to work and you can't do it," he said. "You try to leave after them and you can't do it." Beverley Lumpkin contributed to this report Source: ABCNews.com Related Articles: DEA Head Can Lead in a New Direction or Fail New Drug Enforcement Chief Pledges a Tough Fight DEA Head Says No to Medical Marijuana CannabisNews Articles - Asa Hutchinson Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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