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Criminal Justice Overhaul Scrapped in Delaware

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DOVER, Del. (AP) - Lawmakers have scrapped an effort to overhaul Delaware's criminal code amid criticism from the attorney general.

A comprehensive code rewrite had been scheduled for consideration by lawmakers this week but was pulled after Attorney General Matt Denn issued a 30-page document Tuesday outlining the Department of Justice's concerns.

Among other things, Denn says the proposed revisions would dramatically reduce existing punishments for repeat violent offenders and totally eliminate mandatory prison sentences for repeat drunken drivers.

Denn also says there's not enough time left in the legislative session for lawmakers to responsibly review hundreds of pages of legislation.

Chief Justice Leo Strine Jr. has been pushing for a broad revision of the code, prompting lawmakers in 2014 to form a committee tasked with identifying disproportionate, redundant, outdated and inefficient code provisions.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.