Letters

At last week’s East End Supervisors and Mayors Association meeting, I learned of a situation in Albany that can solve a few issues we here on the East End and all downstate New Yorkers should be most interested in.

Here’s the background: Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, representing District 83 in The Bronx, has been a progressive voice in Albany for many years. Under his leadership, New York created reforms to the criminal justice system that were intended to improve and modernize the system.

Instead, there were unintended consequences. From the much publicized failures of bail reform, to the far-too-permissive restrictions on prosecutorial discovery, to the unexpected rise in recidivism (more than half of the personal injury crimes in New York City are committed by people with serious prior convictions) — yet the Heastie laws help keep the criminals on the street to repeat their violent acts.

But now there’s a standoff: Governor Kathy Hochul has proposed reasonable changes to these laws, changes strongly supported by Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, as well as New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg (quite a 180 for D.A. Bragg). Her proposals are being met with push-back from the Assembly speaker, who opposes the “reforms for the reforms.”

With all the negative publicity surrounding the abject failure of the progressive changes to the justice system, the governor’s proposals should not be sidelined.

Speaker Heastie has an inordinate amount of influence in Albany. But so do the voters in New York State. We have a new Assembly representative, Tommy John Schiavoni. Let him know what you think about this impasse. Let him know we care about making sense out of criminal justice and urge him to support Gov. Hochul’s plan: schiavonitj@nyassembly.gov.

Let’s admit that fairness requires reason, and let reason return to the administration of New York’s criminal justice laws.

Chris Fiore

Mayor

Village of North Haven