Robert Sarvis on Crime

Reverse the militarization of law-enforcement tactics

• Protect freedom of religion, speech, press, and assembly.
• Reverse the militarization of law-enforcement tactics.
• Reform asset-forfeiture laws.
• Restore Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures.
• Restore voting and gun rights for those convicted of non-violent drug offenses.
• Fight against federal overreach and government spying programs.
• Restrict law-enforcement use of general surveillance technologies.
• Protect internet freedom.
• I believe an important part of restoring civil liberties is ending the drug war.

Capital punishment should be legal but rare

A: Yes; capital punishment should be legal but rare. We should take seriously credible claims of innocence and allow for reasonable requests for potentially exonerating DNA tests, but also work to reduce the misuse of criminal justice resources and streamline the appeals process. I also recommend considering ways to ensure quality representation in death penalty cases and disincentivize requests for the death penalty, e.g., by providing additional funding for the defense (in cases of public-defender or court-appointed defense counsel) when the prosecution seeks the death penalty.