D.C. Judge Releases Teens Charged in Assault on DOGE Staffer

Washington, D.C. – In a decision that has ignited fierce debate, D.C. Superior Court Judge Kendra D. Briggs ordered the release of two 15-year-old teens charged in the August 3, 2025, assault and attempted carjacking of Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old former staffer of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The ruling, made during a hearing on August 21, 2025, has drawn sharp criticism from some political figures and commentators, who argue it undermines efforts to curb violent crime in the nation’s capital.

The incident occurred around 3 a.m. in Washington’s Logan Circle neighborhood, when Coristine and his significant other, Emily Bryant, were approached by a group of approximately 10 teenagers near their vehicle on Swann Street. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, the teens made comments about taking the car, prompting Coristine to push Bryant into the vehicle for safety before confronting the group. The situation escalated, and Coristine was attacked, sustaining visible injuries. Police patrolling the area intervened, arresting a 15-year-old boy and girl from Hyattsville, Maryland, on charges of unarmed carjacking. Other suspects fled and remain at large.

Judge Briggs, appointed by President Joe Biden, ordered the teens’ release from the Youth Services Center, placing the girl in a youth shelter and the boy under home confinement with his mother. Both are subject to strict conditions, including electronic monitoring, a 24-hour curfew, weekly drug testing, and a prohibition on contact with each other. Briggs emphasized the seriousness of the step-down from detention, warning that any violations would trigger an emergency hearing. The D.C. Attorney General’s Office opposed the release, with prosecutors arguing that the female suspect, who has a pending legal matter in Maryland and a history of truancy, poses a danger to the community and a flight risk.

The assault on Coristine, a software engineer known online as “Big Balls” and a prominent figure in DOGE’s efforts to streamline federal bureaucracy, drew national attention. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly called for federal intervention in D.C.’s governance, seized on the incident to decry what he described as “out of control” crime in the city. In a Truth Social post on August 5, Trump shared a graphic image of a bloodied Coristine and called for prosecuting teens as young as 14 as adults, threatening to federalize D.C. if local authorities fail to act. On August 11, Trump followed through, announcing the federalization of the Metropolitan Police Department and deploying the D.C. National Guard.

The case highlights ongoing tensions over juvenile justice in D.C., where 56% of carjackings since 2023 have been attributed to minors, some as young as 12, according to police data. Despite Trump’s claims, Metropolitan Police Department statistics show a 26% drop in violent crime in the first seven months of 2025 compared to 2024, with overall crime at a three-decade low. The release decision comes amid broader debates over D.C.’s home rule, with Trump’s federalization moves drawing criticism from local leaders like Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has navigated a delicate balance with the administration.

17GEN4.com

17GEN4 news