Jimmy Carter (1924-2024)
With the recent news of his passing, Former President Jimmy Carter was the 39th Elected President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. Awarded a Nobel Peace Prize back in 2002, the late President Carter was known for finding peaceful resolutions throughout the international scope, but just as equally important, within our states towards the American People. His goal during his presidency, between 1977 and 1981, was to strive towards justice reformation so it could help promote economic growth and social development.
While he was only a first-term president, he managed to get plenty of things done! He is famous for committing to resolving any international issues at hand. With the crisis in Iran when the Soviets attacked Afghanistan, the Late President stood his ground and provided every form of diplomacy to resolve these issues. The following will focus on Jimmy Carte’s impact on US Law, but first, here is a quick history of our 39th Elect.
Brief Summarization
Jimmy Carter, born in Plains, Georgia, was a devoted Christian god-fearing man and was a loving father of three children. He graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. After several years of being a naval officer, he went back to Georgia to start his political career. After successful election, he became the Governor of Georgia in the 1970s, he brought a lot of attention as a young Georgian Governor for focusing a lot on ecology, government efficiency, and the removal of racial barriers.
He picked up momentum after he announced his candidacy for being the next US President. Eventually, he won, with 297 electoral votes, to 241 votes for the current President at that time, Gerald R. Ford. During that time, he was considered a political “outsider,” but he pledged to restore morality after the controversial Vietnam and Watergate scandals. Public opinion shifted against the government around this period.
Diversity in the Judicial System
In the four years of presidency in office, he was the first to bring a “number of women and people of color being named to serve on the federal bench…”. Oddly enough, he never appointed judges in the US Supreme Court Justice. He did however appointed 262 life-tenured judges to the lower courts. This was significant due to the fact that the people he appointed were people of color and or women. I.e., Ruth Bader Ginsburg; may she rest in peace. “As president, Jimmy Carter recognized the devastating lack of representation in our federal courts and prioritized diversifying the judiciary, Maya Wiley, the head of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said in a statement.” In addition to reforming and diversifying the justice system, he was a big proponent of getting Congress to sign Carter’s Energy Policies.
Carter’s Energy Policies
In 1973, there was a crisis of energy prices going up due to the Arab oil embargo. Four years later, the impact was rippling through the economy. In response to the problem, the late President made an attempt to address the situation in one of his speeches. Jimmy Carter called it “the moral equivalent of war.” He asked the American people to start conserving energy. He then created a plan to reduce the usage of fossil fuels and focused on domestic technology. This is an attempt to look for alternative energy. Eventually, after months of trying to convince Congress, here are some key components that passed:
- National Energy Conservation Policy Act: Energy conservation in buildings and appliances.
- Power Plant and Industrial Fuel Use Act: Restriction on natural gas and petroleum in power plants.
- Public Utilities Regulatory Policy Act: Promote energy conservation and the use of renewable energy
- Energy Tax Act: Tax incentives to promote renewable energy
- Natural Gas Policy Act: Gave the President authority to declare natural gas emergencies if the country is dealing with a gas shortage within the country.
The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984
Carter’s Administration placed an emphasis on criminal justice reform. He addressed the issues of over-incarceration and the prison system, which was being overlooked. As such, the law passed: “Sets forth a new sentencing structure applicable to a defendant who is found guilty of an offense under any Federal statute. Permits an individual to be sentenced to a term of imprisonment or probation and a fine and to receive additional sanctions, including:
(1) forfeiture for certain racketeering crimes and drug-related offenses.
(2) an order of notice to victims of crimes in cases involving fraud or deceptive practices.
(3) an order of restitution in cases involving bodily injury or property damage. Permits an organization to receive these penalties, with the exception of imprisonment.”
While some may argue that this act needed some more work, his Administration took a major shift in approaching sentencing.
Conclusion
Jimmy Carter’s impact on US law is constantly debated. Some argue that his work wasn’t enough. Others argue that he was there for the people on a high-moral level. But one thing is certain, he was and still is likable and most people respect him. He may or may not have been the best President with his foreign-policies. Also, his attempts to fix US domestic issues may not have been perfect. Yet, it is clear that he was trying to be a good person.
Here at KAASS LAW, we understand making the right decisions and aim to do the right thing for everyone, including our clients. Please contact us today if you are seeking legal advice and or need legal representation.