{"id":2650030,"date":"2026-08-26T15:32:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T19:32:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-wins-tough-sentences-for-dc-robbers-despite-rehabilitation-law\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T15:38:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T19:38:04","slug":"doj-wins-tough-sentences-for-dc-robbers-despite-rehabilitation-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-wins-tough-sentences-for-dc-robbers-despite-rehabilitation-law\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ wins tough sentences for DC robbers despite rehabilitation law"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdoj-wins-tough-sentences-for-dc-robbers-despite-rehabilitation-law%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2650030&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A Washington, D.C. judge recently rejected lenient juvenile sentencing standards for a carjacker involved in multiple crimes, marking a series of legal decisions aligned with U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro&#8217;s tougher sentencing approach. Twenty-two-year-old Dartanian Owens was sentenced to 13.5 years in prison for carjacking, robbery, firearm possession during a violent crime, and carrying a pistol without a license, despite being eligible for lighter sentences under D.C.\u2019s Youth Rehabilitation Act of 2018 due to his age at the time of his crimes. Court decisions have increasingly favored Pirro\u2019s recommendations,which consider such laws too soft on offenders.Owens had committed a series of violent crimes, including using a gun to steal a delivery driver&#8217;s vehicle and subsequently robbing several individuals at gunpoint. He previously received Youth Rehabilitation act sentences for other offenses. Data shows Judges frequently impose Youth rehabilitation act sentences, although some cases still see deviations.Owens&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/double-murderer-whom-biden-sprung-from-death-row-is-now-demanding-an-even-bigger-gift\/\" title=\"Double Murderer Whom Biden Sprung from Death Row Is Now Demanding an Even Bigger Gift\">case highlights ongoing debates<\/a> around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/young-mother-killed-by-4-juveniles-in-stolen-car-that-police-opted-not-to-pursue\/\" title=\"Young Mother Killed by 4 Juveniles in Stolen Car That Police Opted Not to Pursue\">juvenile justice laws<\/a>, with Pirro criticizing the act and advocating for stricter measures, emphasizing that recent prosecutions and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/major-mexican-drug-cartel-claims-its-banning-production-of-fentanyl-experts-are-skeptical\/\" title=\"Mexican cartel bans fentanyl production, doubts arise.\">increased law enforcement efforts<\/a> have led to more severe sentences for violent offenders in D.C.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Washington, D.C., judge rejected lenient juvenile sentencing standards for a carjacker in a string of similar wins for Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Twenty-two-year-old Dartanian Owens was <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/pr\/carjacking-and-robbery-spree-yields-dc-man-135-years-prison\">sentenced to 13.5 years in prison<\/a> on Monday for carjacking, robbery, possessing a firearm during a violent crime, and carrying a pistol without a license, the Department of Justice announced. Owens\u2019s age at the time of his April 2025 crime spree made him eligible for lighter sentencing under <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/code.dccouncil.gov\/us\/dc\/council\/laws\/22-197\">D.C.\u2019s Youth Rehabilitation Act of 2018<\/a>, but Superior Court Judge Andrea Herzfeld\u00a0became the latest judge in several cases to agree with Pirro\u2019s sentence recommendations despite the law, which the prosecutor <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3763030\/how-jeanine-pirro-is-reshaping-crime-enforcement-in-dc\/\">considers<\/a> too soft on criminals.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4700706\/trump-doj-wins-tough-sentences-dc-robbers-despite-council-youth-rehabilitation-law\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump DOJ wins tough sentences for DC robbers despite youth \u2018rehabilitation\u2019 law<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4700909\/francisco-paulino-covid-19-fraud\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Massachusetts state legislator indicted on COVID-19 federal fraud charges<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4700854\/golden-gate-bridge-protester-charge-drop-safety-hazard-drivers-concern\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Felony charges against Golden Gate Bridge protesters dropped<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Judges tend to give Youth Rehabilitation Act-inspired sentences in most cases, according to the latest available data. Courts imposed them on 60% of eligible defendants between 2019 and 2020, declining them for 40%, D.C.\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/cjcc.dc.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/dc\/sites\/cjcc\/CJCC%20-%20Analysis%20of%20the%20Youth%20Rehabilitation%20Act%20of%202018%20%28October%202022%29.pdf\">Criminal Justice Coordinating Council<\/a> found.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Dartanian Owens, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced yesterday to 13.5 years in prison for a carjacking and robbery spree between April 6-8, 2025, in Northeast and Southeast Washington D.C., announced <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/USAttyPirro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@USAttyPirro<\/a>. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xp7c8um20f\">pic.twitter.com\/xp7c8um20f<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 U.S. Attorney DC (@USAO_DC) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/USAO_DC\/status\/2092295828312310178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owens used a gun to steal a DoorDash delivery driver\u2019s car and used the vehicle to commit three more armed robberies of a victim at a bus stop, another walking to a Metro station, and someone waiting on an Uber driver for a doctor appointment, the DOJ said. He <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/DartanianOwensSentencingMemo.pdf\">received<\/a> Youth Rehabilitation Act sentences in two other cases, first <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/DartanianOwens2022sentence.pdf\">in 2022<\/a> for simple assault, theft, unlawful entry, and property destruction and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/DartanianOwens2023sentence.pdf\">in 2023<\/a> for attempting to illegally carry a gun with ammunition, court records show.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An attorney for Owens did not respond to the <em>Washington Examiner\u2019s<\/em> request for comment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">D.C. judges <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/pr\/spree-carjackings-august-2022-results-29-year-prison-sentence-dc-man\">rejected<\/a> five other defendants\u2019 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/pr\/district-man-sentenced-15-year-prison-term-march-2024-armed-carjacking-deanwood\">requests<\/a> to be <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/pr\/teen-gets-10-years-prison-october-2024-armed-carjacking\">punished<\/a> as <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/pr\/man-sentenced-november-2024-armed-carjacking-and-august-2022-armed-robbery\">youths<\/a> between August 2025 and April 2026, according to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/pr\/armed-robber-who-targeted-elderly-resident-metro-gets-60-months-prison\">DOJ statements<\/a>. Four were carjackers and one was an armed robber who stole from a 72-year-old man. But Pirro\u2019s wins are not a perfect streak, as judges <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/pr\/fully-suspended-sentences-handed-down-armed-carjacking-september-2024\">granted<\/a> the Youth Rehabilitation Act <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/pr\/teen-serve-less-four-months-jail-carjacking\">sentences<\/a> in other cases over her team\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/pr\/fully-suspended-sentences-handed-down-armed-carjacking-september-2024\">objections<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Police have linked juveniles to about 60% of carjackings in the district as of 2025, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcwashington.com\/news\/local\/dc-police-unit-to-focus-on-stopping-juvenile-crimes-before-they-happen\/3883054\/\">NBC4 Washington reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pirro slammed the Youth Rehabilitation Act last year as a mistake by the D.C. Council, highlighting the case of Javarry Peaks, a teenager who <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/pr\/shooter-who-injured-stranger-metro-bus-march-2025-pleads-guilty\">shot someone in the chest<\/a> on a Metrobus in March 2025 and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2025\/08\/16\/how-washington-dc-became-soft-on-crime-haven\/\">got no jail time<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/4695210\/leftist-network-working-to-sabotage-trump-dc-prosecutions\/\"><strong>INSIDE THE LEFTIST NETWORK WORKING TO SABOTAGE TRUMP\u2019S DC PROSECUTIONS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI can\u2019t touch you if you\u2019re 14, 15, 16 [or] 17 years old and you have a gun,\u201d Pirro told the press in August 2025, the month she <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/staff-profile\/meet-us-attorney\">went from interim to official U.S. attorney<\/a> for D.C. \u201cI convict someone of shooting another person with an illegal gun on a public bus in the chest [with] intent to kill. What does the judge give him? Probation, says that you should go to college. We need to go after the D.C. Council and their absurd laws.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pirro\u2019s office <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4681559\/one-year-later-dc-residents-trump-national-guard-deployment\/\">increased prosecutions<\/a> by 67% since she became U.S. attorney in August 2025, she previously told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> launched a D.C. public safety crackdown that month involving National Guard patrols and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4675743\/dc-janeese-lewis-george-expand-diversion-juvenile-criminals\/\">increased<\/a> collaboration between federal and local law enforcement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>D.C. judge rejects lenient juvenile sentences in Pirro cases<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1239,"featured_media":2650031,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26237598087681.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[50403,4901,12447],"class_list":["post-2650030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-crime-2","tag-justice","tag-sentencing"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26237598087681.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2650030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1239"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2650030"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2650030\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2650039,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2650030\/revisions\/2650039"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2650031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2650030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2650030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2650030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}