Federal gang bill is 'open warfare,' says activist

Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) is offering the "Criminal Street Gang Abatement Act of 2004" as the answer to gang violence. This bill would make it a federal crime to participate in a "criminal street gang"--defined as three or more people who cooperate to commit two or more "gang crimes." "Local, state and federal officials here have been fighting hard to take gang members down and break gangs up, but they could use more help on the federal level. This law gives them tough new options to throw the book at gang members. It even makes it easier for them to pursue the death penalty when that's the right thing to do," explained Sen. Schumer during a June 21 press conference in Rochester, N.Y. One of the most controversial components of the bill, S-1735, deals with prosecutors being able to treat 16-year-olds as adults if they commit murder, manslaughter, carjacking or armed robbery. Currently, only a federal judge may decide whether a juvenile should be treated as an adult in federal court. Backers of the bill say that, while the law would allow U.S. attorneys to make that decision, a judge would still have the final say. [more ]