In a pattern of leniency toward child sex predators going back to her college days, Ketanji Brown Jackson sentenced all eight cases involving child pornography that came before her as a judge to sentences well below the recommended time served.
1. United States v. Wesley Hawkins (judgment date: November 22, 2013; only 3-month sentence prison; no computer monitoring ordered; reoffended; second release date: January 26, 2020):
Case Summary:
Charge(s):
Possession of child pornography
5 YouTube posts; 16 images and 17 videos, including 8-, 11-, and 12-year-old males
– U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Minimum: 97 months
– U.S. Attorney’s Recommended Minimum: 24 months
– Her Court Staff (probation officer) Recommended Minimum: 18 months
– Judge Jackson’s Sentence: 3 months (97% below Guidelines)
[NOTE: Hawkins reoffended within 97 months; Jackson did not order computer monitoring after only a 3-month prison sentence]
[WARNING: graphic and detailed description of child sex abuse on pages 2 through 4]
Hawkins Prosecutor Sentencing Memo: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Hawkins-Prosecutor-Memo.pdf
Hawkins Sentencing Transcript: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Hawkins-Sentencing-Transcript.pdf
2. United States v. Neil Stewart (judgment date: February 27, 2017; prison release date: December 27, 2019):
Case Summary:
Charge(s):
Possession of child pornography
Possessed thousands of videos and pictures, said he may travel across state lines to visit a 9-year-old girl and sexually abuse her
– U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Minimum: 97 months
– U.S. Attorney’s Recommended Sentencing Minimum: 97 months
– Her Court Staff (probation officer) Recommended Minimum: 42 months
– Judge Jackson’s Sentence: 57 months (41% below Guidelines)
[WARNING: graphic and detailed description of child sex abuse on pages 2 through 5]
Stewart Prosecutor Sentencing Memo: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Stewart-Prosecutor-Memo.pdf
Stewart Sentencing Transcript: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Stewart-Sentencing-Transcript.pdf
3. United States v. Brian Dennis Hess (judgment date: September 11, 2017; prison release date: July 8, 2021):
Case Summary:
Charge(s):
Distribution of child pornography
Over 600 pictures found on phone; said his own daughter was in some of the photos
– U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Minimum: 151 months
– U.S. Attorney’s Recommended Minimum: 60 months
– Her Court Staff (probation officer) Recommended Minimum: 60 months
– Judge Jackson’s Sentence: 60 months (60% below Guidelines)
[NOTE: statutory 5-year mandatory minimum; take-or-leave Rule 11(c)(1)(C) plea]
[WARNING: graphic and detailed description of child sex abuse on pages 2 through 4]
Hess Prosecutor Sentencing Memo: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Hess-Prosecutor-Memo.pdf
Hess Sentencing Transcript: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Hess-Sentencing-Transcript.pdf
4. United States v. Jeremy Sears (judgment date: May 17, 2019; prison release date: December 6, 2023):
Case Summary:
Distributed over 100 videos, along with sexual images of his 10-year-old daughter
Charge(s):
Distribution of child pornography
– U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Minimum: 97 months
– U.S. Attorney’s Recommended Minimum: 97 months
– Her Court Staff (probation officer) Recommended Minimum: 120 months
– Judge Jackson’s Sentence: 71 months (27% below Guidelines)
[WARNING: graphic and detailed description of child sex abuse on pages 2 through 5]
Sears Prosecutor Sentencing Memo: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Sears-Prosecutor-Memo.pdf
Sears Sentencing Transcript: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Sears-Sentencing-Transcript.pdf
5. United States v. Christopher Michael Downs (judgment date: July 24, 2020; prison release date: December 21, 2022):
Case Summary:
Charge(s):
Distribution of child pornography
More than 30 media files posted on an app, including infant abuse, and boasted about sexually abusing 13-year-old cousin
– U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Minimum: 70 months
– U.S. Attorney’s Recommended Minimum: 70 months
– Her Court Staff (probation officer) Recommended Minimum: 60 months
– Judge Jackson’s Sentence: 60 months (14% below Guidelines; statutory mandatory-minimum sentence)
[WARNING: graphic and detailed description of child sex abuse on pages 3 through 8.]
Downs Prosecutor Sentencing Memo: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Downs-Prosecutor-Memo.pdf
Downs Sentencing Transcript: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Downs-Sentencing-Transcript.pdf
6. United States v. Ryan Manning Cooper (judgment date: May 5, 2021; prison release date: August 5, 2024):
Case Summary:
Charge(s):
Distribution of child pornography
Public blogs; posted 45 pictures; possession of 600+ images, including prepubescent boys
– U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Minimum: 151 months
– U.S. Attorney’s Recommended Minimum: 72 months
– Her Court Staff (probation officer) Recommended Minimum: 60 months
– Judge Jackson’s Sentence: 60 months (60% below Guidelines; statutory mandatory minimum sentence)
[WARNING: graphic and detailed description of child sex abuse on page 4]
Cooper Prosecutor Sentencing Memo: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Cooper-Prosecutor-Memo.pdf
Cooper Sentencing Transcript: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Cooper-Sentencing-Transcript.pdf
7. United States v. Lucas W. Cane (judgment date: May 19, 2021; prison release date: November 30, 2022):
Case Summary:
Charge(s):
Distribution of child pornography
Distributed 30+GB of data, specifically posted 6,500+ files in anonymous group named “Pedos Only”; posted children who were elementary school age and older
– U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Minimum: 97
– U.S. Attorney’s Recommended Minimum: Under Seal
– Her Court Staff (probation officer) Recommended Minimum: 84 Months
– Judge Jackson’s Sentence: 60 Months (31% below Guidelines)
[NOTE: statutory mandatory-minimum sentence; Judge Jackson sentenced below her own court staff’s recommendation; despite this sentencing occurring less than a year ago, Judge Jackson failed to identify this as a child sex-abuse case at her Supreme Court nomination hearing: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ketanji-brown-jackson-child-porn-sentence-cover-up]
Cane Prosecutor Sentencing Memo:
Under Seal
Cane Sentencing Transcript: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Cane-Sentencing-Transcript.pdf
8. United States v. Adam Chazin (judgment date: May 25, 2021; prison released date: May 20, 2023):
Case Summary:
Over a period of two years, collected just under 50 child pornography files, including prepubescent girls and toddlers
Charge(s):
Possession of child pornography
– U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Minimum: 78 months
– U.S. Attorney’s Recommended Minimum: 78 months
– Her Court Staff (probation officer) Recommended Minimum: 28 months
– Judge Jackson’s Sentence: 28 months (64% below Guidelines)
[WARNING: graphic and detailed description of child sex abuse on page 2]
Chazin Prosecutor Memo:
https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Chazin-Prosecutor-Memo.pdf
[WARNING: graphic and detailed description of child sex abuse on page 44]
Chazin Sentencing Transcript:
https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Chazin-Sentencing-Transcript.pdf
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