Democrats in Washington state recently introduced legislation to lessen penalties for drive-by shootings.
The bill, HB 1692, was brought forth by Democratic state Reps. Tarra Simmons and David Hackney and seeks to promote “racial equity in the criminal justice system,” the Daily Caller reports.
The legislation would eliminate drive-by shootings as a form of aggravated first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence without parole.
Simmons told Fox News that the aggravating factor for drive-by shootings has only been used once since it had been classified as an aggravating factor in 1995.
In 1997, Simmons Kimonti Carter took part in a drive-by shooting that resulted in the death of Corey Pittman, a college student, and wounded two others. Carter was sentenced to 777 years in prison.
“If he had been standing outside of the vehicle at the time, he would’ve faced 240 to 320 months in prison,” Simmons said. “Instead, he was sentenced to life in prison with no opportunity of parole because of this law. This law’s history and application…is what we mean when we talk about systemic racism.”
The bill would apply to individuals convicted of aggravated first-degree murder in the past if a drive-by shooting was the only aggravating factor, potentially freeing Carter if it passes.
