Re:SCOTUS Rejects Guilty Until Proven Innocent – Can't Keep ...
by clarkmoody on Wednesday May 03, 2017 @03:47PM
(#14259346)
A similar situation to consider: drug law repeal.
Let's assume some drug law is relaxed in the future. Do all prisoners currently serving sentences get released automatically? I don't think so, since they were convicted and sentenced under current law. I believe it would take an additional act of the legislature to release those prisoners. (This Supreme Court ruling seems to make this step unnecessary in the case of money+overturned conviction)
And let's not forget that they won't get anything for the years and opportunity lost while in prison for things that are no longer crimes.
Let's assume some drug law is relaxed in the future. Do all prisoners currently serving sentences get released automatically? I don't think so, since they were convicted and sentenced under current law. I believe it would take an additional act of the legislature to release those prisoners. (This Supreme Court ruling seems to make this step unnecessary in the case of money+overturned conviction)
And let's not forget that they won't get anything for the years and opportunity lost while in prison for things that are no longer crimes.