"I believe the governor has been very clear that the reforms that we did have been proper," Senate Majority Chief Andrea Stewart-Cousins mentioned.
Stephen Yang
State Senate Majority Chief Andrea Stewart-Cousins on Tuesday tried to foist a few of the blame for Albany refusing to tighten its lax bail reform legal guidelines onto Gov. Kathy Hochul, saying the governor is clearly in Stewart-Cousins’ camp on the matter.
“Individuals need to exploit the truth that we don't need to incarcerate folks as a result of they're poor. So the whole lot turns into quote, unquote bail reform,” Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) mentioned throughout a press gaggle in Albany.
“I believe the governor has been very clear that the reforms that we did have been proper. The sort of orchestrated message that one way or the other this was flawed isn't true,” added Stewart-Cousins.
The chief put Hochul on the spot after The Put up reported final week that a bipartisan and rising variety of legislators are recommending that judges ought to have the discretion to order bail or detention for defendants who're recidivist criminals with a prolonged report of convictions — following a sequence of high-profile instances the place folks have been launched into the streets with out bail solely to interrupt the legislation once more.
Assemblywoman Inez Dickens (D-Harlem) mentioned she just lately spoke to Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin about Frank Abrokwa, the Bronx poop attacker with a prolonged rap sheet that included 22 prior arrests and dozens of different sealed arrests since 1999.
She mentioned Benjamin — Hochul’s quantity two and working mate — agreed that one thing needs to be completed.
Abrokwa was arrested after he allegedly smeared his feces within the face of a girl at a Bronx subway station on Feb. 21 solely to be freed with out bail. Dickens has proposed laws to make smearing or throwing bodily fluids at somebody a felony crime, and mentioned the no-cash bail legislation first permitted in 2019 — routinely releasing defendants accused of most non-violent and minor misdemeanor crimes — needs to be revisited.
Meeting Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx), like Stewart-Cousins, is resisting requests to alter the bail legislation.
Hochul mentioned in January that she rejected renewed calls to present judges powers to maintain harmful pre-trial suspects behind bars — one thing sought by Mayor Eric Adams. She mentioned she wouldn’t “cave to strain.”
However the governor hasn’t mentioned a lot since then and a supply final week informed The Put up that she could also be having a change of coronary heart and seeking to tweak the no-cash bail legislation. Hochul is the heavy favourite in a Democratic main this yr however might face assaults of being smooth on crime by Republicans within the common election, barring modifications within the legislation.
Stewart-Cousins claims that Republicans are working a coordinated scare marketing campaign to mislead voters on the no-cash bail legislation.
However sources mentioned there are 12 Democratic senators in her personal caucus seeking to toughen up the bail legislation, amongst them. James Skoufis (D-Rockland).
“You possibly can’t be shoplifting on Monday, get a ticket and shoplift on the identical retailer on Tuesday,” mentioned Skoufis, chairman of the Senate Investigations Committee.
" class="wp-image-21538702"/>Hochul spokeswoman Hazel Crampton-Hays, when requested about Stewart-Cousins’ feedback, mentioned, “Governor Hochul’s govt funds contains daring initiatives to embrace this once-in-a-generation alternative to put money into our future, and we sit up for persevering with to work with the Legislature to finalize a funds that serves all New Yorkers.”
One Albany supply mentioned it appears to be like just like the Democratic leaders are taking part in a sport of hen on bail reform.
“They need to see who blinks first,” the Democratic insider mentioned.
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