Judge sentences teens who attacked DOGE staffer Edward 'Big Balls' Coristine to probation, claims goal is 'rehabilitation, not punishment'

The teen attackers who jumped former DOGE employee Edward Coristine on Aug. 3 have been sentenced only to probation. This is despite the Trump administration's best efforts to clean up not only the streets of Washington, DC, but also to deal with the problematic justice system in the district. 

The two teens were able to avoid jail time after pleading guilty to simple assault. Judge Kendra Briggs noted that as both were charged in juvenile court, the goal "is rehabilitation, not punishment."

Those teens, a boy and girl from Hyattsville, MD, were sentenced to probation only. The boy faces 12 months probation while the girl only 9 months, though she remains in a local shelter for youth due to her home environment. The girl also has a pending case in Maryland.

"I know you are not unfamiliar to trauma," Briggs told her. "I don't disagree that the trauma you've alreayd suffered in life is kind of how you ended up on U Street that day. But I think you also have to think about the trauma that you're inflicting on others when you engage in the activities that you all chose to engage in a couple of months ago."

The girl's attorney said "I have seen a positive change just in the time that I have known her. I've seen her making friends, seen her start work, I've seen her make real attempts at following the conditions of this court." While she said that the girl is at her "most anxious and stressed" while in court, the lawyer said that "her teachers, the guidance counselor and me, we see a whole different side," that of a young girl with "an incredibly bright future."

The boy's lawyer indicated that what the boy took part in during the attack is behind him. "While those incidents were very serious, he has taken responsibility. He's on a new path now—one that's not criminal or violent."

Elon Musk, who headed up DOGE in the early days of the agency, posted about the attack, calling the verdict "a racist verdict by a racist judge. The simple test to apply is if the races has been reversed, the White kids would be in prison. Equal justice for all!"

Other than those two attackers, there were several others who attacked Coristine and his female companion, all of whom remain at large. The attack occurred at about 3 am on Aug. 3. Coristine was injured after fighting them off and had a concussion and a broken nose. Coristine was in court via video link and told the defendants, "I hope you can figure things out and be ready for the consequences."

Musk said, "Of the ten attackers, two were adults. The DC DoJ refused to prosecute them! Hopefully, this changes soon." It's not clear who he's talking about there, as the two who were apprehended, charged, and sentenced to probation were 15 years old.

Coristine posted about it as well, saying, "To this day, they’ve only caught two out of the ten. Eight of them remain on the street. That night could’ve gone far differently. Think of your daughters and mothers. The same group attacked people before and after us, breaking ribs and stomping heads. This senseless crime must be stopped."

The attack on Coristine, as well as the targeted assassination of a couple who were employed by the Israeli Embassy, led the Trump administration to conduct a federal law enforcement takeover of the district in an effort to prevent these kinds of attacks. Since the federal takeover, Trump has touted the safe streets and crime-free atmosphere that have pervaded the city.