The reason is because the balance is shifted so far in favor of the defense right now that it's highly difficult to successfully prosecute even many very obvious slam dunk cases. Prosecutors in DC are not bullying the innocent into taking plea deals, they have enough trouble getting the people with very obvious illegal guns in jail.

You have to pay attention to the facts on the ground and adjust your positions accordingly. National trends and narratives are often not what's happening on the ground locally.