WASHINGTON — D.C. lawmakers are cracking down on offenders who try to tamper with court-issued GPS monitoring devices.
On Wednesday, Mayor Muriel Bowser signed a new law that makes it easier to prosecute such tampering as a crime. But she noted there is still room for improvement after a recent high profile killing of a yoga instructor highlighted other gaps in the monitoring system.
The legislation closed a long-existing loophole involving the GPS devices, allowing the prosecution of offenders on probation or parole who tamper with the device, regardless of the agency that ordered it be worn.
Until now, the law has been interpreted to mean a person could only be prosecuted if the U.S. Parole Commission or judge ordered they wear the device. The new law outlines that other agencies including the Court Services and Supervision Agency, the Pretrial Services Agency and the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services can enforce attempts at tampering with the GPS trackers.
At a news conference about the law, Bowser responded to a question regarding Duane Adrian Johnson, who is charged with first-degree murder in the death of D.C. yoga teacher Tricia McCauley. Johnson was ordered by a magistrate judge days earlier on a different charge to be fitted with a GPS monitor, but he never reported to get one.
“As you know, in Ms. McCauley’s case, the offender had not gotten the GPS device,” said Bowser. “And even if he had the GPS device, that doesn’t mean that he and Ms. McCauley would not have crossed paths, and we would (still) be suspecting him of her murder.”
“We do know, from Ms. McCauley’s case, that we have identified a very significant space for improvement,” said Bowser.
Bowser said she is committed to improving communication between District and federal agencies in handling GPS monitoring cases.
In addition, Bowser said the District “would make time and space available in our jail for the supervising agencies to have their staffs available, to put on the GPS monitoring devices.”
