Separation of powers
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up Donald Trump’s claim in the Washington D.C. criminal case that he should have immunity from criminal prosecution for acts performed as president. Trump is charged in D.C. with alleged crimes related to the January 6 Capitol riots. I analyzed Trump’s criminal immunity claim in a previous Judex post. You can read it here. In short, I believe Trump loses this issue at the High Court. However, because the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the immunity claim, Trump’s criminal trial must be put on hold, and will almost certainly not be held until after the presidential election in November, if at all.
Crime
There has been an effort recently to get a narrative going that the crime rate is going down in large U.S. cities. Indeed, criminal filings have dropped for some offenses in some areas. While it is too early to know for sure, the cause is likely not a reduction in crime, but, rather, a reduction in arrests due to reduced policing.
For instance, starting last week, Pittsburgh police are no longer responding to calls that are not “in progress emergencies.” Crimes related to theft, mischief, harassment, and burglary where the criminal is not actively on scene are now to be reported online. This change has come about because Pittsburgh is experiencing a police officer shortage. Last week, Austin, Texas reported having one-third fewer offices, and NYC has reported a similar reduction in force. Progressive prosecutors and the defund the police movement along with the way police have been treated, in general, over the last several years is the major factor here.
Yet, criminal behavior, now unpoliced, continues to plague cities. We know because of things like this: last week, New York Governor, Kathy Hochul, dispatched 750 national guard members and 250 police officers to patrol the NY subway system; recently, CVS announced the closure of locations in Washington D.C. due to rampant theft; and this week, Taco Bell announced it is closing all indoor dining in Oakland, California due to rising crime. The COO of the organization said, “We feel the frequency and severity of the crimes being encountered by our customers and associates leaves us no alternative.”
The crime is down narrative is a half-truth. Crime cannot go down when accountability via arrests and prosecutions disappears. This is not complicated stuff.
Other
This week, the U.S. Marshal service requested an additional thirty eight million dollars in additional funding to beef up protection of federal judges. The Marshal service is charged with protecting over 2,700 federal judges. They are proposing that the agency create a new Judicial Security Division. This comes after a 100% increase in threats to federal judges since 2021. There does not seem to be any data on threats to state level judges, though the same phenomenon is likely present there. Stay safe out there, my friends.
As always, thank you for reading. If you enjoy Judex, please share it.