A Biden-appointed judge’s decision to release two teenagers accused of brutally assaulting a former DOGE staffer has sparked outrage, as the Daily Mail reports. On Aug. 3, Edward “Big Balls” Coristine, a 19-year-old Washington, D.C., resident, was left bloodied and battered after trying to stop a carjacking. The incident exposes the tension between soft-on-crime policies and President Trump’s push to restore order in the capital.
Two 15-year-olds from Hyattsville, Maryland, allegedly attacked Coristine during the attempted carjacking, leaving him fearing a concussion. This violent episode unfolded as the teens tried to steal a vehicle, only to be thwarted by Coristine’s brave intervention. Yet, the justice system’s response has raised eyebrows among those demanding accountability.
Judge Kendra Briggs, a Biden appointee, ordered the release of the accused teens from juvenile detention on Thursday. “School and home, that’s it,” Briggs declared, setting strict conditions like curfews and electronic monitoring. Her leniency, however, smells of progressive coddling, undermining the severity of the assault on a public servant.
The released teens, whose names are withheld due to their age, face serious restrictions but no jail time. The girl, described as a community danger with truancy issues, will reside in a youth shelter, barred from electronics and subject to weekly drug tests. The boy, allowed to live with his mother, faces random drug testing and a D.C. travel ban except for court appearances.
Briggs justified her ruling, saying, “I don’t want to put hardship on your family.” Such sentimentality ignores the hardship inflicted on Coristine, who was left battered and bleeding. This decision reeks of the left’s obsession with rehabilitation over retribution, even for violent offenders.
The girl’s history of running away and a pending Maryland case paint her as a flight risk. Prosecutors warned of her threat to public safety, yet Briggs opted for a shelter over detention. This choice fuels skepticism about whether justice prioritizes victims or panders to youthful offenders.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump visited the streets of D.C. on Thursday, praising law enforcement for a historic week without murders. “Everybody’s safe now,” he boasted, touting his federalization of the Metropolitan Police Department under the D.C. Home Rule Act. The timing of Briggs’ ruling casts a shadow over these claims, suggesting the system still bends toward leniency.
Trump’s Aug. 11 invocation of the D.C. Home Rule Act aimed to bolster safety and beautify the capital. His Truth Social posts at 6:45 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. on Thursday celebrated a transformed D.C., declaring, “It’s like a different place.” Yet, releasing teens accused of such a brazen assault undermines this narrative of progress.
The contrast couldn’t be starker: Trump pushes for order, while Biden’s judicial legacy lets suspects walk. “Right now, it’s better than it has been in years,” Trump claimed, promising further improvements. But when judges prioritize offenders’ comfort over victims’ justice, the public’s safety feels like an afterthought.
Coristine’s ordeal began when he courageously confronted the carjackers, only to be brutally beaten. Photos of a third suspect, still at large, add to the sense of unresolved justice. The victim’s suffering seems secondary to the court’s focus on the teens’ rehabilitation.
The teens are forbidden from contacting each other, with Briggs promising an emergency hearing for violations. Such measures sound tough but feel like window dressing when the accused are already back in the community. This approach risks emboldening others who see little consequence for violent acts.
Each teen had one parent virtually present at the hearing, a detail that underscores the fractured oversight in their lives. The boy’s return to his mother’s home, citing school distance, prioritizes convenience over accountability. It’s a decision that leaves conservatives questioning the system’s spine.
Trump’s broader vision includes tackling homelessness, erasing graffiti, and revitalizing D.C.’s parks. “I’m very good at grass,” he quipped, promising to re-grass parks because “the grass here died about 40 years ago.” His hands-on approach contrasts sharply with judicial rulings that seem to let crime slide.
The week-long murder-free streak in D.C., compared to a five-year daily average of 0.51 to 1 murders, marks a tangible win for Trump’s policies. “We’re going to Make Washington, D.C. Great Again!” he posted on Truth Social. But Briggs’s ruling risks tarnishing this progress, letting the left’s soft touch overshadow hard-won gains.
Conservatives see this as a wake-up call: tough talk on crime must be matched by tough action in courtrooms. “The fact that this court is stepping you down from Youth Services Center is a serious step,” Briggs told the teens, but her actions suggest otherwise. When justice bends backward for juvenile offenders, the fight to reclaim D.C. faces an uphill battle.
