Lancman slams lack of bail reform in state budget
But fellow Queens DA candidate Katz says criminal justice reforms in deal are a good start
BY BILL PARRY
Count Councilman Rory
Lancman as one of the
progressive reformers who
are dissatisfied with Albany
after the $175.6 billion state
budget was reached.
Lancman, a candidate for
Queens District Attorney,
stood outside the Queens
Criminal Courthouse
April 1 to slam the state
Legislature’s failure to end
cash bail, and reiterated his
commitment to fully and
completely end cash bail as
Queens District Attorney.
He said the state budget’s
“bail reform” still allows
cash bail for those charged
with “violent felonies” and
some misdemeanors, which
accounts for about half
of those sitting on Rikers
Island awaiting their day
in court because they can’t
afford bail. Additionally,
nearly half of those charged
with so-called “violent
felonies” either have their
charges dismissed or are
acquitted outright, but
Albany still thinks it’s OK
to lock them up pre-trial
just because they can’t
afford bail.
“Of all the evils of our
current criminal justice
system, perhaps none is
so sinister, and so easily
remediable, as cash bail.
We literally incarcerate
thousands of people every
year because they’re poor,
punishing people before
they’re convicted and
forcing innocent people to
plead guilty and get stuck
with a record for the rest
of their life,” Lancman
said. “The Legislature’s
failure to end cash bail is a
travesty. As Queens District
Attorney, I will never ask
for cash bail, period.”
Lancman then singled
out fellow candidate for DA,
Queens Borough President
Melinda Katz.
“Promises like Melinda
Katz’s to end cash bail just
for ‘low-level misdemeanors’
or ‘non-violent felonies’ are
Councilman Rory Lancman, who’s running for Queens district
attorney, is diaappointed that the final state budget did not
include funds for major bail reform.
a sham, and a cruel joke
on the poor and people of
color who suffer under
our cash bail system,”
Lancman said.
Katz’s campaign released
a statement the same day on
criminal justice reforms in
the state budget calling it
“just the beginning,” and
saying there is more work
to do.
“Open discovery, the
elimination of cash bail
in most instances, and
new procedures to ensure
the right to a speedy trial
are an important step in
the long fight towards a
more equitable justice
system,” Katz said. “While
these changes are a major
accomplishment, there is
still substantial work to
be done. Eliminating cash
bail altogether, ending the
racially disproportionate
effects of marijuana arrests
through legalization and
expungement, and enacting
more policies to keep our
immigrants community safe
should still be a priority for
our leaders in Albany.”
Katz and Lancman will
face Judge Greg Lasak,
public defender Tiffany
Cabán, former prosecutors
Mina Malik and Jose Nieves
and attorney Betty Luongo
if the June 25 Democratic
primary.
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by e-mail at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by
calling 718-260-4538.
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