Washington, D.C. holding parents accountable for teen takeovers

Added: 2026-05-21

[00:00:00]There is one area that hasn't been discussed.

[00:00:04]Parental involvement has been a noted gap in any discussion.

[00:00:09]And I am here to say, as the United States Attorney in the District of Columbia, that ends today.

[00:00:16]Starting today, my office will aggressively prosecute parents under DC's curfew law. And the specific statute that we will use is a violation of DC Code 22-811.

[00:00:32]And it involves contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

[00:00:38]This statute makes it unlawful for an adult to enable, facilitate, or permit a minor to engage in delinquent acts. The penalty is up to 6 months imprisonment.

[00:00:51]So, if the evidence shows the parent knew, or should have known, or permitted, or failed to prevent participation, we're going to charge them. And if you drop your kid off, and you fail to supervise them, or you let them skip school to join the chaos, you are going to face fines, court-ordered classes, and possible jail time.