DC inmate – convicted of murder – wins special election for ANC seat

A D.C. jail inmate – who was convicted of murder at the age of 18 – will soon represent the residents of a Ward 7 neighborhood.

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Commissioner Elect Joel Caston was sent to prison 26 years ago, according to the Washington Post. In 2016, the D.C. native was brought back to the nation’s capital for a new round of hearings regarding his case.

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Caston announced on Tuesday evening that he had won the seat of the Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for ANC7 F7.

The seat, according to the Post has been vacant for some time.

The Advisory Neighborhood Commissions intended to "bring government closer to the people, and to bring people closer to the government."

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According to the District, there are 40 ANCs throughout the city.

Each ANC serves for two years. The position is unpaid.

ANCs enjoy limited influence in the District, but city law indicates that municipal agencies can’t take any action that significantly impacts a neighborhood without giving the ANC 30 days’ notice.