WASHINGTON (TND) — Judy Sheindlin, best known for television series “Judge Judy,” took her signature tough love approach to the U.S. criminal justice system Wednesday, telling Fox News the system is partly to blame for the deteriorating condition of many major cities.
A surge of crime in metro areas has begun to affect even the country’s biggest names. In April, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., was left without formalwear for a major campaign event after thieves broke into his vehicle and made off with his luggage. Actor Steve Buscemi this month was attacked while walking the streets of New York City.
“Oh, I know how we got here,” Sheindlin said Wednesday. “We got here because a small group of people who have very loud voices created a scenario where bad people got rewarded. And the victim got punished by the system.”
Sheindlin noted while there is always a “reason” for crime, such as a difficult upbringing or drug abuse, there is never an “excuse” for criminal behavior.
“When society started to make excuses for bad behavior and to react to criminality based on the excuses, it fell apart,” she said.
Sheindlin said she believes those who commit crimes as adults sometimes stem from a juvenile system that overlooks the severity of crimes committed by older minors.
“You’re just as dead if someone at 18 kills you as 17,” she said. “You’re just as dead. If you’re 17 and just killed somebody, you don’t belong with kids who are 12 in a juvenile facility.”
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Many big city prosecutors in New York, San Francisco and Portland have also begun to turn a blind eye to crime, Sheindlin claimed. These individuals would be better suited working in food service, she added.
“When you have elected district attorneys who don’t know what their job is, they should go find another job,” Sheindlin said. “Fill ice cream cones some place, but don’t ruin cities.”
“What do I think? I think we’d better get smart before we get lost,” she continued. “Permanently lost.”
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