District of Columbia Criminal Justice Reform Act
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on the District of Columbia.
District of Columbia Criminal Justice Reform Act - Title I: Short Title, Purpose, and Definitions - Declares that it is the purpose of this Act to establish an autonomous judicial system in the government of the District of Columbia. Title II: Office of the Attorney General - Establishes within the District of Columbia government an Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, headed by an Attorney General who shall be appointed by the Mayor of the District of Columbia with the advice and consent of the Council of the District of Columbia. Specifies that the Attorney General shall serve for a term of four years coterminous with the term of the office of the Mayor. Sets forth the qualifications for the office of Attorney General. Declares that the Attorney General for the District of Columbia shall be the chief legal officer for the District of Columbia and have charge of all law business of the District of Columbia. Requires the Attorney General to appoint a Deputy Attorney General for the District of Columbia, who shall generally assist the Attorney General in the performance of duties. Requires the Attorney General to appoint a Solicitor General for the District of Columbia. Sets forth the duties of the Solicitor General, subject to the general supervision of the Attorney General. Requires the Attorney General to appoint a District Attorney for Criminal Division of the Office of the Attorney General, who shall be the head of the Criminal Division of the Office of the Attorney General and who shall assist the Attorney General in the performance of duties as set forth in this Act. Requires the Attorney General to appoint a District Attorney for Civil Proceedings, who shall be the head of the Civil Division of the Office of the Attorney General and who shall assist the Attorney General in the performance of duties as set forth in this Act. Requires the Attorney General to appoint a Marshal for the District of Columbia, who shall assist the Attorney General in the performance of duties. Requires the Marshal to be experienced in criminal justice and security matters. Sets forth the duties of the Marshal, subject to the general supervision of the Attorney General. Directs the Attorney General to establish programs for the professional training and continuing legal education of the staff of the Office of the Attorney General. Authorizes the Attorney General to appoint an Executive Assistant for Training to coordinate such programs. Declares that, except as set forth in this Act, prosecutions for violations of the laws of the District of Columbia shall be conducted in the name of the District of Columbia by the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. Specifies that if the United States Attorney General finds that a particular matter or case involves a legitimate and compelling Federal interest, which justifies the exercise of exclusive Federal jurisdiction, and such exercise of Federal jurisdiction is in the public interest, the United States Attorney General may file with the Clerk of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia a certification to that effect. Declares that upon the filing of such certification, the District of Columbia shall be divested of jurisdiction to conduct any investigation or to bring any prosecution in relation to the matter or case as to which the certification has been filed. Directs the United States Attorney General to provide assistance and guidance in the training of Assistant District Attorneys, the development of ethical and professional standards for the conduct of criminal prosecutions, and the development of cooperative law enforcement activities. Directs the United States Attorney General and the Attorney General for the District of Columbia to enter into a specified Memorandum of Understanding. Provides for the continuation of services to the District of Columbia by the United States Marshal. Authorizes the Attorney General to provide for the expenditure of funds as necessary for appropriate purposes related to the responsibilities of the Office of the Attorney General. Title III: Transition Provisions - Abolishes the Office of the Corporation Counsel of the District of Columbia and transfers its functions and positions to the Office of the Attorney General. Provides for the transfer of officers and employees of the Office of the Corporation Counsel to the Office of the Attorney General. Authorizes the transfer of positions, property, records, and unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, or other funds, assets, and liabilities which relate primarily to the functions so transferred. Specifies that any statute, regulation, or other action in respect of any officer of agency from which any function is transferred by this Act shall, except to the extent modified or made inapplicable by or under authority of law, continue in effect as if such transfer had not been made. Prohibits any prosecution, suit, action, or other judicial proceeding lawfully commenced by or against any officer or agency in any official capacity or in relation to the exercise of official functions from abating by reason of the taking effect of any provision of this Act. Permits the Mayor to appoint, and the Council to confirm, an Attorney General Designate who shall provide for the planning preliminary to the establishment of the Office of the Attorney General. Specifies that the expenses of the Office of the Attorney General, during transition years, shall be paid from funds deposited to the credit of the District or the United States according to a specified schedule. Title IV: Amendments to Other Laws - Amends the District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act to change to five the membership of the District of Columbia Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure. Provides for the nomination and appointment of judges of the District of Columbia courts by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the District of Columbia Council. Amends specified Acts to provide for the establishment of the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia and to transfer prosecutorial authority for local offenses to the District of Columbia government. Title V: Effective Dates - Makes this Act and the amendments made by this Act effective October 1, 1981, with specified exceptions.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on August 21, 1980. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on August 21, 1980: Referred to House Committee on the District of Columbia.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
RONALD DELLUMS (D-CA) introduced it on August 21, 1980. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on August 21, 1980, 16821 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16821 days ago, on August 21, 1980.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers