DC Judge Kendra Briggs - Coristine Attack Sentencing (2025)
DC Judge Kendra Briggs - Coristine Attack Sentencing (2025) — Two teenagers who violently attacked DOGE staffer Edward "Big Balls" Coristine received probation sentences from DC Superior Court Judge Kendra Briggs, who said her role was to "rehabilitate," not punish.
Summary
In early August 2025, Edward "Big Balls" Coristine, a 19-year-old Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) engineer, was severely injured when he attempted to stop a carjacking near U Street NW in Washington, DC, approximately one mile from the White House, around 3 AM. Two 15-year-old teens—a boy and a girl—from Hyattsville, Maryland, were arrested in connection with the attack.
The teens pleaded guilty to charges including assault and attempted robbery. The boy also faced felony assault and robbery charges from a separate gas station incident. On October 14–15, 2025, DC Superior Court Associate Judge Kendra D. Briggs sentenced both teens to probation and community service rather than incarceration. The teens were additionally ordered to stay out of Washington, DC, with limited exceptions. One was placed under house arrest, the other in a youth shelter.
Judge Briggs, appointed by President Biden, told the teens in court that they "decided to basically terrorize U Street." She also stated that her role as a judge was to rehabilitate, not to punish. The sentencing drew sharp criticism from President Trump, Elon Musk, and conservative commentators, who cited it as an example of soft-on-crime judicial philosophy in the nation's capital.
Key Details
- Date: Attack occurred early August 2025; Sentencing October 14–15, 2025
- Location: U Street NW, Washington, DC
- Key People: Edward "Big Balls" Coristine (victim, DOGE staffer); two anonymous 15-year-old defendants; Judge Kendra D. Briggs (DC Superior Court, Biden appointee)
- Outcome: Both teens sentenced to probation and community service; no incarceration; ordered to avoid Washington, DC