Today, Assemblyman Scott Bendett (R,C-Sand Lake) joined Assembly and Senate Colleagues, law enforcement and families of crime victims at the state Capitol to call for increased criminal justice measures throughout New York following the bail reform laws passed in 2019. In response to rising crime, Bendett asserted that judicial discretion and reevaluation of the state’s bail reform laws are immediate steps the Legislature can take to address the public safety crisis.

“Decisions regarding the dangerousness of a criminal and severity of their actions should be left in the hands of New York judges,” said Bendett. “Judges should be given the discretion to consider all of the facts—an individual’s history, the nature of the crime itself, all parties involved and the overall circumstances surrounding the case. I believe in keeping New York families and communities safe and allowing judges to use their experience and discretion to uphold our justice system.”