Changes meant to make downtown Pittsburgh safer are coming to the criminal justice system.
“It’s sometimes very sad. Because we see the devastating effect of drugs, alcohol, and mental illness on our society in today’s time,” Magisterial Judge Richard King told Channel 11.
From his magistrate office in Carrick, Judge Richard King has seen his fair share of people suffering from homelessness, mental illness, and drug addiction.
He’s found that sometimes, it’s those people who are repeat offenders of nonviolent crimes, like criminal mischief or public drunkenness.
“They’re out there and they get on a bad cycle, and they just can’t seem to get out of it,” Judge King added.
With a new effort called the Downtown Court Project, inside of Pittsburgh Municipal Court, twice a month, one judge will preside over summary and minor misdemeanor crimes that happen in the Central Business District.
With one judge hearing these sessions, they can become familiar with repeat offenders, know the history of each person charged, and can make more of a knowledgeable decision on an appropriate sentence.