After Electing Democratic Attorney, Dallas Decides to Stop Prosecuting Some Criminal Acts
Shane Trejo
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Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot is firmly dedicated to ending “mass incarceration” so much so, in fact, that the Democrat is going to let many criminal offenders back onto the streets.
Creuzot announced on Thursday that his office will be letting criminals off the hook if they commit offenses such as low-level drug possession, theft, and criminal trespass. Law enforcement will be more focused on promoting social justice than protecting property rights under Creuzot’s plan.
He will also be targeting the bail bonds system and reducing probation sentences. Creuzot does not want criminals to “sit in jail not because they pose an identifiable danger to the community, but because they cannot pay their fee to go home” so they will be let out on the streets instead.
Marijuana offenders will be among the beneficiaries of the new weak-on-crime approach of the Dallas County criminal justice system. First-time marijuana offenders will not have their misdemeanors prosecuted as long as their offense is committed outside of a drug-free zone. Creuzot has already tossed out more than 1,000 misdemeanor marijuana cases with many more to come.
Robbers will be shielded by Dallas County too, as individuals who commit a robbery under the threshold of $750 will be let off scot free except in rare circumstances.
“Study after study shows that when we arrest, jail, and convict people for non-violent crimes committed out of necessity, we only prevent that person from gaining the stability necessary to lead a law-abiding life. Criminalizing poverty is counter-productive for our community’s health and safety,” Creuzot said to justify his push toward lawlessness.
Under the guise of protecting the homeless and mentally ill, criminal trespass will no longer be prosecuted unless it involves an physical intrusion onto property.
“Around 90 percent of homeless individuals charged with trespass will receive an average jail sentence of 33 days. These prosecutions are an ineffective and inhumane approach to dealing with homelessness or mental illness, and yet since 2015, Dallas County has spent nearly $11 million just to incarcerate those charged with trespass, not including the costs and resources required to arrest and prosecute their cases,” Creuzot said.
Creuzot makes it clear that these decisions are far from arbitrary, and he is acting on a strong electoral mandate. The facts bear him out. His Democratic voter base put him into office, in essence, to ignore the law.
“When I ran to become your District Attorney, I promised you that I would bring changes to our criminal justice system,” Creuzot wrote in a public statement.
Creuzot defeated his rule-of-law Republican challenger, Faith Johnson, by a commanding 20 point margin during last year’s elections.
“It’s not wanting to be the district attorney,” Creuzot said after he won the election. “It’s about wanting to implement change.”
The voters of Dallas County are going to quickly learn that elections have consequences. As the demographics of Texas continue to change, more Democrats will inevitably make their way into office to excuse criminality.
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