Jeanine Pirro says people who carry rifles, shotguns in DC will no longer face felony charges

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced a change in the blanket ban on possessing shotguns and rifles in the nation’s capital.

Federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., have been instructed in a change of policy that will no longer seek felony charges against those lawfully carrying their weapons in the district, with Pirro stating that the current law “is clearly a violation of the Supreme Court’s holdings.”

“Without question, President Donald Trump and I are committed to prosecuting gun crime,” Pirro said in a statement to the Washington Post. “This unprecedented number of gun case prosecutions in both federal and local courts is only done consistent with the Constitution and the laws of the land.”

Pirro, a former Fox News host who served as a judge and prosecutor in Westchester County, New York, noted that the change is based on guidance from the Justice Department and the Office of Solicitor General.

“Nothing in this memo from the Department of Justice and the Office of Solicitor General precludes the United States Attorney’s Office from charging a felon with the possession of a firearm, which includes a rifle, shotgun, and attendant large capacity magazine pursuant to DC Code 22-4503. What it does preclude is a separate charge of possession of a registered rifle or shotgun,” she added.

According to WaPo:

The U.S. attorney’s office in D.C. is the only one in the country that prosecutes local street crimes in addition to federal cases. D.C. law makes it a crime for people to carry rifles or shotguns outside their homes or places of business without permits, which are rarely granted. The District does not have reciprocity laws that allow people to carry firearms with permits from other jurisdictions, a frequent point of contention for Second Amendment rights groups. First-time offenders can be fined and imprisoned up to five years if convicted.

The D.C. attorney general’s office has limited jurisdiction over local crime, with the power to prosecute juvenile offenses and certain adult misdemeanors, but not firearms-related felonies.

“Criminal culpability is not determined by the instruments people employ but by the intent and conduct of the actor,” Pirro said. “Crimes are intentional acts and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent by my office, regardless of what instruments of criminality are used. My job is to keep this city, its citizens, its businesses, and its visitors safe from harm, and I will do that to the fullest extent of the law.”

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Frieda Powers

Senior Staff Writer
Frieda@bizpacreview.com

Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.