Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. letter to Lynne Battaglia, July 15, 1999

( с ROBERT L EHRUCH. JR. ASSISTANT DEPUTY MAJORITY WHIP Congress of tfie llmteb States Souse of &£prEScntattoes 233as1)mgtnn( i©C 20515-2002 My 15, 1999 The Honorable Lynn Battaglia U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland 101 West Lombard Street Baltimore, Maryland 21201 Deat Ms. Battaglia: Recent events such as the shootings in Littleton, Colorado and Conyers, Georgia have once again focused our nation’s attention on the criminal misuse of firearms. Although there are tens of thousands of state and federal gun laws in existence, it seems in many instances they have little or no impact on violent crime.- Further, as you know, enforcement of gun laws vary from state to state and even within state and local political subdivisions. For example, Maryland has some of the strongest gun laws in the country. Unfortunately, enforcement of those laws is not uniform throughout the local subdivisions. I commend you for initiating Operation Cease Fire; I have learned this program has resulted in the arrest and conviction of some very dangerous violent felons who have been caught in possession of firearms. I support you and the law enforcement agencies involved in the operation and strongly believe such programs are essential if we are to be successful in the war on violent crime. It stands to reason that since federal laws addressing convicted felons in possession of firearms are stringent and carry lengthy mandatory sentences, federal prosecution of these criminals is much more effective in many cases, particularly in light of recent changes in Maryland law allowing for “no parole” offenders to be paroled by a three judge panel. Additionally, there is no additional burden to already overworked local States Attorney’s offices and crowded state penal institutions. Unfortunately, Operation Cease Fire does not result in the prosecution of all convicted felons found to be in possession of a firearm. I understand only a percentage of Baltimore City cases are forwarded for prosecution and even fewer cases from surrounding areas are prosecuted. I strongly believe if laws are to be respected, punishment for violations must be adequate and certain. While Operation Cease Fire provides adequate punishment, the element of certain punishment is missing. As you know, a similar program, Project Exile, has been initiated in other American cities. It has been highly successful and is supported by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Since Project Exile’s inception in Richmond, Virginia, the abnormally high murder rate of that city has plummeted. Many attribute the program’s success to two basic premises; PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER VI 'd 80 1 8 ' °N WV98 : 0 l 6661 '91'inp