Democrat Senator Dwayne T.D. San Nicolas is in support of harsher penalties for those convicted of criminal mischief, and committing violence against others after a natural disaster like Super Typhoon Mawar.
“I’m for it,” said San Nicolas, responding to a question from Kandit News Group. “We all go through some hardship during and after a storm but there should never be a time to cause undue harm on your brethren! I am proposing that we issue harsh fines to businesses that price gouge and to individuals who commit crimes at a time when we are all most vulnerable!”
Mr. San Nicolas ran for public office to address crime on Guam, among other things. He remains committed to lower the island’s crime rate, according to a news release from his office.
“In fact, Sen. San Nicolas introduced legislation less than a month into his first term (which began in January 2023), aiming to address crime that occurs on Guam,” the news release states. “On Jan. 27, he introduced Bill 21-37, which would authorize corporal punishment as an additional form of judicial sentence, if enacted into Guam law.”
Editor’s note: Kandit wrote to Attorney General Douglas Moylan, Public Defender Services Corporation executive director Stephen Hattori, and the 15 members of the Guam Legislature asking whether, in light of violent crimes being committed during the typhoon response and the strain criminals are placing on an already-strained criminal justice system, they would support enhancements in sentencing for people convicted of committing crimes during a typhoon recovery period.
