Washington, D.C

D.C. Council passes new criminal code, despite some objections

Published

2 years ago

November 16, 2022

D.C. Council passes new criminal code, despite some objections

The D.C. Council unanimously permitted a significant overhaul of town’s prison code Tuesday, regardless of objections from Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) and regulation enforcement leaders over sure facets of the laws.

If Bowser indicators the invoice, it would eradicate most obligatory minimal sentences, enable for jury trials in nearly all misdemeanor circumstances and cut back the utmost penalties for offenses akin to burglaries, carjackings and robberies. The regulation won’t take impact for 3 years to provide the courts, police and different teams time to arrange for implementation, officers have mentioned.

The invoice handed unanimously via the council in a primary vote and acquired unanimous assist within the five-member judiciary and public security committee. Tuesday’s second and ultimate vote was considerably extra contentious, with a close to hour-long debate largely centered on an modification over gun crimes. However the modification was finally rejected, and the invoice was handed unanimously.

Judiciary and public security officers had beforehand expressed some reservations. Anita Josey-Herring, the chief choose in D.C. Superior Court docket, mentioned in a letter to Bowser on Monday that the revised prison code’s assure of a jury trial in additional circumstances would have an “intensive” affect on D.C. courts. Josey-Herring mentioned the Superior Court docket is already working with 14 judicial vacancies, with a further six anticipated by the top of 2023.

“Filling these judicial vacancies is important to the truthful and well timed administration of justice for the general public we serve,” Josey-Herring mentioned. “Given the dire have to have these judicial vacancies crammed, it is very important emphasize the vital affect that growing the workload could have on court docket operations, and the truthful and well timed administration of justice.”

Bowser mentioned in a letter to Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) that she opposed the proposal to weaken what she termed “already lenient sentencing for gun possession” by decreasing the present penalties for carrying a pistol and not using a license and being a felon in possession of a gun.

The talk Tuesday centered on an modification proposed by council member Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) that will have raised the utmost sentences for carrying a harmful weapon and unauthorized possession of a firearm. Pinto’s modification would have handled the violations as Class 8 felonies, which carry a most attainable sentence of 4 years in jail; the laws classifies these crimes as Class 9 felonies, which carry a most attainable sentence of two years in jail.

Council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) mentioned the council ought to ship a powerful message, given the state of crime within the metropolis. “Everyone is aware of we’re awash in weapons and gun violence. We’ve got residents being shot nearly day by day, together with kids,” she mentioned. “We’ve got shootouts on the street. And this isn’t a time, I don’t assume, to minimize penalties for gun possession.”

However the modification didn’t discover broad assist. Three members — Pinto, Cheh and Vincent C. Grey (D-Ward 7) — voted for it. Ten voted in opposition to. Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), who chairs the council’s public security committee, mentioned that the modification was not based mostly on any knowledge or proof that it might enhance security and that solely a tiny proportion of defendants sentenced for carrying a harmful weapon or unauthorized possession of a firearm get greater than two years.

“For supporters of this modification, I hear you saying we have to elevate penalties to satisfy this second, to ship a message. However I ask you to point out your work,” Allen mentioned. “In some unspecified time in the future, this council must reckon with what it means to have one of many highest incarceration charges per capita within the free world and but endure this sort of violence.”

Jinwoo Charles Park, government director of the D.C. Prison Code Reform Fee, mentioned in a letter to the council Monday that the invoice shouldn’t be amended to extend the penalty classifications. Doing so, he mentioned, would exacerbate racial disparities in incarceration.

“Will increase within the common sentence for these offenses would have a disproportionate impact on African American defendants,” Park mentioned. “Though it’s probably that solely a small proportion of defendants could be sentenced to the utmost penalties, altering the penalty classifications may lead to a rise within the common sentence for these offenses.”

The invoice overhauling the code has drawn sturdy assist from some prison justice reform advocates, who mentioned they’re wanting to see Bowser signal it into regulation.

Patrice Sulton, government director of the D.C. Justice Lab, mentioned in an interview Monday that the regulation modernizes the District’s prison code and makes it clearer for residents.

“Individuals who need punishment as a mechanism of accountability would embrace this measure that makes apparent what’s and isn’t a criminal offense,” Sulton mentioned. “We want the weather to be apparent to police, prosecutors, judges, courts, protection attorneys and everyone who’s residing within the District beneath these legal guidelines.”

Sulton, who served because the senior legal professional adviser of the Prison Code Reform Fee, mentioned that despite the fact that the U.S. legal professional’s workplace and Public Defender Service disagree on some facets of the invoice, she believes all events wish to see a revamped prison code.

“Everyone agrees that this was the time to do that and that the council ought to take it into consideration and take motion,” Sulton mentioned. “I don’t assume there’s any actual need from council members to simply go away our prison code within the mess that it’s in now.”

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Washington, D.C

SAPD to send 61 officers to Washington DC for Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration

Published

4 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

SAPD to send 61 officers to Washington DC for Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration

WASHINGTON D.C. – Safety is a priority at the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump next week.

San Antonio police is sending 61 officers to Washington, D.C., to assist the Metropolitan Police Department while Trump is sworn into office.

SAPD deployed 45 officers when Trump took office for the first time in 2017.

The increase in officers being sent this time reflects heightened security concerns and a greater emphasis on ensuring the safety of all attendees.

In addition to SAPD’s presence, law enforcement agencies nationwide are also mobilizing to provide support.

As preparations continue, authorities urge attendees to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.

The 60th presidential inauguration ceremony will begin at noon EST on Jan. 20.

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Washington, D.C

List: What to do in the DC area this week and weekend, Jan. 13-19

Published

12 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

List: What to do in the DC area this week and weekend, Jan. 13-19

We share the best things to do every weekend in The Weekend Scene newsletter – it’s completely free to subscribe!

Call it D.C.’s biggest hits: Pandas, the Commanders, MLK Holiday DC Peace Walk & Parade are all on tap this week – and that’s before we even get to Inauguration Day!

Of course, if you want to see a panda this week, you must be a National Zoo member. But anyone can grab their free pass to visit the National Zoo once the pandas make their public debut on Jan. 24. The only thing you’ll need to see the pandas is your zoo pass… plus, patience and warm clothes. Expect a line to get into the panda habitat!

But everyone can watch the Commanders face the Lions at 8 p.m. Saturday. On Sunday, sixth-seeded Washington upset the No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Can they clinch against the division leader? Every sports bar will be screening this highly anticipated showdown.

Here’s what else to do this week in the Washington, D.C. area.

What to do in Washington, D.C.

Hands-on Landscape Painting with Paloma Vianey: Weds., 6-8 p.m., Phillips@THEARC, 1801 Mississippi Ave, SE, free but registration required

NMWA Nights: Weds., 5:30 to 8 p.m., National Museum of Women in the Arts, $25

DC Improv Date Night: Weds., 7:30 p.m., DC Improv, $99 for food and drink package or $15 for general admission

Rock the Rink at The Wharf: Thurs., 6-10 p.m., The Wharf Ice Rink, anyone in Capitals gear gets $5 off admission

National Symphony Orchestra on the Millennium Stage: Fri., 6 p.m., The Kennedy Center, free but arrive early to get tickets

MLK Shabbat: Visions of Freedom and Justice: Fri., 7 p.m., Sixth & I, free

Concert: Mo Lowda & The Humble and Illiterate Light: Fri., 8 p.m., 9:30 Club, $25

20th Annual MLK Holiday DC Peace Walk & Parade: Sat., 11 a.m., Entertainment & Sports Arena, free

MLK Day of Service: Pope Branch Park cleanup with Anacostia Riverkeeper: Sat., 2900 M Place Southeast, free

Nerd Nite irreverent lecture series: Sat., doors 6 p.m., DC9, $10 (in advance) or $15 (day of)

Black A** Comedy: Sat., 7 p.m., Busboys and Poets 14th Street, $25

Charli x Sabrina x Chappell Dance Party: Sat., Black Cat, $10

Defying Gravity: A Wicked Party: Sat., Union Stage, $15+

Ye Olde Feast of Saint Vincent of Zaragossa!: Sun., 2 p.m., St. Vincent Wine at 3212 Georgia Ave NW, $72

Let Freedom Ring Celebration featuring Christopher Jackson and esperanza spalding, hosted by Taye Diggs: Sun., 7:30 p.m. The Kennedy Center, free (note: ticket giveaway begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Hall of Nations, limited to two tickets per person)

Union Stage Presents: Rare Essence , EU feat. Sugar Bear, DCVybe: Sun., 8:30 p.m., Howard Theatre, $55

Last chance – “Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment”: Through Sun., the National Gallery of Art, free

What to do in Maryland

Theater: “What the Constitution Means to Me”: Jan. 15 to Feb. 16, Round House Theatre, $50+

SA-ROC (+ DJ OSO Fresh After Party): Fri., BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, $35

Yoga at Brookside Gardens: Sat., 9:30 a.m., Wheaton, $14

Say It Loud: A Celebration of the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Sat., BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown

Be’la Dona Brunch: Sun., 2 p.m., Bethesda Theater, $41.45 (including fees)

“Paper Dreams” at Imagination Stage: Through Feb. 16, Bethesda, $19.50

What to do in Virginia

Sean Gavin and Josh Dukes in Concert: Thurs., 7-9 p.m., Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, $25 ($10 under 18)

Comedy – Justin Martindale: Fri. and Sat., Arlington Cinema Drafthouse, $20

Silly Suds: Humorous Soapmaking Workshop: Sat., 9 a.m. to noon, Del Ray Artisans Gallery in Alexandria, $45-$55, plus $10 supply fee (must register by Weds.)

NOVA Wine Expo: Sat., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Dulles Expo Center, $40+

Presidential Transitions Lecture & Historic Document Viewing: Sat., noon to 3 p.m., George Washington Presidential Library, $10

La Vang Lunar New Year Festival: Sat. and Sun., Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, $10 ($5 with student ID or for kids 2 to 11)

Comedy Night in Leesburg Presented By The DC Improv: Sat., Tally Ho Theater in Leesburg, $20-$32

Ice & Lights-The Winter Village at Cameron Run: Through Feb. 23, Cameron Run Regional Park in Alexandria, $8.55+

Want to know what’s up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene, our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.

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Washington, D.C

Inauguration Day: Security zones and checkpoints in Washington, D.C.

Published

19 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

Inauguration Day: Security zones and checkpoints in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Capitol will be on lockdown during inauguration day. More than 30 miles of anti-scale fencing has been erected at key locations in Washington, D.C. Thousands of National Guard troops will be on duty to support the Secret Service.

“The Secret Service will bring agents and other specialists from field offices across the country to provide a full slate of visible and invisible security measures,” said William McCool from the U.S. Secret Service.

FBI Director Christopher Wray stated, “We’re not tracking any specific or credible threats to the inauguration.”

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There will be several layers of security, including a pedestrian-restricted zone with 40 checkpoints. This zone covers the White House, the U.S. Capitol, and the National Mall. All vehicles will be checked for bombs or other weapons on three sides of the White House and west to Union Station. On the southwest corner of Washington, D.C., all roads will be closed along the Potomac River.

“We’re dealing with a threat landscape where terrorists, whether they be foreign, jihadist-inspired, or domestic terrorists or others, can move from radicalization to action quite quickly, often with very crude but still lethal attacks,” Wray said.

FBI Director Christopher Wray also mentioned that the Secret Service, Homeland Security, and Capitol Police are taking the lead on inauguration security. “What I would tell you is that I have enormous confidence in the FBI’s men and women in our role as supporting the other agencies, which have the primary responsibility for securing the inauguration,” he added.

Visitors with questions about checkpoints and other security measures can find more information here.

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