Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C,I-Big Flats), who has been advocating for the repeal of the bail reform changes passed in 2019, believes the scale back of the so-called “reforms” does not go far enough. It was clear to every New Yorker that the “reforms” were an abject failure, and the latest fixes made to bail and discovery in the budget need to go further to keep New York’s communities truly safe.

“As soon as bail reform went into effect in our state, report after report came out of cruel and calculating criminals wreaking havoc on innocent New Yorkers and our communities,” said Friend. “The hubris of the Majority lawmakers was on full display time and time again as they stubbornly refused to listen to our courts, law enforcement and prosecutors who were pleading for some adjustments to the problematic law. Their law made no community safer. Some changes were achieved in the budget, but we cannot let the Majority take a victory lap as if they had fixed the problem. There are still more rollbacks of the law needed.”

While the budget added a number of crimes eligible for bail, Friend argues the bill still does not allow for judges to make assessments of a defendant on their likely risk to the public or individuals. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), New York is the only state which does not allow for judges to take into account public safety in determining pre-trial release and its conditions.

Local court systems, prosecutors and police departments have been overwhelmed by the additional requirements in pre-trial procedures. The additional hours and staff required to manage this has become a financial burden for local governments. Friend asserts the funding provided by the Majority politicians budget hardly covers the cost of this new demand.