Reply to DC criminal code overhaul is ghastly

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Seems pretty remarkable that even the Biden administration thinks Charles Allen's proposals are crazy[/quote]

Well, that might be crazy . . . if it was accurate. For example, AG Garland is on the record that mandatory minimums are costly and ineffective.

“We should do as, as President Biden has suggested, seek the elimination of mandatory minimum. So that we once again give authority to district judges and trial judges to make determinations based on all of the sentencing factors that judges normally apply.” - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-senate-garland-hearing-quotes/key-quotes-from-u-s-attorney-general-nominee-garland-on-criminal-justice-policies-idUSKBN2AM2HT

In addition, while the USAO does have some reservations, they support the package. "[T]he D.C. Criminal Code is in dire need of an update, and there is much in this bill that would help. We also recommend that the bill move forward because it is our hope that Councilmembers will continue to listen to our concerns as this bill moves forward—just as they did before introducing today’s version of the bill." - https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/us-attorneys-offices-statement-dc-criminal-code-reform [/quote]

Even though it is USAO supports the package, one should not be disingenuous about the USAO's position.....like yeah, I'm sure the USAO supports overhaul to rid the code of horse and buggy violations, lol.

The point is that the USAO shows serious concerns wrt public safety and the impacts of the changes on the ability to deliver justice.  The mandate for trials for basically every crime is going let every criminal off the hook for every crime below murder. I would not label that as just 'some reservations'. [/quote]

The USAO was an active participant for years as a member of the CCRC steering committee. They voted on the final set of recommendations, understanding that there were issues in the final report with which they disagreed. As the recommendations moved into the legislative process, they pushed back on some of the outstanding issues with which they had concerns and many were adopted by the Council prior to the bill introduction. That's how it is supposed to work.

If this package was as "ghastly" as some people have said, there is no way the USAO would have issued that statement. Prosecutors don't have a record of sitting by quietly when there is a policy put in place with which they disagree.[/quote]

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