NASSAU COUNTY CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INC.

"The government is us, we are the government, you and I." Teddy Roosevelt

 

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January 15, 2022

Escape From New York

Manhattan DA Bragg welcomes criminals to NYC

New York City has been the beacon of American economic power for decades and Manhattan as the financial capital of the world. Tourists from all over the globe and the fifty states visit Manhattan every day to see the wonders of the largest city in the world. From it's skyline, to the rich history of New York, Manhattan is the place of awe for first time visitors. Based on it's significance to America, Manhattan has also been the target of one of the most heinous acts in history, the act of war involving the murder of innocent civilians on September 11, 2001. Yet America came together to defeat hate and an evil ideology that sought to destroy our society. Once again America via Manhattan is facing an attack on the very foundation of society but it is not from an external enemy, it's the elected District Attorney of New York County, Alvin L. Bragg.

After winning election this past November, the Soros backed radical ideologue announced he would no longer enforce several criminal statutes. In a January 3rd memo, "Day One Policies and Procedures", he specifically lays our his vision and what criminal statutes he will no longer enforce. His vision basically calls for a reduction of pretrial incarceration, avoidance of incarceration seeking alternatives, a reduction of prison time and working with the parole board to release offenders. His policy excludes any consideration for the victims of crime, the escalating violence of recidivists and the message his policy will send to predicate felons that Manhattan is the place to commit crime as there are no consequences. He even had the gall to make the absurd claim that his policy will make residents safer.

In particular, he announced that he will not charge the following criminal acts; fare evasion, trespass, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, most traffic infractions/violations and prostitution. While he provided a lot of caveats related to charging specific violations of law, the outcome will be non-enforcement. He directed that most property crimes involving businesses and residential storage not be prosecuted. He even went so far as to direct that actual felony robberies be downgraded to misdemeanors if no one is injured. He seeks to build on the failed New York State "Bail Reform" law directing no pretrial incarceration in most cases. He even requires Assistant District Attorney's (ADAs) to call the defendant's attorney when they miss a court appearance in order to determine the reason in an effort to avoid the issuance of a warrant for defendant's arrest.

A deeper dive into the memo indicates that ADA's are directed to charge lesser counts when presenting a case to a Grand Jury to allow defendants a greater opportunity to plea to a lesser charge. The memo also appears to frown on the use of prison as punishment for the commission of a crime. In a truly arrogant and tone deaf move, the memo limits a carceral sentence to no more than twenty years irregardless of the criminal statute. Thus a second degree murder conviction that calls for twenty five years to life will be reduced to twenty years across the board without any consideration of the actual crime and the impact to the victim. Building on this directive, the memo states without equivocation his office will not seek any sentence of life without parole. So those who would murder a Police officer would only receive a twenty year prison sentence.

Most New Yorkers understand that juveniles often make poor choices based on their youth and family circumstances, so it would be reasonable to seek an adjudication of a criminal case in family court. Those who engage in wonton violence are an entirely different class. Yet the memo seeks to divert all juveniles to family court regardless of the severity of the crime. Even those who are twenty five or under will be given alternative determinations and punishment in order to avoid a criminal record. In similar fashion to the Brooklyn District Attorney, the memo directs that illegal aliens receive preferential treatment in both felonies and misdemeanors in order to avoid a disposition that carries immigration consequences. Therefore those who are natural born citizens, naturalized citizens and lawful residents will be treated more harshly simply based on their immigration status and or national origin.  

The most important role of government is to protect its people by enforcing the rule of law. Without the law, there is no equality and no society. While every prosecutor has a right to prioritize certain crimes and a certain degree of discretion, no prosecutor has the right to refuse to enforce the law. Mr. Bragg's refusal to enforce specific criminal statutes and avoid the use of incarceration is a recipe for anarchy. It is also unethical and an abdication of his oath of office. His decision to openly advocate for criminals and ignoring the safety of the public will lead to the death of many innocent New Yorkers. We therefore call upon Governor Hochul to remove Alvin L. Bragg from office due to his refusal to enforce New York's criminal statutes. As the Governor has threatened to enforce the law related to the wearing of masks, she has an equal obligation to ensure that criminal statutes are enforced as well.