Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is the Biden Nominee for The Supreme Court. She is nominated to fill the spot being vacated by retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. Senator Josh Hawley reviewed her legal writings and sentencing and found a pattern where people convicted of possessing child pornography and Sex Offender Crimes were given shorter prison sentences. We reviewed these claims and found they were true.
Fact Check Evidence
- Harvard Law Review Legal opinion recommending less punitive sentencing for sex offenders.
- US v. Sears - Distribution of Child Pornography - Recomended Sentence 97 to 121 months - Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson 71 months.
- US v. Chazin - Possession of Child Pornography - Recomended Sentence 78 to 97 months - Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson 28 months.
- US v. Cooper - Distribution of Child Pornography - Recommended Sentence 151 to 181 months - Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson sentencing 60 months.
- US v. Stewart - Distribution of Child Pornography - Recommended Sentence 97 to 121 months - Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson sentencing 57 months.
- US v. Hawkins - Possession of Child Pornography - Recommended Sentence 97 to 121 months - Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson sentencing 3 months.
- US v. Savage - Traveling to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct With a Minor - Recommended Sentence 97 to 121 months - Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson sentencing 37 months.
Harvard Law Review
"Page 1728 - Section V - ConclusionIn the current climate of fear, hatred, and revenge associated with the release of convicted sex criminals, courts must be especially attentive to legislative enactments that "use[ ] public health and safety rhetoric to justify procedures that are, in essence, punishment and detention." 130 Judges should abandon the prevention/punishment analyses that rely on legislative intent, that routinely apply the Kennedy factors, and that assess the "excessiveness" of a sex offender statute's punitive effects in favor of a more principled approach to characterization. Although "[a precise] analytical solution is almost impossible to construct," 131 this Note suggests that such a principled approach involves assessing the impact of sex offender statutes and deeming the laws "punitive" to the extent that they operate to deprive sex criminals of a legal right in a manner that primarily has retributive or generaldeterrent effects."
1996 Harvard Law Review Vol. 109 - Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson p1711-1728 -
Archive: Prevention Versus Punishment: Toward a Principled Distinction in the Restraint of Released Sex Offenders
(PDF) United States v. Sears - Case 1:19-cr-00021 - Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
Jeremy Sears was arrested and charged with distribution of child pornography on July 20, 2018 (Case 1:19-cr-00021-KBJ
). He shared a dropbox link containing 102 child pronography videos with and undercover police officer (pg3). A few months later sent a link to 116 videos (pg4), and few months after that he shared pictures of his daughter (pg5). He pled guilty in July of 2019. The minimum sentence for distribution of child pornography is 60 months (pg7), the District Attorney recommended a sentence of 97 months (pg1). Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson sentenced him to 71 months (pg2), with credit for 12 months served during trial.
United States vs Sears (cr-00021-KBJ) Sentencing Recommendations
United States vs Sears (cr-00021-KBJ) Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Sentencing
United States vs Chazin - Case 1:21-cr-00076 - Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
Adam Chazin was arrested and charged with possesion of child pornography in February of 2020 (Case 1:21-cr-00076-KBJ). The legal team of Dropbox alerted the police 48 files matching known CSAM signatures were discovered in the account belonging to Adam Chazin (pg1). Two Apple iPhones were found containing sexual abuse of children as young as toddlers (pg3). The files were uploaded to Dropbox from December 2016 to June of 2017 (pg6). The District Attorney recommended a sentence of 78 to 97 months (pg3). Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson sentenced him to 28 months (pg3).
United States vs Chazin (cr-00076-KBJ) Sentencing Recommendations
United States vs Chazin (cr-00076-KBJ) Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Sentencing
United States vs Cooper - Case 1:19-cr-00382 - Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
Ryan Cooper was arrested in February 2019 for distribution of child pornography (Case 1:19-cr-00382-KBJ). In July of 2018 microblogging site Tumblr notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about child pornography posted by the defendant. The NCMEC then notified the DC Metropolitan Police (pg2). Additional images were posted to a different Tumblr account in September of 2018 (pg2). An iPhone and Macbook Pro were seized from the defedants bedroom, and found to contain over 600 images and videos with child pornography (pg4). The District Attorney recommended a sentence of 151 to 181 months (pg6)(pg6). Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson sentenced him to the minimum 60 months (pg1).
United States vs Cooper (cr-00382-KBJ) Sentencing Recommendations
United States vs Cooper (cr-00382-KBJ) Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Sentencing
United States vs Stewart - Case 1:16-cr-00067 - Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
Neil Stewart was arrested in December 2015 for distribution of child pornography (Case 1:16-cr-00067-KBJ). A cell phone, laptop, USB drives, and portable hard drives were seized from the defendants home and were found to contain over 600 images and videos of child pornography (pg6). The District Attorney recommended a sentence of 97 to 121 months (pg7). Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson sentenced him to 57 months (pg1).
United States vs Stewart (cr-00067-KBJ) Sentencing Recommendations
United States vs Stewart (cr-00067-KBJ) Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Sentencing
United States vs Hawkins - Case 1:13-cr-00244 - Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
Wesley Hawkins was arrested for possession of child pornography in June of 2013 (Case 1:13-cr-00244-KBJ). The initial search warrant discovered 16 images and 17 movies containing child pornography (pg5).The recommended sentence is 97 to 121 months. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson sentenced him to 3 months (pg2).
United States vs Hawkins(1:13-cr-00244-KBJ) Sentencing Recommendations
United States vs Hawkins (1:13-cr-00244-KBJ) Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Sentencing
United States v. Savage - Case 1:15-cr-00095 - Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
Daniel Savage was arrested in April of 2015 when he travelled across state lines from Pensylvania to Washington DC to engage in illicit conduct with a minor (Case 1:15-cr-00095-KBJ). He pled guilty in September of 2015. The recommended sentence for this crime is 97 to 121 months. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson sentenced him to 37 months Justice.gov.
United States v. Savage (1:15-cr-00095-KBJ) Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Sentencing
- CourtListener.com - United States of America v. Jeremy Sears - 1:19-cr-00021-KBJ - Judge Ketanji Brown JacksonArchive
- CourtListener.com - United States of America v. Adam Chazin - 1:21-cr-00076-KBJ - Judge Ketanji Brown JacksonArchive
- CourtListener.com - United States of America v. Ryan Cooper - 1:19-cr-00382-KBJ - Judge Ketanji Brown JacksonArchive
- CourtListener.com - United States of America v. Neil Stewart - 1:16-cr-00067-KBJ - Judge Ketanji Brown JacksonArchive
- CourtListener.com - United States of America v. Wesley Hawkins - 1:13-cr-00244-KBJ - Judge Ketanji Brown JacksonArchive
- Justice.gov - United States of America v. Daniel Savage - 1:15-cr-00095-KBJ - Judge Ketanji Brown JacksonArchive
- MoreLaw.com - United States of America v. Daniel Savage - 1:15-cr-00095-KBJ - Judge Ketanji Brown JacksonArchive
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