Mandatory minimums are usually in the news because of their prominence in discussion of sentencing reform for drug offenders, but the ranchers at the center of the militia takeover of a federal wildlife building in Oregon have drawn attention to another crime that has a harsh minimum—in their case, five years for fires that they claim spread accidentally to federal land. There are also mandatory minimums for things like child pornography, use of a firearm in a violent crime, and identity theft. Here are some even less known federal offenses that carry a mandatory minimum:
- “Unlawful possession of the variola virus” (also known as smallpox)
- “Bribery of a meat inspector”
- “Failure to pay duty on saloon stores”
- “Violation of regulations relating to cotton futures contracts”
- “Fraudulent use of a food stamp access device worth between
$100 and $5,000”
- “Violation of floating timber regulations”
- “Violence at international airports where death results”
- “1st degree murder of a meat inspector” (meat inspectors are apparently big fans of mandatory minimums.)