U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro said Monday that the days of "young punks" committing violent crime with impunity are over in Washington, vowing that she will move to change the "weak" laws in the district.
"Enough. It changes today," Pirro said.
Pirro made the comments alongside President Donald Trump, who announced the deployment of the National Guard to assist local law enforcement in restoring law and order in D.C.
"What I can tell you is this: I see too much violent crime being committed by young punks who think that they can get together in gangs and cruise and beat the hell out of you or anyone else. They don't care where they are," Pirro said. "They can be in Dupont Circle, but they know that we can't touch them. Why? Because the laws are weak.
"I can't touch you if you're 14, 15, 16, 17 years old and you have a gun. I convict someone of shooting another person with an illegal gun on a public bus in the chest, intent to kill. I convict him and you know what the judge gives him? Probation. Says that you should go to college. We need to go after the D.C. Council and their absurd laws," Pirro added.
Pirro was referencing the case of 19-year-old Javarry Peaks, who had his entire prison sentence suspended by a judge last month under D.C.'s Youth Rehabilitation Act. Peaks pleaded guilty to felony counts of aggravated assault while armed in the shooting of a man on a Metrobus in March. His four-year prison sentence and three years supervised release were replaced with probation.
The sentencing change handed down by D.C. Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt earned a rebuke from Pirro.
"D.C. will not be safe until judges hold violent offenders accountable by putting them in jail. To make D.C. safe again, there must be serious consequences for these heinous crimes," she said then.
Pirro added Monday, "We need to recognize that the people who matter are the law-abiding citizens, and it starts today. But it's not gonna end today."
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.