District of Columbia Prosecutor Home Rule Act of 2021

Bill: 117-hr-281
Sponsor: full_name: Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
Introduced: 2021-01-12
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation

District of Columbia

Lawyers and legal services

State and local government operations
Latest action: action_date: 2021-01-12
text: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-01-12
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>District of Columbia Prosecutor Home Rule Act of 2021</b></p> <p>This bill shifts the responsibility for conducting prosecutions for violations of District of Columbia laws from the Corporation Counsel for the District of Columbia (Attorney General for the District) or his or her assistants to the head of the office designated under District local law as the one responsible for conducting such prosecutions (local prosecutor's office) or his or her assistants.</p> <p>An indictment or information brought in the name of</p> <ul> <li> the United States in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia may include charges of offenses prosecutable by the District if the head of the local prosecutor's office consents to such inclusion in writing, and </li> <li>the District in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia may be joined for trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with an indictment or information brought in that court if the offenses charged could have been joined in the same indictment or information and if the head of the local prosecutor's office consents to such joinder.</li></ul>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 281 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 12, 2021 Ms. Norton introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform A BILL To assign the responsibility for conducting prosecutions for violations of the laws of the District of Columbia to the head of a local prosecutor’s office designated under local law of the District of Columbia.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the District of Columbia Prosecutor Home Rule Act of 2021 . 2. Responsibility of local prosecutor’s office for conduct of all District of Columbia prosecutions (a) In general Section 23–101, D.C. Official Code, is amended by striking subsections (a) through (f) and inserting the following: (a) Prosecutions for violations of all police or municipal ordinances or regulations of the District of Columbia and for violations of all penal statutes of the District of Columbia in the nature of police or municipal regulations shall be conducted in the name of the District of Columbia by the head of the local prosecutor’s office or the assistants of the head of such office, except as may otherwise be provided in any such ordinance, regulation, or statute. (b) An indictment or information brought in the name of the United States in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia may include charges of offenses prosecutable by the District of Columbia if the head of the local prosecutor’s office consents to the inclusion of such charges in writing. (c) An indictment or information brought in the name of the District of Columbia in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia may be joined for trial in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia with an indictment or information brought in that court if the offenses charged therein could have been joined in the same indictment or information and if the head of the local prosecutor’s office consents to such joinder. (d) In this section, the local prosecutor’s office is the office designated under local law of the District of Columbia as the office responsible for conducting prosecutions under this section. (e) Nothing in this section shall affect the authority of the Attorney General of the United States or the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia to exercise jurisdiction concerning violations of the laws of the United States. . (b) Conforming amendments (1) Appeals Section 23–104, D.C. Official Code, is amended by striking Corporation Counsel each place it appears in subsections (a)(1), (b), and (d), and inserting head of the local prosecutor’s office (as defined in section 23–101(d)) . (2) Proceedings to establish previous convictions Section 23–111(a)(1), D.C. Official Code, is amended by striking Corporation Counsel and inserting head of the local prosecutor’s office (as defined in section 23–101(d)) . (3) Definition of prosecutor Section 23–501(3), D.C. Official Code, is amended by striking Corporation Counsel of the District of Columbia and inserting head of the local prosecutor’s office (as defined in section 23–101(d)) . (4) Disposition of property seized under search warrant Section 23–525, D.C. Official Code, is amended by striking Corporation Counsel for the District of Columbia and inserting head of the local prosecutor’s office (as defined in section 23–101(d)) . (5) Deposit of seized currency Section 23–532(b)(1), D.C. Official Code, is amended by striking Corporation Counsel for the District of Columbia and inserting head of the local prosecutor’s office (as defined in section 23–101(d)) . (6) Consultation in promulgation of regulations regarding warrant and arrest procedures Section 23–533, D.C. Official Code, is amended by striking Corporation Counsel and inserting head of the local prosecutor’s office (as defined in section 23–101(d)) . (7) Recommendations by Pretrial Services Agency regarding release or detention; notice regarding failure to comply with conditions of release Section 23–1303, D.C. Official Code, is amended— (A) in the sixth sentence of subsection (a), by striking Corporation Counsel of the District of Columbia and inserting head of the local prosecutor’s office (as defined in section 23–101(d)) ; and (B) in subsection (h)(5), by striking Corporation Counsel of the District of Columbia and inserting head of the local prosecutor’s office (as defined in section 23–101(d)) . (c) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to violations of District of Columbia ordinances, regulations, and statutes which occur after the expiration of the 6-month period which begins on the date on which a local law of the District of Columbia which designates the local prosecutor’s office for purposes of section 23–101(d), D.C. Official Code (as amended by subsection (a)) takes effect.