Background: The ACLU of D.C. strongly opposes this legislation and urges the Committee not to move it forward. Provisions that would expose District residents on parole, supervised release, or probation for gun offenses to suspicionless and warrantless searches when they are out in public would erode crucial protections against government abuse of power and open the door to broad, unfocused searches that would be a poor use of police resources. Meanwhile, the Act’s proposed permanent changes to District law regarding pretrial detention and speedy trials will needlessly grow the number of people held in unacceptable detention conditions, add to already lengthy trial delays for defendants in detention, and narrow judicial discretion when people are presumed innocent of a crime. Finally, the Act’s broadening of the definition of carjacking is unnecessary and illustrates the problematic nature of piecemeal legislating when it comes to criminal offenses. This is not the right approach to public safety and risks further eroding trust in a criminal legal system that already produces inequitable results.
Our Position: We oppose the legislation and urge the Council not to move forward with it.