Rockland police officials, the county executive, the five town supervisors and other local officials gathered yesterday at the Rockland County Courthouse to call on state lawmakers to delay the start of Criminal Justice Reforms for at least three months. Rockland Sheriff Lou Falco said many of the laws could have a disastrous effect on safety and local municipal budgets next year…
Executive Director for the Rockland Center for Safety & Change, Elizabeth Santiago, says the voices of crime victims were not considered when these laws were passed with the state budget…
In response to the various press conferences that were held by law enforcement and lawmakers around the state, a public defenders association put out a statement claiming they are, quote, “spreading baseless fear and protecting their own unfair tactical advantages in court.” Orange County attorney Ben Ostrer, the former president of the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, says the new criminal justice reforms were designed to level the playing field for defendants…
Falco wouldn’t try to predict whether Albany would grant the moratorium to police officials, local lawmakers and the public. Without it, the new laws will go into effect January first.