Posted on 08/24/2020 8:54:08 AM PDT by karpov
Just weeks after President Trump’s administration agreed to pull back federal officers from demonstrations in Portland, Ore., where his attempt at a high-profile crackdown backfired, the fate of the city’s protests now rests to a large extent with an altogether different leader: A brand-new, 39-year-old district attorney whose approach to enforcing the law is as contested as the demonstrations themselves.
The new prosecutor, Mike Schmidt, took office Aug. 1 after defeating an experienced federal prosecutor by a 3-to-1 margin in Multnomah County, which includes most of Portland. Even his critics say the breadth of his victory gave him a mandate to reshape prosecutions in Portland, a city of frequent protests, where there is no clear end in sight to demonstrations against police brutality that began after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
He has not been slow to shake things up: Ten days after taking office, Mr. Schmidt effectively dismissed charges against more than half of about 600 people arrested since the protests began at the end of May.
His directive met with strong objections from the Portland police and Multnomah County sheriff. But it was in keeping with his progressive campaign platform as one of a new generation of prosecutors across the country who are pledging to reduce penalties for low-level nonviolent crimes.
Mr. Schmidt said his office would presumptively decline to prosecute demonstrators for minor offenses such as interfering with the police, disorderly conduct and trespassing — cases that did not involve deliberate violence, property damage or theft. And charges for assault on officers and resisting arrest will now require closer scrutiny, with prosecutors taking into account in filing charges whether the police fired tear gas into crowds.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Selectively applying the law...
What a load of horse sh*t.
That majority of that crap has nothing to do with protesting against “systemic racism”
Another Soros appointee.
Of course, the people charged with those supposedly low-level, nonviolent offenses are generally the ones who actively aided in the riotous mayhem.
Maybe start with arson, assault,, destruction of public and private property, trespassing, terrorism , vandalism,, releasing toxins into the air from burning plastics, wires, rubber from burning buildings and cars. I hope they all get cancer
The DA is a fascist, brown-shirt Nazi supporter.
Won by 3:1 margin, so Porlandia people have spoken. The vast majority want the riots, assaults, looting, arson, and destruction to continue with no punishment. The small minority of people who disagree, had best be making immediate plans on leaving.
“... where his attempt at a high-profile crackdown backfired...”
“Of course, the people charged with those supposedly low-level, nonviolent offenses are generally the ones who actively aided in the riotous mayhem.”
Even if they don’t serve time, a fine and a conviction would be important. We need to start them building up a criminal record. Felonies if possible so they cannot possess firearms.
If they go straight, great. But if they keep misbehaving, a record of convictions lets a judge lower the boom a lot harder later.
All the rioters and all the politicians who supported them must go to jail.
The Prosecutor should go to jail.
My guess is that the prosecutor there isn’t going to have to worry about having a job after his next election.
This is starting to look a lot like the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979/1980. Back then Carter was total fool, unable to take any action to end it. Reagan didn’t say what he was do, but the Iranians knew it wouldn’t be nice, so they released the hostages just as Reagan took office.
Here you have a case of Trump looking weak, but perhaps he could make some SERIOUS THREATS, basically saying that once the election is over, win or lose, he WILL end the rioting...but not saying just what he will do.
Definitely different, with Trump now in power, but people will get the message that he’ll have a lot more room to put this crap to bed, once the election is over.
Trump was successful. Fed property still ok, someone else doing the heavy lifting. What planet has the writer been living on?
“...Selectively applying the law...”
Democrat agenda law. Marxist law. Bought-and-paid-for law.
Until his house gets trashed.
Sounds like the author is framing this just a little bit, doesn't it? That isn't a reporter's job to decide, it's the prosecutor's.
Portland got exactly what they voted for, so any whining from them is meaningless. They wanted Socialism and they got it in spades.
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