amna: A U.S. Senate vote today
means, for the first time in 30
years, congress and the
president will block a
Washington D.C.
Local law, a bill that would
overhaul the city's criminal
code.
Lisa Desjardins explains the
policy and politics at play.
Lisa the U.S. Senate, today
: Legislating for a single city.
But on a national issue.
Senators from both parties were
poised to reject Washington
d.c.'s criminal code overhaul.
>> Now is not the time to get
soft on crime.
>> This body now in a rush of
politics is going to prevent a
city from protecting itself.
Lisa: The rare congressional
block comes amid national
headlines and political pressure
over crime.
But this issue affects only
Washington D.C., and raises
another justice issue, is it
just that congress overrule the
city's wishes?
>> My name is Troy burner.
I'm a fourth generation
washingtonian.
Lisa: What's that mean to you?
Troy: The nation's capital.
There's so much pride in history
here.
Lisa: Troy is proud of the city,
but not its justice system,
which sent him to prison for 24
years in connection with a
murder he was nowhere near.
Did you have this with you when
you were in prison?
Troy was convicted based on
false testimony and his sentence
, was long, due to this:
A paragraph in D.C. Code that is
very broad, saying essentially
that people associated even
indirectly with a crime, like
murder, should be charged as if
they pulled the trigger.
Now, fully exonerated and a
criminal justice advocate he's a
, strong backer of d.c.'s
reform.
>> It was a thorough,
comprehensive, Progressive
effort to, to reform the
criminal code consistent with
the natural, the national
standard.
Lisa: D.C. Spent 16 years on a
herculean rewrite of its
outdated code that is over a
century old.
The resulting plan more clearly
defines crimes, erases most
mandatory minimum sentences and
lowers some maximum penalties in
exchange for a tiered, more
tailored system.
City council passed it
overwhelmingly.
Violent crime is down in the
district compared to last year.
But homicides have spiked,
prompting mayor Muriel bowser to
veto the measure.
>> Anytime there's a policy that
reduces penalties I think it
sends the wrong message.
Lisa city council doubled down,
: Overriding her veto.
>> So, all the fear-mongering is
totally unnecessary, hyperbolic,
Lisa then, D.C. Hit a bigger
: Hurdle.
>> It is irresponsible, it's
dangerous.
Lisa: Congress got involved.
The constitution gives it direct
power over D.C. Laws, and the
republican-led house pounced.
>> We see stories of carjackings
every day and what did the DC
council do?
They passed a resolution to get
rid of mandatory minimums on
many violent crimes.
Lisa: Last month, 31 house
Democrats joined Republicans to
override the D.C. Crime bill,
including congresswoman Angie
Craig who was attacked in her DC
apartment building the morning
of the vote.
After that, came the pivotal
defeat.
>> The president does not
support the D.C.
Council, the changes that they,
that they put forward over the
mayor's objections.
Lisa: President Joe Biden
announced he'd sign the
congressional override.
He said it was about keeping
communities safe.
That move blindsided many
Democrats, including those on
the D.C. City council.
>> Democrats who have been our
friends have not supported us on
this legislation because it has
become a political issue for
them.
Lisa: D.C. Council chairman Phil
Mendelson said this was about
fear of ads like these that ran
in 2022 attacking Democrats as
, weak on crime.
He says their bill was deeply
misconstrued, that it would not
lower most sentences.
For example, armed carjacking, a
concern in D.C., has long had a
maximum penalty of 40 years
there.
But the average, actual
sentences have been around 15
years.
Thus, advocates say the DC plan,
to lower the max from 40 years
to 24 is still well above most
actual sentences.
And, Mendelson points out,
that's tougher than some red
states, like Tennessee.
>> Their maximum for carjacking
is, I believe, 12 years.
Well, which is it?
12 years.
Our average sentence is 15.
Our maximum is going to be 24.
Yet the message that we're soft
on crime while inaccurate
sticks.
Lisa: Back at Troy's house, I
ask if he thinks lowering max
sentences could lead to more
crime.
>> Can we talk?
Lisa: Let's.
Troy: That's the most asinine
stuff that I've heard in my
life.
So what we're saying is, that
upon committing the crime,
somebody is going to take it in
their head to say, oh, well, you
know, they they reduced it.
They reduce the time on this.
That's not going to happen.
That's not realistic.
Lisa: Troy still works in D.C.
But now lives in Maryland and
has some peace.
But he's disheartened that
reforms he sees as critical,
have hit a wall.
And that others are controlling
d.c.'s fate.
>> To have congress or anyone
else outside of who the people
of the district of Columbia
chose and represent them, have
the authority to usurp is a
total smack in the face to
democracy.
Lisa: Can I ask you what you
think about president Biden?
He himself could have prevented
this.
Troy is still looking ahead, but
no one knows how, if or when
D.C. Will again try to fix its
criminal code.
For the pbs newshour, I'm Lisa
Desjardins.