In issuing the order, U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar denied a Justice Department request Thursday that he not sign the agreement for at least 30 days while new agency leaders under the Trump administration assess the deal — which was reached in the waning days of the Obama administration.
"The case is no longer in a phase where any party is unilaterally entitled to reconsider the terms of the settlement; the parties are bound to each other by their prior agreement," Bredar wrote in his order. "The time for negotiating the agreement is over. The only question now is whether the Court needs more time to consider the proposed decree. It does not."
The order is effective immediately, Bredar wrote.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions, in response, said in a statement that he supports reform but has "grave concerns that some provisions of this decree will reduce the lawful powers of the police department and result in a less safe city."
Sessions said the consent decree was "negotiated during a rushed process by the previous administration," and at a time when Baltimore "is facing a violent crime crisis. He cited statistics outlining a drop in arrests and a rise in homicides in the city.
"The mayor and police chief in Baltimore say they are committed to better policing and that there should be no delay to review this decree, but there are clear departures from many proven principles of good policing that we fear will result in more crime," Sessions said. "The citizens of Baltimore deserve to see a real and lasting reduction in the fast-rising violent crime threatening their city."
