Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy is pushing for a mandatory minimum sentence of three years for anyone illegally caught with a gun. Some credit mandatory minimum sentences for helping bring down New York City’s crime rate, but others say it creates an environment in which prosecutors are able to extract more from plea deals, giving prosecutors too much control over sentencing. We debate the merit of mandatory minimum sentences with Georgetown University adjunct professor of law William G. Otis and Ohio State University law professor Douglas Berman. Photo: (Flickr/Michael Coghlan)