By Shipwreckedcrew
It never ceases to amaze me that a sophisticated and educated populace like the residents of Seattle so willingly turns the stewardship of a great city over to a handful of chuckleheaded activists who are willing — and anxious — to destroy an ordered society from within.
Two months ago Seattle City Councilwoman Lisa Herbold proposed legislation under the guise of a budget bill that would, for all practical purposes, eliminate the prosecution of approximately 90% of all misdemeanor crimes in Seattle through the creation of an affirmative defense to conviction of “duress” stemming from poverty, homelessness, substance addiction, or mental illness.
Let’s be clear what this proposal is — and what it is not.
The Seattle City Council can pass legislation that applies to city functions — it cannot change the laws of the State of Washington. The proposed legislation would apply only to conduct that takes place within the city limits of Seattle, and it would apply only to criminal cases brought by the Seattle City Attorney’s Office. That office does handle some misdemeanor criminal cases, but in Seattle, the King County Prosecutor’s Office is primarily responsible for prosecuting criminal conduct in the City of Seattle.
But the proposal from Herbold would create a complete defense of “duress” to misdemeanor criminal charges for any criminal defendant who can show they fit into one of the “exempt” classifications.
By one estimate it is likely that that 9 out of 10 criminal misdemeanor cases filed by the City Attorney’s Office would be subject to such a defense, and as a practical matter, charges would never get filed in the first instance.
Herbold is the Chairperson of the Council’s Community Safety Committee, but rather than push her proposal through that Committee in a fashion that might draw attention, she submitted the language creating a “duress” defense to property crimes to the Council’s Budget Committee, to be buried in the City’s next budget bill, and made only a brief 3-minute presentation on the proposal in an online Budget Committee meeting — captured on YouTube.
Her justification for submitting the proposal in such a stealthy fashion buried in a budget bill was that the proposal would likely reduce City expenditures to provide legal defense services to indigent defendants, as well as saving on money paid to King County for jail services
In her comments during the hearing, she makes reference to the mush-minded nonsense about poverty and homelessness having as their root causes systemic racism. She claims the recommendation derives from the work of the “Seattle Re-Entry Work Group” which was created by legislation in 2015 to examine how the City could assist formerly incarcerated people to re-enter their communities. The Work Group’s final report found that poverty is caused by institutionalized racism and systemic oppression, all of which lead to mass incarceration. They further found that punishment and incarceration are harmful and ineffective tools to address behaviors triggered by poverty and illness.
As these words are spilling forth from her mouth I get the clear sense that she is spouting shibboleths and catchphrases that reside in her brain without any actual knowledge or understanding attached to them.
I cannot imagine why anyone would risk having a business in Seattle.
All they need to do is tear down all the on and off ramps to the Interstate baracade all roads and turn the whole place into vast Prison and he problem is solves no more of these anti-police jerks
To all non criminal residents and businesses…RUN while you still can, sell cheap go fast.
CA made shoplifting anything under $950 a non-enforceable “crime.”
So, CVS and Walgreens are both leaving the state.
You would, too.
People (usually of color) walk in with shopping bags as a large group, fill their bags with everything they want and just saunter out without paying.
Certain parts of these stores were just empty, restocking them was a waste of money.
Now Seattle is going to know the “joy,” of becoming a pharmacy desert.
@Nan G: And no way to distribute a COVID vaccine. Well, they didn’t want no Trump vaccine anyway.
What happens when ANTIFA attacks a group of equal size that is determined to defend themselves? Exactly what you think would happen.
https://redstate.com/mike_miller/2020/12/06/watch-violent-clash-in-washington-state-trump-supporters-1-hapless-antifa-clowns-0-final-score-n290115
The citizens of Seattle allowed this, voted for it, and have not fought back.
This is what happens.
No police also comes with no businesses, no economy, no stores to shop at, and no hope.
i.e. Detroit, Baltimore, and DC.