Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama was confirmed as Attorney General by a contentious Senate vote. Sen. Sessions announced that he plans to adhere to President Trump's "law and order" strategy. Sen. Sessions is one of the most bitterly contested Attorney Generals in recent memory. His nomination was bitterly fought by several Senators, including Sen. Warren, Sen. Sanders, and other Democrats. This post will go over his nomination and what it could mean for criminal defendant's rights.
Sen. Session is a former prosecutor, United States Attorney, and Senator from Alabama. His last nomination, to the federal district court, was denied because of persistent allegations that he used his office to investigate and harass civil rights leaders. Those same allegations resurfaced during his nomination and resulted in a contentious confirmation process.
Furthermore, Sen. Sessions committed himself to President Trump's law and order position on crime. He reported that crime is on a dangerous and permanent upward trajectory (FBI statistics show crime is down significantly, the exception is murder which went up 11 percent last year, the first increase in years). President Trump also signed a series of orders increasing law enforcement activity and establishing task forces to address violent crime and to protect local police officers from violence.
If you are facing criminal allegations, then you may want to contact a defense attorney as soon as possible. It may seem superstitious but more aggressive leaders who favor harsh penalties for criminal suspects can and do empower law enforcement officials to take more aggressive stances. The recent photographs of Border Patrol agents handcuffing children and separating them from their parents anecdotally demonstrates this trend. It is critical that you aggressively confront these charges before you are unfairly maligned by the police and prosecutors.
Source: USA Today, "Jeff Sessions sworn in as attorney general while Trump signs orders," Kevin Johnson and David Jackson, February 9, 2017