By AZ Mirror
In an uncommon show of bipartisanship, Republicans and Democrats on the Arizona Senate’s Judiciary and Elections Committee united Wednesday to support criminal justice reform.
The show of bipartisanship came on a proposal to let judges bypass mandatory minimum sentencing requirements for military veterans and first responders who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition like post-traumatic stress disorder related to their service.
“We have a criminal justice system that holds people accountable, but also should recognize redeemable qualities, and redemption is an important part of our system,” said Kurt Altman, a conservative attorney who advocates for criminal justice reform.
Senate Bill 1275 sponsored by Sen. David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista, would only allow judges discretion to bypass mandatory minimum sentences if that sentence would “result in an injustice to the defendant” and is not “necessary for the protection of the public.”
It would not apply to convictions involving death or serious injury, domestic violence or a “continuing criminal enterprise.”
