Loeffler, Cotton Take Action to Counteract the Left's Radical Campaign Against Justice

Press Release

U.S. Senators Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) today introduced legislation to help prosecutors successfully charge those who commit violent crimes during protests.

The Training Our Prosecutors (TOP) Act will reauthorize a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) grant program to increase training for district attorneys to address recent rioting in America. The legislation also updates the DOJ grant program that covers basic training for prosecutors to include training on prosecuting violent crime and property destruction that occurs during protests.

"As rioters destroy small businesses and private property, some prosecutors are deliberately refusing to hold these perpetrators accountable," Loeffler said. "In Portland, a local prosecutor dismissed charges on 59 individuals connected to the riots, including nine cases involving felony charges such as arson and theft. Unfortunately, this isn't a surprise given that Left-wing groups fund political campaigns for district attorneys in order to advance their radical agendas. There's a dire need to counteract that influence with unbiased training on how to properly prosecute those who commit crimes during a protest."

"Local prosecutors are on the front lines of justice, ensuring that criminals are kept off the streets," Cotton said. "Now more than ever--as roving bands of insurrectionists loot and murder in cities across the country--we need our prosecutors properly trained and equipped to put these criminals behind bars. Our legislation will provide funding for desperately needed training so that prosecutors can help keep us safe."

"Prosecutors throughout the country need increased funding to support training to ensure their offices continue to serve their communities in an ethical and professional manner," said Nancy Parr, National Defense Attorneys Association President and Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Chesapeake, Virginia. "Senator Loeffler's legislation takes important steps to increase funding for organizations that regularly provide training and technical assistance to State and local prosecutors which will improve the effective administration of justice nationwide."

Background:

Last week, Loeffler and Cotton introduced a package of bills to crack down on rioters wreaking havoc on American cities and communities: The No Catch-and-Release for Rioters Act to establish a rebuttable presumption that a person charged with rioting should be held pending trial; The Rioting Restitution Act to create a federal, private, civil cause of action against rioters who meet the federal definition of rioting, with treble damages allowed; and the Support Peaceful Protest Act to make federally-convicted rioters ineligible for virus-related supplemental unemployment benefits.

In August, Loeffler introduced the Securing Commerce and Protecting Businesses Act of 2020 to make it a federal crime to destroy certain commercial property or loot commercial businesses during the course of a riot and the Immigration Court Efficiency (ICE) Act to give immigration judges the authority to hold immigrants who fail to appear for proceedings in contempt of court and to issue bench warrants for the arrest of these individuals.

Loeffler also introduced the Cracking Down on Gangs and Deporting Criminals Act of 2020 to strengthen federal sentencing guidelines for criminal gang activity and create a federal database for criminal street gang activity within the U.S. Department of Justice.

These bills are part of Loeffler's USA Safe Families and Secure Futures Plan, a framework to keep America safe and secure from both foreign and domestic threats.

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