PolitiFact.com
Statements about Criminal Justice
Kirsten Gillibrand

Kirsten Gillibrand

Half-True

Figure is based on aging study

"Today, about 40 percent of guns are purchased without a background check."

Marco Rubio

Marco Rubio

Half-True

Violence rose and fell, rose and fell

"Washington, D.C., had some of the strictest gun laws in the country. And when they passed them, violence skyrocketed."

Providence City Council

Providence City Council

False

Factual mis-fire

"Semi-automatic weapons, whether pistol or rifle, were designed for use by the military on the battlefield."

Hank Johnson

Hank Johnson

Mostly True

We're number 1?

"[W]e see America's prison population exploding, with America having a greater percentage of its people behind bars than any other nation in the world!"

Gwen Moore

Gwen Moore

Mostly True

Figure nearly correct; factors other than the law also at work

Since the federal Violence Against Women Act was adopted in 1994, "cases of domestic violence have fallen by 67 percent."

Pardeep Kaleka

Pardeep Kaleka

Mostly True

Newer figure slightly lower

"Every day, 34 Americans are murdered with guns."

Mike DeWine

Mike DeWine

True

Emerging drug a growing problem in Ohio

"A man using bath salts reported that raccoons had set fire inside his home and stolen his cell phone."

Carolyn Medeiros

Carolyn Medeiros

True

Released felons can - and do - vote

Three thousand felons voted in Rhode Island in 2008.

Oregon Senate Republicans (The Leadership Fund)

Oregon Senate Republicans (The Leadership Fund)

Mostly True

2009 measure meant to save money

Laurie Monnes Anderson "voted to let violent criminals out of jail early."

Brendan Doherty

Brendan Doherty

True

It's true!

"David Cicilline was the state representative who opposed tough mandatory sentences for those convicted of domestic violence  and child abuse."

Raymond Frank

Raymond Frank

Mostly True

Some donations may have occurred after donor left Austin club

Says Travis County Sheriff Greg Hamilton has accepted $42,000 from strip-club interests and $10,000 from local alcohol distributors.

Steven Teske

Steven Teske

Mostly True

A little more evidence needed for this case

High school students arrested on campus are twice as likely not to graduate and four times less likely to graduate if they’ve appeared in court.

Gwen Moore

Gwen Moore

Mostly False

Only for federal abortion funding

Says House Republicans "tried to change the definition of rape."

Bruce Elfant

Bruce Elfant

True

Undercount

Says 88 Texas constables have died in the line of duty.

Marty Beil

Marty Beil

Mostly False

No real raises for either group

Says Gov. Scott Walker "raises the pay of inmates, but we don't raise the pay of staff in our correctional institutions."

Steve Doell

Steve Doell

True

The 'about' makes it accurate

Says "About 7 in 10 of Oregon’s inmates are in prison for violent crimes and serious sex offenses."

Steve Doell

Steve Doell

Mostly True

Several other factors helped spur the decline.

Says Measure 11 is "one of the most significant reasons" for decrease in violent crime.

Texans for Accountable Government

Texans for Accountable Government

Mostly False

Didn't go so far

Says PolitiFact "validated and independently documented" its "criminal history" claims about Adan Ballesteros.

Michael Bloomberg

Michael Bloomberg

Half-True

Studies are dated, but that's what they show

"There's a loophole where you can sell guns without a background check … 40 percent of guns are sold that way" at gun shows and over the Internet.

Michael Opitz

Michael Opitz

Mostly False

We're watching and say Mostly False

U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey gave the government the power to electronically spy on Americans without a warrant.

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