Mandatory minimums is the legal term describing the shortest sentence a criminal must serve to best satisfy the justice system, the general consensus and the victim's family. Normally reserved for so-called "victimless" crimes such as first time drug offenses, mandatory minimums are not supported by the activist judges whose "authority" is undermined by these patriotic guidelines. There are not mandatory minimums for every type of crime, especially for federal charges of perjury or obstruction of justice.