Category: US Department of Justice

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

It was just two years ago that Attorney General Garland was in Chicago visiting one of your CVI partners, READI Chicago.

24 hours prior to his visit, two mass shootings occurred only a few blocks from here.

It is my understanding that many of the organizations represented here today, including UCAN and Metropolitan Family Services (MFS), responded to those shootings. You and your teams stepped into action to prevent retaliation and support those who were harmed.

We know that you are doing the critical work of responding to and preventing shootings, day in and day out.

Your work is saving lives. You are stopping the spread of violence, and you are creating hope for a better future.

Community violence intervention and prevention work starts from the premise that violence is not inevitable — it is preventable. When we reject violence as a fixture in the landscape, we see clearly that no person is disposable. We give up on no one.

I am proud to serve in a Justice Department that is supporting this work, here in Chicago and across the country.

Supporting community-based violence prevention and intervention programs is one of the four foundational principles of the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.

Funding for these programs was also part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which added $50 million in funding for CVI programs in fiscal years 2022 and 2023, bringing the Justice Department’s total investment to $200 million for both years combined.

As you all know well, “community violence intervention and prevention” does not describe one particular kind of program or project.

The programs we are funding are guided by some basic principles: 

• They must be community-centered, equitable inclusive;
• They must be evidence-informed — through research and evaluation, case studies and expert opinions; and
• They must be effective and sustainable.

Our funding is comprehensive and designed to support and help build community violence intervention programs in a variety of ways:

• Site-based awards to nearly 50 communities in 24 states and territories to develop and implement violence intervention approaches;
• Capacity-building awards to organizations like MFS who will work with and provide assistance to smaller community-based organizations that otherwise may not have access to federal funding;
• Evaluation awards through the National Institute of Justice, to support rigorous study and evaluation of programs and develop an evidence base to inform future work; and
• Training and technical assistance awards to organizations who can work with both grantees and organizations who did not receive funding; to help ensure that every community can access the support they need to stop shootings and save lives.

MFS, for example, has both a site-based award and a capacity-building award, and I look forward to hearing from you about your work and how we can continue to support you and your community partners.

We know, of course, that violence is so often a symptom of longstanding unmet community needs and inequities.

It is not lost on me that, nearly six decades ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was right here in North Lawndale, leading the movement to improve living conditions for members of this community.

So much has changed, yet there is still so much work left to do. One thing that is clear by the looks of this room is that coalition building, partnerships and community voices are still at the center of this work.

Your work gives me hope, and I am confident that, together, we can turn the tide on gun violence in your community and this country.

Thank you for all that you do.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON –Joshua Hemphill, 32, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty yesterday of two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and other charges, in an early morning shooting that took place in Southeast Washington on September 21, 2018, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  The jury also found Hemphill guilty of aggravated assault while armed, first-degree burglary while armed, multiple counts of contempt, and other firearms offenses. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz, who scheduled sentencing for August 11, 2023.

            According to the government’s evidence, on September 21, 2018, Hemphill went to the home where his former romantic partner was staying with her friend. In a fit of rage, he fired one round into the door and made his way inside the apartment. He then chased the two women into a small closet where he fired two rounds from approximately three feet away. The first round hit the friend in the left hand and the second hit her in the back of her head. The friend was 24 weeks pregnant at the time she was shot. The victim received emergency neurosurgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and both she and her child survived.

            Hemphill was arrested weeks later in Pennsylvania. Upon his return to the District of Columbia, Hemphill was ordered by a District of Columbia Superior Court Judge on October 24, 2018, to stay away and have no contact with his former romantic partner. Evidence showed that Hemphill violated that order numerous times between October 24, 2018, and April 29, 2019.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Interim Chief Benedict commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Loeb and Angela Buckner, current Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bonnie Thompson, Dana Joseph, Ryan Sellinger, and Jodi Lazarus, Appellate Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nick Coleman and Bryan Han, Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Fogle, Garcia Clarke, Lynda Randolph, and Tijuana McPhail, Supervisory Paralegal Specialists Linda McDonald and RaeShawn Johnson, Supervisory Victim Services Advocate Roderick Johnson, Victim/Witness Advocates Lu Lan and Rogers Dickerson, Witness Security Specialists Orlando Teel  and Lesley Slade, Victim/Witness Service Coordinator Maenylie Watson, Criminal Investigations Unit Special Agent in Charge Tina Lukens, and Criminal Investigations Unit Special Agents Matthew Fox-Moles, and Nelson Rhone. 

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaVater Massie-Banks and Brian Yang, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the Supreme Court’s decision in Allen v. Milligan:

“Today’s decision rejects efforts to further erode fundamental voting rights protections, and preserves the principle that in the United States, all eligible voters must be able to exercise their constitutional right to vote free from discrimination based on their race. 

The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, the right from which all other rights ultimately flow. 

Over the past two years, the Justice Department has rededicated its resources to enforcing federal voting rights protections. We will continue to use every authority we have left to defend voting rights. But that is not enough. We urge Congress to act to provide the Department with important authorities it needs to protect the voting rights of every American.”

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – A jury found Nwabueze Igwe, 32, of Washington, DC guilty of robbing a man at knifepoint, in February of 2023, in Northwest Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Michael Anzallo, of the Metropolitan Transit Police Department. The verdict was returned on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The Honorable Jason Park scheduled sentencing for August 11, 2023.

            Igwe was found guilty, following a three-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a dangerous weapon.

            According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of February 13, 2023, the defendant yelled at the victim, a stranger, multiple times on the Metro as the pair were travelling in the same car on the Green Line. As the train stopped at the Gallery Place Station, the defendant approached the victim, entered his personal space, and took his North Face backpack. When the victim asked for his backpack, the defendant brandished and opened a switchblade as he warned the victim to back away.

            The defendant and the victim both exited at Gallery Place. While the victim ran for help and found nearby officers, the defendant looked in both directions before jumping back on the train, with the victim’s backpack in his hand, as the doors were closing. Once he got back on the train, the defendant hid the backpack in a translucent trash bag. The defendant then exited at the next stop, Mount Vernon Station, where he walked throughout the station constantly looking over his shoulder before exiting the station on foot. Just over an hour later, the defendant returned to the Gallery Place Station, still carrying the victim’s belongings. Metro surveillance footage captures the defendant in the immediate moments after the robbery and confirms his flight path. He was apprehended at Gallery Place that night and charged with armed robbery.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Transit Police Department. It was investigated, prosecuted, and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Omeed A. Assefi and Sabena Auyeung, of the Major Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Nielsen and Kathleen Kern, Paralegal Specialists Debra McPherson and Carolyn Carter-McKinley, and Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in honor of Pride Month:

“As we recognize Pride Month and celebrate the LGBTQI+ community, the Justice Department renews its commitment to protecting the rights of every person to live free from discrimination and persecution based on who they are or who they love. The Justice Department is proud to stand in defense of the rights to which LGBTQI+ individuals, and all people in our country, are entitled.”

Fact Sheet: Justice Department Efforts to Protect the LGBTQI+ Community

The Justice Department works every day to ensure the rights of LGBTQI+ people are recognized and protected. Members of the LGBTQI+ community must be able to live their lives free from discrimination, harassment, violence, and threats of violence. The Justice Department prioritizes addressing threats and discrimination against LGBTQI+ people in the workplace, at doctor’s offices, in their schools, communities, and more.

Prosecuting hate crimes based on LGBTQI+ status. As recent FBI statistics confirm, hate crimes are on the rise, including hate crimes targeting members of the LGBTQI+ community. The Justice Department is pursuing those who commit acts of hate based on sexual orientation or gender identity to the fullest extent of the law. For instance, the Justice Department has:

• Obtained a conviction of a Montana man of hate crimes for firing an AK-style assault rifle at the residence of a woman who identified as a lesbian and was home at the time. The defendant was on a self-described mission to rid the town of its lesbian and gay community;

• Charged two South Carolina men with hate crimes and obstruction offenses for the murder of a transgender woman because of her gender identity;

• Obtained a 45-year sentence against a Louisiana man who was convicted of kidnapping and attempting to murder a gay man as part of a hate crime scheme targeting users of a dating app for gay men;

• Secured a 21-year sentence against a Missouri man for committing a hate crime by shooting a local teenager eight times in an attempted murder because of his sexual orientation;

• Charged a Texas man for threatening a Boston doctor providing care to members of the transgender community; and

• Obtained a conviction against a Washington man who pleaded guilty to one count of committing a hate crime for the arson of an LGBTQ+ bar and nightclub in Seattle.

Educating the public about protecting the LGBTQI+ community. The Justice Department and FBI are conducting outreach to share information about practical steps to protect the LGBTQI+ community from hate-motivated attacks and threats of violence. 

• On Sept. 27, 2022, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the FBI hosted a meeting with national LGBTQI+ groups about protecting LGBTQI+ communities in light of the increase in hate-motivated attacks and threats of violence. The event served as an opportunity to connect law enforcement leaders with civil rights leaders and exchange ideas, raise awareness, and find new points of collaboration.

• On March 30, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Community Relations Service (CRS) wide that addressed practical steps for protecting LGBTQI+ communities from hate-motivated attacks and threats of violence. The Justice Department and FBI shared information about steps to take in the event of an emergency, suspected hate crime, or threat of violence, and proactive measures to protect organizations, facilities, and communities. The webinar built on themes discussed at the September 2022 meeting with national LGBTQI+ groups.

Combating discrimination and harassment against LGBTQI+ people. The Department of Justice is also working to protect the rights of all LGBTQI+ people to live free of harassment and discrimination at school, at work, at home, and in their communities. For example, the Civil Rights Division has:

• Resolved allegations of harassment and a hostile environment based in part on sexual orientation in a Vermont school district, and filed amicus briefs supporting a school’s decision to require employees to use the names and pronouns that match transgender students’ gender identities in Indiana, and a transgender boy’s right to use the boys’ restroom at his school in Florida;

• Filed briefs in support of a transgender employee of a state prison in Georgia who suffered intentional misgendering and harassment in the workplace, a teacher in Maine who alleged her employer discriminated against her because of her advocacy for LGBTQI+ people, and a former Georgia deputy sheriff whose employer-sponsored health insurance did not cover treatment of gender dysphoria;

• Filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court supporting the right of LGBTQI+ people to access public accommodations;

• Challenged an Alabama law making it more difficult for transgender people to obtain driver’s licenses that reflect their gender identity;

• Brought a lawsuit against the owners and managers of a rental property in Wisconsin for harassing a tenant because of his sexual orientation, and reached a landmark $4.5 million settlement in a lawsuit against a New Jersey landlord who sexually harassed both female tenants and tenants who were gay or bisexual men; and

• Filed a statement of interest supporting the right of transgender inmates to safe living conditions and necessary medical treatment in Georgia prisons.

Defending transgender youth. The Justice Department has intervened or filed statements of interest supporting multiple challenges to state laws that restrict the rights of transgender youth and has educated the public about the rights of transgender youth. For example, the Civil Rights Division has:

• Challenged discriminatory laws in Alabama and Tennessee that deny necessary medical care to transgender youth, including in instances when parents consent to that care;

• Filed statements of interest and amicus briefs in support of litigation challenging similar bans on medical care for transgender youth in Arkansas and Kentucky;

• Filed a statement of interest and an amicus brief in support of a transgender girl’s challenge to West Virginia’s law that banned her from playing on school sports teams consistent with her gender identity; and

• In collaboration with the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, issued a back-to-school message of support for transgender students.

The Justice Department also issued a letter to all state attorneys general notifying them that transgender youth have federal constitutional and statutory protections that shield them from discrimination, including efforts to restrict access to gender-affirming health care.

Improving law enforcement response to LGBTQI+ crime victims. The Department of Justice issued updated guidance to help law enforcement agencies improve their response to sexual assault and gender violence by identifying gender bias. Sexual assault and domestic violence are crimes that disproportionately harm women, girls, and LGBTQI+ people in the United States. The updated guidance addresses the ways that gender bias can intersect with other forms of bias to disproportionately affect survivors from marginalized communities, including the LGBTQI+ community. The Community Relations Service will also partner with state and local law enforcement agencies to increase the number of law enforcement officers who have completed CRS’s training programs on engaging with transgender and non-binary youth and building relationships with transgender communities.

Supporting organizations that serve LBGTQI+ victims and survivors. The Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has made it a priority to improve outreach, services, civil and criminal justice responses, prevention, and support for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking from underserved communities, particularly LGBTQI+ survivors and others from historically marginalized communities. Through its Grants for Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations and its Training and Technical Assistance Initiative, OVW funds numerous projects and organizations, including:

• An Albany, New York, based organization serving LGBTQI+ people of color, to provide services to survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in upstate New York, many of whom are transgender or gender non-conforming.

• A network of organizations in Orlando, Florida, to expand outreach and victim services for LGBTQI+ survivors of sexual assault in Central Florida.

• A community coalition in Pennsylvania, to address long-term safety and stability for LGBTQI+ survivors of color, build the capacity of service providers to provide culturally appropriate services, and develop culturally and linguistically appropriate materials, and provide housing assistance.

• A Milwaukee organization, to provide mental health counseling, case management, support groups, safety planning, advocacy services, and economic resources to LGBTQI+ survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

Additionally, OVW is administering grants supporting LGBTQI+ organizations and LGBTQI+ community-specific services through the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022 and its STOP Formula Grant program.

Addressing discrimination based on HIV status. The Justice Department has brought lawsuits addressing discrimination based on HIV status, which is a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For instance, the Justice Department:

• Resolved claims that two doctors in California and nine dental offices in North Carolina violated the ADA by refusing to provide routine medical care to patients with HIV;

• Brought suit against a town in Indiana after the police department unlawfully revoked a job offer to a qualified police officer because of his HIV status;

• Resolved allegations against an in-home caregiving company in Wisconsin that refused to provide services to an individual with HIV; and

• Reached a settlement with the state of Nevada to ensure that Nevada Department of Corrections inmates are not illegally segregated or otherwise discriminated against on the basis of their HIV status.

More information about the Justice Department’s work to uphold and protect the civil and constitutional rights of LGBTQI+ people is available online at www.justice.gov/crt/lgbtqi-working-group. Complaints about discriminatory practices may be reported to the Civil Rights Division at www.civilrights.justice.gov.