January 16, 2023 4:02pm EST
DC poised to soften penalties for carjacking, other violent crimes, despite mayor's veto
Mayor Muriel Bowser vetoed bill passed unanimously by Democratic council
By Jessica Chasmar | Fox News
The D.C. Council is expected to override Mayor Muriel E. Bowser’s veto of sweeping criminal reform legislation that will soften penalties for many violent crimes, including carjackings and burglaries.
Bowser vetoed the Revised Criminal Code Act earlier this month after the council, which lacks a single Republican member, voted unanimously to adopt it in November. The overhaul of the city’s criminal code includes reduced maximum sentences, the elimination of nearly all mandatory minimum sentences, and expanded rights to jury trials by those accused of misdemeanors.
Criminal justice reform advocates say the bill is necessary to modernize the law, which was written in 1901, and ensure that punishments are proportionate to the crimes being committed.
But opponents have sounded the alarm on provisions that would allow D.C. inmates to ask for early release 20 years into their sentence, even those accused of violent crimes like murder or sexual assault.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dc-poised-soften-penalties-carjacking-violent-crimes-despite-mayors-veto
