U.S. judge's rebuke prompts prosecutors to rethink N.Y. man's sentence

By Joseph Ax and Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - A convicted robber and drug dealer who had faced a mandatory minimum 52 years in prison has instead been sentenced to 27 years, after prosecutors took the rare step of following a judge's urgings for a shorter prison term after the trial had ended. Randy Washington, 28, was sentenced Thursday in Manhattan federal court. Washington had elected to go to trial rather than accept a 10-year offer from prosecutors, who then added a so-called sentencing enhancement that left him facing a minimum of 52 years if convicted. The lengthy prison term drew an unusual rebuke from U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan, who called it "unnecessary and unjust" and said it appeared to be a "trial penalty" for not taking the 10-year deal. The case highlighted the ongoing debate over prosecutors' use of sentencing enhancements to lengthen potential prison terms following plea negotiations. The practice has been questioned in recent years by defense lawyers, some judges and even U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who in September issued a memo advising prosecutors to avoid employing the prospect of longer mandatory minimum sentences in plea talks. [ID:nL2N0RP1KV] Washington's sentencing was delayed several times as Sullivan exhorted prosecutors from Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's office to consider dropping charges to reduce the mandatory prison term. Prosecutors eventually agreed to vacate a gun-related charge that reduced the minimum sentence to 25 years. In court papers, Bharara's office said the longer term was "not in the interests of justice." Bharara's office declined to comment on Monday. David Gordon, Washington's court-appointed lawyer, said on Monday that the 27-year sentence Sullivan ultimately imposed was fairer than the original sentence his client faced. Gordon expressed hope that the case would encourage the government not to threaten defendants with "draconian" prison terms following plea talks. (Reporting by Joseph Ax and Nate Raymond; editing by Matthew Lewis)