‘Kids Are Kids’: DC Attorney General Promoted Kid Gloves For Minors Before ‘Big Balls’ Attack

Washington, D.C’s, Attorney General (AG) Brian Schwalb faced criticism following Sunday night’s alleged attack on the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) Edward Coristine, also known as “Big Balls.”

The Office of the Attorney General for D.C. (OAG) is largely responsible for the prosecution of juvenile crimes and specific categories of misdemeanors committed by adults. The majority of adult criminal D.C. cases are prosecuted by D.C.’s U.S. Attorney’s Office, according to the OAG’s website.

The DC carjacking attack on Big Balls is unequivocally the result of bad policy:

DC AG, Brian Schwalb, ran for office vowing to address “racial inequity” by:
– downgrading felonies to misdemeanors, including for carjacking
– dropping/reducing charges in 40% of all juvenile cases… https://t.co/JdmOnTSBb0

— John LeFevre (@JohnLeFevre) August 6, 2025

Schwalb was sworn into office in 2023. That same year, D.C. prosecutors dismissed the charges of an 11-year-old who was allegedly responsible for an assault and two robberies, The Washington Post (WaPo) reported, citing documents.

Eleven days later, the juvenile was arrested again for allegedly threatening to shoot a delivery driver after trying to steal his moped. A prosecutor on the case said the office was working on a plea deal for the youth, according to the outlet.

A spokeswoman for the D.C. AG’s office declined to comment to WaPo, but claimed it “prosecutes all serious and violent crimes committed by juveniles, including carjacking and armed robbery, where we have the evidence needed to do so.”

Schwalb has said that his job is to prevent crime from happening in the first place, arguing that what juveniles need is not harsh punishment, but more structure. (RELATED: The Far Left Hates Big Balls)

During a 2024 panel, Schwalb infuriated locals by saying they “need to be much more focused on prevention and surrounding young people and their families with resources if we want to be safer in the long run.”

“We cannot prosecute and arrest our way out of it,” he added.

During a panel, DC residents voiced their frustrations and demanded accountability from city leaders in addressing the violent crime epidemic that’s plaguing our nation’s capital.

DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb’s response: “We cannot prosecute and arrest our way out of it.” pic.twitter.com/hEUT8GG7Al

— Carrie Severino (@JCNSeverino) January 31, 2024

“Kids are kids, and when you’re talking about teenagers particular – their brains are developing, their minds are developing, and their biologically prone to make mistakes – that’s what we’ve all done as we’ve grown up,” Schwalb said in 2023, according to Fox 5.

Some locals have previously expressed frustrations with D.C.’s policies regarding juvenile crime.

Kevin McGilly, a foster parent, recalled to Fox 5 the story of his foster child being released without charges by former AG Karl Racine after an alleged carjacking.

“Nobody wants 15-year-olds in jail, I don’t. But I don’t want them to walk away without them understanding the gravity of what they’ve done,” McGilly told the outlet.

“And I do want the District to clamp down on these carjackings because if we stop them, it’s just like a virus. If you don’t throw a lot of medicine at an illness early, it will spread, and that’s what has happened,” he continued. (RELATED: ‘Big Balls’ Beating Prompts Trump To Float National Guard To Fight DC Crime)

The alleged attack on Coristine in August was also the result of an attempted carjacking, which has now resulted in the arrest of two 15-year-olds who have since been charged with unarmed carjacking, according to Fox 5.

After the young former DOGE employee was allegedly left bloody and bruised, Schwalb condemned the attack in a statement, according to the outlet.

“It is horrific and disturbing,” he said. “I cannot comment on specific cases, but know that when MPD brings us cases with sufficient evidence of juveniles who have broken the law and hurt people, we will prosecute them and ensure they face consequences for their actions.”

Elon Musk brought national attention to the alleged attack, and President Donald Trump is considering sending the National Guard to tackle crime in the nation’s capital.