The Washington, D.C. City Council voted unanimously to advance the revised criminal code that drastically reduces penalties for some major crimes the city is already having to contend with, such as carjackings and burglaries.
In addition to eliminating most mandatory minimum sentences, the bill will also allow jury trials in almost all misdemeanor cases, according to the Washington Post. The bill now goes to Mayor Muriel Bowser (D), who, along with D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee, have voiced opposition to some of the provisions.
An amendment to increase penalties for those caught carrying an unlicensed firearm was rejected by the city council.
Likewise, Anita Josey-Herring, the chief judge in D.C. Superior Court, sent a letter to Bowser saying the court system is already bogged down with cases in part due to 14 judicial vacancies that is expected to increase in the coming years.
As Townhall previously reported, the House Oversight Committee has jurisdiction over D.C. affairs. Ranking Member James Comer (R-KY) said the Committee will prevent the bill from going into effect:
All Americans should feel safe in their capital city, but radical left-wing policies have created a crime crisis in the District of Columbia. Now D.C. Democrats want to go even easier on criminals. This is going to turn D.C.’s crime crisis into a catastrophe. The D.C. Council and Mayor Bowser’s actions place D.C. on a path of destruction and will be met with strong oversight from Oversight Committee Republicans. We will use every remedy available to the House to prevent this pro-criminal bill from becoming law.
"I'm deeply concerned about the proliferation of firearms and level of gun violence in the city. I can't think of anything worse than a proposal that reduces already lenient sentences for unlicensed firearms and repeat offenders," D.C. Police Union Chief Shop Steward Adam Shaatal told Townhall.
Shaatal said jury trials for almost all misdemeanor cases is one of the most concerning aspects of the bill because cases are not going to be brought to court by the attorneys office due to the expected backlog, which will tax an already overburdened system.
The #CriminalJustice system is an ecosystem of courts at the top; imposing penalty & feeding on #police work from the bottom. However, #DefundThePolice, cash bail & the attitude towards #cops has destroyed it. @ByronYork is right, they are “working hard to make things worse”. https://t.co/NNVhOo3LYE
— Adam Shaatal (@ShaatalDCPU) November 16, 2022