By: Jared Evan
The controversial bail new bail reform laws are under fire already, as moderate NY Democrats have started to make this their central part of their 2020 campaigns, The NY Post reported.
The new bail law that took effect on January 1 in New York, eliminated pretrial detention and cash bail as an option in an estimated 90 percent of arrests. For the remaining cases, judges will maintain the option of setting cash bail.
New York City mayor and failed 2020 presidential candidate Bill de Blasio was sweetening the deal, The Daily Wire pointed out, by giving the convicts free Mets tickets, gift cards, and movie passes to entice them into showing up for their court date.
This program quickly became the butt of jokes in New York City, especially on social media. When stories are posted online about local crimes, thousands of people have responded with jokes about Mets tickets.
“We took discretion away from judges,” said state Sen. Diane Savino (D-Staten Island), who told The Post the string of attacks against observant Jews is weighing heavily on legislators.
The New York Post reported that the bail reform was tucked into the state’s massive budget bill last year, meaning that no separate vote was held on one of the most controversial changes to the state’s criminal justice system in years.
A local New York Facebook Group called “Repeal Bail reform” has highlighted some of the criminals who were released into the general public without bail and simply a promise that they would show up in court.
A local member of the group David Friedman pointed out the following:
A Bronx heroin/fentanyl dealer facing 100 years released and shouted “Cuomo for President” on his way out the door.
A Brooklyn woman assaults three Jewish women, is charged with a hate crime and released. Assaults a second person and is arrested and released again, she than assaulted the social worker assigned to her and finally ordered held on mental health order.
A driver hits and kills a pedestrian on New Year’s Eve while drunk. Charged with Manslaughter and released.
A Monroe man charged with felony drug sales is released despite a criminal history which includes shooting a Rochester Police Officer in 2009
A Long Island woman held on burglary charges is released and then is arrested twice the next day and released again! Then breaks into an elementary school and intentionally sets off the fire alarm.
An Albany Man man charged with bank robbery released despite having committed three prior bank robberies.
Moderates — like Savino and the Long Island Democratic delegation — now want to give judges more leeway to impose bail in cases where the defendant is deemed a potential public safety threat, the Post reported.
“I believe it is important that this session we . . . assess how the bail reform legislation is impacting communities and take appropriate corrective measures where warranted,” said state Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-LI).
Even the mayor who formally championed this law along with Governor Cuomo seems to be walking it back:
“They did some very good reforms, but there’s also things that need to be done, particularly empowering judges to determine if someone poses a threat to the surrounding community and giving judges the power to act on that,” The N.Y Post reported de Blasio stating recently.
