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question everything

(50,332 posts)
Sun May 4, 2025, 12:01 PM May 4

DOJ announces investigation into Hennepin County Attorney's race policy

In a letter shared on the social media platform X on Saturday by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillion, the Department of Justice informs Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty that it is looking into her new policy titled "Negotiations Policy for Cases Involving Adult Defendants." The letter says the policy directs prosecutors to consider racial identity when formulating plea offers.

The letter states the DOJ will include a "comprehensive review of all relevant HCAO policies and practices that may involve the illegal consideration of race in prosecutorial decision-making."

The backstory:
The policy tells prosecutors to consider a defendant's race and age when negotiating plea deals, while simultaneously noting racial identity and age aren't "grounds for departures" from sentencing guidelines.

In an interview with the Star Tribune last week, Moriarty said the policy doesn't intend to treat defendants differently because of race. Instead, it's telling prosecutors to be cognizant of racial disparities and unconcious biases when working on plea deals.

Moriarty also made it clear she feels the policy clearly abides by the constitution

https://www.fox9.com/news/doj-announces-investigation-hennepin-county-attorneys-race-policy

(yes, Fox 9 but I first heard it on WCCO Sunday, not on their webpage)

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She really stepped into this

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DOJ announces investigation into Hennepin County Attorney's race policy (Original Post) question everything May 4 OP
Part of what she ran on was trying to do something about the racial disparities in sentencing dflprincess May 4 #1

dflprincess

(28,824 posts)
1. Part of what she ran on was trying to do something about the racial disparities in sentencing
Sun May 4, 2025, 09:27 PM
May 4

That Trump's DOJ is trying to go after her for this is the first clue she's on the right track.

One of the reasons she got elected was what Freeman's office was doing wasn't working & her opponent promised more of the same.

She spoke at my Senate District meeting last month & it was interesting to hear about the work being done compared to what is being reported.

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