Peter Nickles is unfit to become DC’s Attorney General

PUBLIC HEARING, COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE JUDICIARY, Phil Mendelson, Chairperson, Friday, October 17, 2008 at 12:00 p.m. Room 500, John A. Wilson Building. Agenda item: 1. "Attorney General Peter J. Nickles Confirmation Resolution of 2008", PR 17-0928.

Peter Nickles is unfit to become DC’s Attorney General. He should not be confirmed.

First, his arrogant defense of the Trinidad police blockades in the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary Hearing on June 16, 2008, showed he has no respect for the Bill of Rights (see my testimony at: http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org//testimony/testimony.php?annc_id=265§ion_id=1)

Second, Nickles refused to comply with subpoenas issued by the Council's Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs related to the unjust firing of Rent Administrator Grayce Wiggins, who stood up for tenants in numerous decisions related to illegal voluntary agreements pushed by big landlords. This defiance is still another demonstration of our executive branch willfully violating the legal prerogative of the legislative branch.

Third, Fenty/Nickles have introduced an omnibus crime bill with very problematic provisions that likely violate constitutional protections. "Under the proposal, law enforcement officials would have to identify just three people acting together to prove they are part of a gang, instead of the six that are required now. Then, officials could obtain a civil injunction that would ban the gang from, for example, entering a particular neighborhood or street where it might have been intimidating residents. If the gang members violate the civil injunction, Nickles said, they can be prosecuted for crimes. . .
"Council sources said, however, that Williams had proposed legislation that made three people a potential gang, but the measure was removed by the council because such a law could lead to misunderstandings in which people are charged for hanging out with friends or family members. That still may be a concern of some council members." (DC CITY DESK, THE PROGRESSIVE REVIEW, EDITOR: SAM SMITH, 5 OCTOBER 2008, citing D.C. Crime-Fighting Plan Expands Anti-Gang Tools Members Could Be Barred From Certain Areas Under Proposal, By David Nakamura, Washington Post, October 4, 2008; B01)

Fourth, Nickles has treated union government workers with profound disrespect.
(Phil Mendelson wrote: Earlier this month, an arbitrator ruled that three DC government social workers had been fired improperly and had to be reinstated. It was not a technicality or a process issue that the arbitrator relied on. The arbitrator said the workers had been fired without even an investigation into what, if anything, they had done wrong. Although this was binding arbitration, D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles responded that the city will not reinstate the workers. (DC CITY DESK, THE PROGRESSIVE REVIEW, EDITOR: SAM SMITH, 25 SEPTEMBER 2008).

And that is just a sample of Peter Nickles’ record.

David Schwartzman
Legislative Agenda and Tax & Budget Coordinator
DC Statehood Green Party
dschwartzman@gmail.com, davidschwartzman.com

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