Congressman Tom Tiffany (R-WI-07) called on the Biden administration’s Department of Justice to take action to limit crime in Wisconsin and across the country.
According to a letter from Tiffany and six other letters, the federal government may need to “pick up the slack” from local prosecutors who are refusing to try certain cases or are reducing recommended sentences.
In fact, the Wisconsin legislator previously introduced a bill to provide oversight on prosecutors following through on holding criminals accountable.
“We write to express our concern regarding the recent trend of local district attorneys declining to prosecute crimes, seeking reduced sentencing, and offering plea agreements to recidivist offenders. This abdication of professional responsibility has emboldened criminals and undermined the trust of law-abiding Americans in public institutions,” the group wrote to Merrick Garland.
The lawmakers pointed to several prosecutors in liberal areas as examples:
“Increasingly, certain district attorneys are dismissing whole classes of crimes before arraignment, including for offenses such as trespassing, drug possession, and resisting arrest. While this trend dates back several years, it has intensified under prosecutors like George Gascon in Los Angeles, Chesa Boudin in San Francisco, Kim Foxx in Chicago, Larry Krasner in Philadelphia, Marilyn Mosby in Baltimore, Kimberly Gardner in St. Louis, and Rachael Rollins in Boston,” the group of lawmakers wrote.
In Wisconsin, Republicans have similarly blasted Governor Tony Evers for his lack of action. In fact, an Evers-appointed parole board member attempted to release convicted killer Douglas Balsewicz. However, amid intense backlash from the decision, the choice was reversed.
“The refusal of soft-on-crime district attorneys and President Biden’s Department of Justice to confront the crime wave and enforce the law has ripple effects across the country,” Congressman Tiffany added. “To get career criminals off our streets and secure our communities, we must enforce the existing laws that hold offenders accountable. That is not happening.”
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Wisconsin Daily Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “Department of Justice Building” by Coolcaesar. CC BY-SA 3.0.
