Manhattan is experiencing some political shakeups. The county’s top prosecutor, Alvin Bragg, took office just three weeks ago.
Before long, Bragg released a memo planning to stop prosecuting certain “minor offenses” — including resisting arrest and driving with a suspended license.
Under fire from critics for his “woke” agenda, Bragg is already backtracking. He issued a non-apology on Wednesday and said at a virtual event, “I understand why those who read my memo of January 3rd have been left with the wrong impression about how I will enforce New York’s laws. I take full accountability for that confusion caused.”
Bragg became Manhattan district attorney on Jan. 1. He succeeded longtime District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., who declined to run for re-election.
Bragg released the sweeping new memo during his first full week in office.
In the memo, Bragg waived pre-trial jail time for almost everyone. He made exceptions only in certain cases, including “felony sex offenses” and “homicide or the death of a victim.”
He stopped just short of abolishing cash bail.
He also wrote:
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The current sex crimes unit is dissolved and a new unit is created in its place that is survivor-centered, trauma informed, and fully consistent with my policy…
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The Hate Crimes Unit is provided increased resources…
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The resources of the Rackets Bureau, Major Economic Crime Bureau, and Financial Frauds Bureau are expanded…
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The office will seek dispositions that avoid immigration consequences for all misdemeanors, and all felonies for which non-incarceratory outcomes are the presumptive outcome.
In other words, he shifted resources away from sex offenses and instead he promised to pursue Democrat priorities, like scaremongering about hate crimes and investigating former President Donald Trump for his financial dealings.
Bragg concluded, “It is critical that the changes described in this memorandum take effect immediately.”
He immediately caused an uproar, and the police union responded the following day.
“We continue to have serious concerns about the message these types of policies send to both police officers and criminals on the street,” Patrick J. Lynch, president of New York’s police union, said in a statement on Jan. 4.
“Police officers don’t want to be sent out to enforce laws that the district attorneys won’t prosecute. And there are already too many people who believe that they can commit crimes, resist arrest, interfere with police officers and face zero consequences. We look forward to discussing these issues with District Attorney Bragg.”
Bragg defended the memo Wednesday in a virtual event. He described the memo as remaining “operative,” according to the New York Post.
However, Bragg also expressed some regrets.
One attendee asked Bragg how he would have handled the rollout differently today.
Bragg said, “I would have provided far more context,” according to the NY Post.
According to Fox News, he also said:
First, the purpose of the memo is to provide prosecutors with a framework for how to approach cases in the best interest of safety and justice. Each case is fact specific…
We will be prosecuting all robberies of a gun as a felon. Let me be clear. Any use of a gun to rob a store by definition is and must be and will be treated seriously…
Violence against police officers will not be tolerated. If you push or hit an officer or attempt to do so or attempt to harm an officer in another way, you will be prosecuted, held accountable. Public safety will be paramount and will always have primacy in my office…
Prosecutorial reform has become a hot topic, and it has historically amassed some amount of bipartisan support, due to the Democrats’ concern for civil liberties and the Republicans’ concern for public safety, government waste, excessive centralization.
However, certain “progressive” prosecutors — like San Francisco’s Chesa Boudin — have presided over a citywide increase in burglaries and murders.
It remains to be seen whether this burst of specific crimes will hamper the movement for prosecutorial reform.
The Horn editorial team