Chief Judge James Carr of the Northern District of Ohio and Chief Judge Gerald Rosen of the Eastern District of Michigan told the panel on Sept. 9 that sentencing for possession of child pornography, as opposed to manufacture or commercial distribution, may need to be changed. Many people convicted on the offense are not threats to the community, but rather socially awkward first-time offenders, they said.
“This is an area that requires the commission’s close consideration and possible corrective action,” Rosen told the panel, adding, “I know it’s an awkward area for all of us.”
