Dems in the driver’s seat on criminal justice reform bill

Published April 22, 2016 12:13pm ET



Senate Democrats are demanding that Republicans abandon their hope of using a criminal justice reform bill to expand mens rea, a legal doctrine that prevents defendants from being charged with crimes they didn’t know they were committing, and their opposition may end up shifting the bill even though Republicans control both the House and Senate.

Democrats have charged that Republicans are pushing for the language to make it harder to bring charges against companies, and say they’re missing the point of the bill.

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