WASHINGTON — The D.C. Council plans to override the Mayor’s veto of the District’s revised criminal code.
Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto made that announcement Tuesday. She said she and Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen would move the veto proposal in the D.C. Council.
In November, the D.C. Council unanimously voted to update the District’s criminal code for the first time in 100 years.
The proposal brings sweeping changes to everything from jury trials to sentencing rules in the District.
However, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser vetoed the measure last week because she said she felt more community discussion was needed prior to any sweeping overhaul of the criminal code.
"We need to pause for greater reflection on the bill and its consequences,” Bowser said.
The mayor further expressed concerns that some measures in the bill might not make D.C. safer.
“A complete overhaul of our criminal code is a once-in-a-century opportunity,” Bowser tweeted. “I believe it’s more important to get this opportunity right than to add policies & weaken penalties into what should be a bill that makes DC safer.”
Pinto serves as the chairwoman of the council's Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety. Allen served oversaw the same committee in the previous council period. She said the mayor's veto threatens to unravel years of works and thorough study that should improve safety in D.C.
“The culmination of this work is a revised criminal code that is more equitable and just and that will promote public safety by ensuring that the law is clear for prosecutors, defendants, and courts,” she said.
Pinto added she plans to meet with other D.C. leaders soon to discuss topics related to D.C.’s criminal code legislation.
“I will meet directly with the Mayor, District courts, criminal justice experts and advocates, and other stakeholders to discuss what more must be done to ensure that our criminal code acts in the best interest of public safety, including looking at penalties for gun-related offenses,” she said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this critical work."
