In a nationwide series of hearings, members of the U.S. Sentencing Commission have heard from federal judges seeking reduced sentences for a group of defendants one would think unlikely to get sympathy from the bench: possessors of child pornography. From New York to Chicago, and recently in Denver, federal judges have testified before the commission, which sets federal punishments, that the current sentencing structure for possessing and viewing child pornography is too severe, The Denver Post reports.

Previous Law Week coverage on this topic:

U.S. Sentencing Commission Issues Review Of Child Porn Penalties
What They Said: A Testimony Roundup
U.S. Sentencing Debate Comes To Denver
Is Colorado’s U.S. Bench Ignoring Sentencing Guides?
U.S. Sentencing Commission To Take Testimony In Denver Next Week

Kurt Sonnenfeld’s allegations of persecution by U.S. officials have earned him refugee status and the sympathy of a Nobel Peace Prize winner and have made him a popular news figure in Argentina, where he recently published a book called “El Perseguido,” or the hunted, The Denver Post writes.