A “mob attack” consists of two or more assailants striking a single individual.
PHOENIX — Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell is pushing lawmakers to change Arizona’s criminal code to stiffen penalties for gang assaults that attack victims in groups.
The county’s top prosecutor spoke Wednesday at a news conference in Queen Creek touting legislation in the next legislative session that would target “swarming,” or violent acts in which multiple assailants attack a single victim. He said he is doing so.
Mitchell said he believes this type of crime should be charged as a Class 4 felony and cannot be amended to a misdemeanor. Elevating this type of assault to a fourth-degree felony increases the range of sentences defendants can receive if convicted.
The proposal comes in the wake of a number of assault cases, including assaults on teenagers, that Mitchell’s office tried last year.
One of the most notable cases of teen violence reported in the East Valley was the death of 16-year-old Preston Lord last October. Since Lord’s death, local governments have responded with new measures to reduce the frequency of teen violence.
Republican Reps. Matt Gress and Julie Willoughby support Mitchell’s bill.
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