One of George Soros’ many progressive financial beneficiaries backed off from a single “progressive” policy on Monday, but left in place many others. Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot, whose elections were backed by hundreds of thousands of dollars not only from George Soros but from the left-wing Texas Justice & Public Safety (TJPS) political action committee (founded by Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King), announced on Monday:
Through data analysis and conversations with community organizations, retailers, and independent loss prevention specialists, I found the policy had zero effect on crime in the county — positive or negative.
I have come to the understanding that this policy is more aspirational than realistic and rather than helping those in need, I have watched that population, and primarily people of color, be blamed for a rise in crime.
“The policy” in question that Creuzot is now reversing was stated just months after he first won office in 2019:
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. For that reason, this office will not prosecute theft of personal items less than $750 unless the evidence shows that the alleged theft was for economic gain.
Let’s parse this: stealing is justified if it is “committed out of necessity.” Left alone, it is suggested, the thief will gain enough from stealing to then suddenly become a legitimate, law-abiding member of society, saving the county thousands of dollars in attempts to rehabilitate him.
Said another way, according to Creuzot’s twisted logic, “criminalizing poverty” is “counter-productive,” so it must not be prosecuted.
In announcing another of his policies at the same time, Creuzot proudly said, “I have declined prosecution on misdemeanor possession of marijuana cases for first-time offenders … [and am] in the process of dismissing all pending misdemeanor marijuana cases filed before I took office.… To date I have dismissed over a thousand misdemeanor marijuana cases.”
This and other “progressive policies” — failing to prosecute THC possession, criminal trespass, or driving with a suspended license; reducing or eliminating probation; and reducing or eliminating altogether cash bail requirements — remain in effect.
And the outcome has been predictably catastrophic. As noted by news aggregator DiscoverTheNetworks.com (DTN):
The city of Dallas, home to nearly half of Dallas County’s 2.6 million people, experienced an immediate rise in crime during Creuzot’s initial year in office.
Between 2018 and 2019, murders increased from 155 to 198 (27.7%), robberies increased from 3,986 to 4,400 (10.4%), and assaults increased from 5,456 to 6,369 (16.7%).
Violent crime overall rose by 15%, while total convictions dropped by 30%.
One of Creuzot’s most despicable policies was to not seek the death penalty for a serial murderer named Billy Chemirmir. From DTN:
In June 2021, Creuzot announced that his DA office would not seek the death penalty for 48-year-old Billy Chemirmir, an illegal alien and longtime criminal from Kenya who stood accused of having robbed and murdered, by suffocation, 24 elderly Americans — 23 of whom were women aged 75 to 94 — between 2016 and 2018.
The criminal had initially escaped conviction thanks to a hung jury, but a second trial convicted him of capital murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison without any chance of parole.
In his press release on Monday, Creuzot affirmed his commitment to his other progressive policies:
My assistants and I will use our discretion to prosecute those who deserve it and utilize our strengthened Pre-Trial Intervention programs and other community resources to get vulnerable [read: criminal] populations the help they need.
As for George Soros, he said: “I have supported the election … of prosecutors who support reform. I have done it transparently, and I have no intention of stopping.”
Soros’s influence on left-wing DA candidates is often wildly underestimated.
Since 2016, when Soros first began to back the campaigns of district attorneys (presumably as part of the “Resistance” to the Trump administration), [Capital Research Center] researchers have tracked more than $29 million in funding from Soros through a personal network of political action committees (PACs) formed specifically to back left-wing DA candidates.
In total, Soros cash has generously supported over 20 individual candidates, many of whom won their elections and remain in office today.
That includes Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot.
