President Donald Trump on Thursday commuted the federal prison sentence of R’ Yaakov Chaim Deutsch, a 60-year-old resident of Williamsburg, bringing an early end to a punishment that advocates and supporters long argued was grossly disproportionate to the offense.

Deutsch had been serving a 62-month prison sentence and had already completed approximately 24 months behind bars at the time of the commutation. The sentence drew widespread criticism because federal prosecutors in the case had sought a maximum of 18 months, yet the court imposed more than three times that amount.

The offense was non-violent, resulted in no victims, and caused no financial loss, with no restitution ordered. Several co-defendants in the same matter received no prison time at all, further intensifying arguments that Deutsch’s punishment was unusually harsh.

In a statement released following the commutation, Tzedek Association praised the president’s decision and described it as a correction of a “clear miscarriage of justice.”

“Jacob Deutsch was serving an extraordinarily severe sentence in a non-violent, zero-loss case—punished at a level three times greater than what prosecutors themselves sought,” the organization said. “Today’s action restores proportionality, reunites a family, and reaffirms that mercy remains an essential pillar of American justice.”

Rabbi Moshe Margaretten, president of Tzedek Association, credited the White House for being willing to revisit the case and intervene.

“This commutation reflects moral courage and leadership at its best,” Margaretten said. “President Trump demonstrated that justice is not only about punishment, but about fairness, humanity, and the willingness to correct clear wrongs when they occur.”

The organization also thanked Alice Johnson, the Department of Justice, and others within the administration who were involved in reviewing the case.

Tzedek emphasized that the commutation effort relied solely on the merits of the case, stating that no lobbyists were hired and no money was spent to secure the outcome. Attorneys and advocates who worked on Deutsch’s behalf did so, the group said, largely pro bono and out of a belief that the sentence was unjust.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)