New York City, New York rioters arrested for crimes considered “low-level” will not face any charges after nights of rioting, looting, and setting fires.
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance says his office will not prosecute any rioters who were charged with crimes like unlawful assembly or disorderly conduct. The announcement means the overwhelming majority of hundreds of rioters in New York City will likely not face any criminal prosecution.
Vance’s office said in a statement
The prosecution of protestors charged with these low-level offenses undermines critical bonds between law enforcement and the communities we serve.Days after the killing of George Floyd, our nation and our city are at a crossroads in our continuing endeavor to confront racism and systemic injustice wherever it exists.
Our office has a moral imperative to enact public policies which assure all New Yorkers that in our justice system and our society, black lives matter and police violence is a crime. We commend the thousands of our fellow New Yorkers who have peacefully assembled to demand these achievable aims, and our door is open to any New Yorker who wishes to be heard.
Only rioters who were arrested and where there is evidence that they contributed to attacks on police officers, looting, or destruction of property will face criminal charges.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D-NY) “bail reform” law — which eliminated bail for a number of nonviolent and violent crimes in New York state — is successfully freeing at least 400 rioters and looters from jail without ever having to pay bail.
The bail reform law eliminated bail for suspects accused of second-degree manslaughter, aggravated vehicular assault, third-degree assault, promoting an obscene sexual performance by a child, criminally negligent homicide, aggravated vehicular homicide, and about 100 other crimes.
In March, New York City Police Department (NYPD) officials said that in the first 58 days of the year, close to 500 suspects who would have been kept locked up in jail if not for the new bail reform laws had been rearrested for committing an additional 846 crimes. Nearly 300 of these crimes included murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny, and grand larceny auto
