Washington —
President Donald Trump’s plan to combat crime in Washington, DC, with more federal force has led to a deluge of cases flooding already maxed-out courts in the city.
The DC US attorney’s office, led by former Fox News anchor Jeanine Pirro, has encouraged its prosecutors to bring more cases to federal court with the most serious charges they can pursue. Defense attorneys across the city believe weaker cases are now being brought into the system as smaller infractions are bumped up to more serious charges.
Prosecutors in Washington have also been instructed to push for more people to remain behind bars before their case is heard in court – despite a longstanding approach of courts keeping people accused of non-violent or petty crimes out of jail unless they’re convicted.