The town of Orangetown’s Police Commission held a meeting earlier this week to discuss the controversy that’s been swirling, primarily north of the city, of the criminal justice reform bill that passed with the state budget in April and is set to take effect January first. The bill makes sweeping changes in bail and other court rules that could end up with significant price tags for local municipalities. Orangetown police chief Donald Butterworth said the reform package was born out of fear-mongering, instead of the facts…
Ramapo Police Chief Brad Weidel, who also heads up the county’s Police Chiefs Association, said new rules regarding evidence-gathering will be difficult to comply with…
Rockland’s incoming District Attorney Tom Walsh said the new rule that would allow a defendant accused of robbing a house to come back to the home with an attorney is unrealistic…
Walsh and others agree there are some rules that could be changed, but without the funding many communities will be hard-pressed to afford them. Two upstate lawmakers have introduced legislation to have the laws delayed a year, while western Ramapo and Orange County assemblyman Karl Brabanec has suggested a bill that would cancel the reform package altogether.