Dianne Feinstein: “So we have had at least a dozen meetings with Justice. The concepts are the authors', and much of the writing is…”

“So we have had at least a dozen meetings with Justice. The concepts are the authors', and much of the writing is actually a product of those meetings with the Justice Department. In fairness, staff has changed over the years. We worked with one assistant U.S. Attorney General, and that person has changed, and so on and so forth. We have also worked with White House staff. The basics of the amendment that the Senator questions as being burdensome in verbiage is really very simple: to reasonable notice of, and not to be excluded from any public proceedings relating to the crime; to be heard, if present; to submit a statement at all such proceedings to determine a conditional release from custody and acceptance of a negotiated plea or sentence. I might say that this was gone over with precision and detail with Justice as to whether a plea bargain would be effected; the foregoing rights in a parole proceeding that is not public to the extent these rights are afforded to the convicted offender; the reasonable notice of and an opportunity to submit a statement concerning any proposed pardon or commutation; reasonable notice of escape or release from custody. I will say the pardon has not been worked out with Justice, and there are some negotiations going on about that right now.”