one r two things. senator coons suggested that in three cases, nickerson, nguyen and fife, you actually imposed sentences within the guidelines or at the same level of the prosecution but in nickerson, you didn t have any discretion. that was an 11 c 1 c case and nguyen wasn t a child porn case and neither was fife. just one other quick thing to clarify. as to this comments about the probation office, the probation office doesn t issue national guidelines, right? i mean, the probation office doesn t issue sentencing guidelines. they re not public. they re not recommended to all judges. the probation office provides advice to judges, case-by-case, usually in private, usually not available to the public, is that right, judge? not exactly, senator. the probation office in criminal cases is assigned by the court to work with respect to the evaluation of cases.
breaking news week, following the historic u.s. nomination hearings for judge kentanji brown jackson. let s go live to the u.s. senate where the question and answer questions is underway. senator josh hawley, republican, asking the questions. the probation office doesn t issue sentencing guidelines. they re not public. they re not recommended to all judges. the probation office provides advice to judges case by case, usually in private. usually not available to the public. is that right, judge? not exactly, senator. the probation office in criminal cases is assigned by the court to work with respect to the
0 first of two long and intense days of questioning from members of the senate judiciary committee began this morning with democrats using their questions to allow jackson to issue a rebuttal to republican accusations that she has been soft on crime and republicans pressing her on her record as a judge and public defender and bringing up a whole host of conservative hobby horses. things like critical race theory. jackson has tried to stay above the fray in her responses. early on in the hearing, she told democratic senator, dick durbin, quote, i tried to stay in my lane. along with me are claire mccaskill and msnbc political analyst with danielle holly walker, dean and professor at howard school of law and joyce vance, law professor at university of alabama as well as an msnbc legal analyst. we have a few minutes before we go back to the hearing. claire, i want to start with you. just some of the fireworks that happened earlier today. just in the last hour or so. senator ted cruz arriv