The era of progressive prosecutors is a failed experiment. Neighborhoods fell apart, crime soared, businesses fled, and residents were unsafe. Angry voters are electing Pragmatic Prosecutors, attorneys who vow to get tough on crime, and restore law and order. This Washington Examiner series highlights some of the new men and women who say they’re bringing change for the better. Part 1 takes a closer look at Baltimore.
EXCLUSIVE — It has been two years since Baltimore County State’s Attorney Ivan Bates ousted his progressive predecessor, Marilyn Mosby, a high-profile prosecutor who aligned herself with the criminal justice reform movement that had swept across the country.
His no-nonsense approach to crime and dogged determination to hold all lawbreakers accountable created a seismic shift in how crime and punishment would be tackled in Maryland’s largest city.
Mosby, like other progressive prosecutors, bent laws to tilt the scales of justice in favor of criminals in the name of reform. The disastrous results were pretty predictable. Her policies failed, crime increased, and public safety decreased.
Mosby’s original campaign platform had been to ignore entire categories of crime and reduce sentences for some violent offenders. Under her watch, homicides exceeded 300 per year, every year, making Charm City one of the nation’s most dangerous places to be.