SUPREME COURT (AP) - The Supreme Court has ruled that judges do have the option to impose shorter prison terms for drug crimes.
The court decided, by a 7-2 vote, that a 15-year sentence given to Derrick Kimbrough was acceptable.
Federal guidelines called for a tougher 19 to 22 year sentence.
The ruling gives judges the discretion to reduce the disparity between sentences for crack and powder cocaine.
Congress set a mandatory minimum five-year prison sentence for trafficking in 5 grams of crack cocaine. One hundred times as much cocaine powder gets the same sentence.
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