Many Americans can sense that there’s an urban problem in U.S. cities. There’s homelessness, increased drug overdose deaths, mental illness on display in the public square, business failures due to loitering and proximity to encampments, and public defecation on sidewalks in some of the most exclusive zip codes in the country.
This does not even touch on the hard crime statistics of carjackings, stabbings, and shootings affecting seemingly innocent bystanders and drug trafficking. Recently, television’s Judge Judy sat for an interview and shared her view on what is to blame for the current state of crime in the United States.
Her answer points to progressive district attorneys, who have recently come under the microscope for proving to be vulnerable in local elections in even the bluest cities in the country.
Scathing Verdict on America’s Crime Situation
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Judge Judy Sheindlin (Judge Judy) blamed progressive district attorneys for the chaotic environment of U.S. cities today. She argues that district attorneys have failed the public in not executing their duties and leading formerly vibrant and affluent cities to deteriorate to the point of being almost unrecognizable from when they were in their heyday.
Incompetent District Attorneys
Judge Judy stated, “When you have elected district attorneys who don’t know their jobs, they should go find another job.” She added, “Fill ice cream cones someplace. But don’t ruin cities.”
Deterioration Over 30 Years
As she reflected on her 30-year career, Judge Judy noted the regrettable state of the county’s decline. She attributes it to “a small group of people with loud voices.”
Rewarding Bad Behavior
Additionally, Judge Judy claims that in the current political and social framework, “bad people got rewarded.” This trend, including the empowerment of individuals who do not have the personal will or knowledge to make cities stronger and safer, as well as the lax responses to criminal activities that then are perpetuated rather than deterred, have left the country worse off over the past three decades in Judge Judy’s assessment.
Excuses for Bad Behavior
Specifically, Judge Judy noted a trend of letting people off the hook for bad behavior by making excuses. According to her, this leniency has led to society’s downfall. “When society started to make excuses for bad behavior and react to criminality based upon the excuses, it fell apart,” Judge Judy stated in the Fox News interview. She said, “Oh, I know how we got here.”
Rising Crime Rates
The interview centered on the rise in crime rates in large cities across the U.S. For example, robberies in New York City are up by 5.2 percent, and hate crimes are up 11 percent. Outside of New York City, in Portland and Washington D.C., for example, similar data abounds.
Portland’s Situation
The city of Portland is a poster child for a problematic increase in negative statistics, particularly regarding criminal activity. In Portland, robbery, or theft of personal property, has seen over 26,000 incidents in the past year. Additionally, arrests for prostitution have doubled. Judge Judy blames liberal district attorneys for these troubling statistics.
Voter Backlash in Oregon
She is not the only one. Voters themselves in Oregon defeated a progressive prosecutor in an Oregon district attorney race. A primary challenge among his staff defeated Portland area prosecutor Mike Schmidt. The challenger claimed to be more tough on crime than Schmidt. This was seen as an emblematic upset for liberal district attorneys in big cities, as residents will only tolerate so much leniency as their daily standard of living erodes with increased fear of criminal activity in their midst.
Consequences in San Francisco
In San Francisco, voters recalled former District Attorney Chesa Boudin in 2022 when Boudin chose to prosecute and convict on three drug convictions in 2021 in the city of San Francisco. Voters were outraged at the paltry effort as the city declined around them.
Failure of Progressive Policies
Judge Judy pointed to the Boudin San Francisco case to illustrate how progressive criminal justice policies encourage rather than mitigate and deter criminal activities that voters and taxpayers will not stand for. As a result, everyone in the city suffers except the criminals and those flouting the law.
Challenges for Progressive DAs
Elsewhere in the country, city residents are fed up with progressive prosecutors. Chicago District Attorney Kim Foxx was replaced in March 2024. Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon is up for reelection and is facing off with Republican Nathan Hochman. Gascon has described himself as the “Godfather of Progressive Prosecutors,” which will undoubtedly come back to haunt him in his bid for reelection. The failure of progressive district attorneys nationwide surprised many at the time, but a clear trend is now emerging.
New York’s Age of Criminal Responsibility
Judge Judy criticized New York for raising the minimum age for trying suspects as adults to 18. New York State implemented this change in 2019.
Hypothetical Scenario
She posed a hypothetical scenario, “If you have a mother who’s walking to the grocery store and some crazy for no reason hits her over the head with a steel pipe and kills her, and they’re 17, that person should never be allowed to walk the street again…and if you’re 17 years old and kill somebody, you don’t belong with kids who are 12 in a juvenile facility.”
Critique of Vocal Minorities
Judge Judy views her opinion as the most reasonable and reasoned, and she complains that the problem lies in the fact that a small group of vocal individuals direct the policy at the state level.
No Excuses for Crime
Another major thrust of Judge Judy’s description of where American cities went wrong is society’s recent obsession with excuses for bad behavior. She insists that explanations should not be confused with excuses. While there are always reasons for criminal behavior, according to Judge Judy, such as a poor upbringing, mental illness, or drugs and alcohol, these reasons should not serve as an excuse for bad behavior. She stated emphatically, “There is never an excuse for bad behavior.”
Reflection on 30 Years
Judge Judy believes the human experience will speak for itself. She posits, “Are we in worse shape as a country and a world than in 1993? You bet your bottom we are.”
