Result of New York's Bad Bail Reform- Judge's Hands Tied, Must Release Man Arrested 3 Times in 24 Hours for Burglary, Larceny

 

New York- A Texas man was arrested and arraigned on burglary and larceny charges three different times in 24 hours in Oneida County, but because of the New York state bail reform law, he was released without posting bail, according to authorities.

After the individual's fourth alleged offense, a burglary, the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office filed a motion with the court to ask that bail be set.

Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol says such situations show why bail reform has gone too far.

Enacted in January 2020, the law no longer requires cash bail for most misdemeanors and non-violent crimes. The purpose of the reform was to reduce the number of incarcerated people who cannot afford bail.

“Our job is to keep people safe," Maciol said. "Our job is to keep crime victims safe. When the system continuously allows these people to walk back out and re-commit and create additional crime victims, that’s very frustrating and that’s wrong.”

Maciol says many of the changes came because of issues at Rikers Island, a prison located in the Bronx.

He says bail reform needs to be reformed.

“The easiest way to simplify this whole bail issue is to give judges discretion,” Maciol said.

Genesee Valley Regional Director for the American Civil Liberties Union of New York Iman Abid-Thompson says judges do have discretion in certain cases and offenses.

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