Open season in Seattle for criminals. If you are caught, just blame substance addiction, mental illness or poverty.

The far-left Seattle City Council is considering new legislation that would create a legal loophole that would make substance addiction, mental illness or poverty a valid legal defense for nearly all misdemeanor crimes committed in the city.

KOMO-TV reports:

"-If approved, the ordinance would excuse and dismiss -- essentially legalizing -- almost all misdemeanor crimes committed in Seattle by offenders who could show either:

-Symptoms of addiction without being required to provide a medical diagnosis;

-Symptoms of a mental disorder; or

-Poverty and the crime was committed to meet an "immediate and basic need." For example, if a defendant argued they stole merchandise to sell for cash in order to purchase food, clothes or was trying to scrape together enough money for rent. The accused could not be convicted."

Scott Lindsay, the former public safety advisor for the city, tell KOMO:

"I'm not aware of any legislation like this anywhere in the United States (or) even globally.

All cities have criminal codes to protect their citizens from criminal acts. This would essentially create a legal loophole that swallows all those codes and creates a green light for crime...

If you don't feel very protected right now, this would wipe out almost all remaining protections that we have...

This would absolutely open the floodgates for crime in Seattle, even worse than what we often currently struggle with. It's basically a blank check for anybody committing theft, assault, harassment (and) trespass to continue without disruption from our criminal justice system.”

Michael Berry

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