County Attorney Rachel Mitchell Pushes for Stricter Penalties Against ‘Swarming’ Crimes

PHOENIX — Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell is advocating for changes to Arizona’s criminal laws to increase penalties for assaults involving groups attacking a single victim, a phenomenon known as “swarming.”

During a recent press conference in Queen Creek, Mitchell expressed her support for legislation aimed at categorizing such acts of violence as Class 4 felonies. This proposed change would prevent these charges from being reduced to misdemeanors, thereby expanding the potential sentencing range for convicted offenders.

This push for legislative reform follows a surge of assault cases reviewed by Mitchell’s office over the past year, particularly those involving teenagers. One egregious incident highlighted in this debate was the tragic death of 16-year-old Preston Lord last October, which has prompted local governments to adopt new measures to combat juvenile violence.

Support for Mitchell’s proposal has garnered backing from Republican legislators Matt Gress and Julie Willoughby, signaling a bipartisan interest in addressing the growing concern around youth violence in the state.