In April, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and the legislature tightened the state's bail laws, the New York Times reports. More crimes are eligible for bail and judges have discretion to consider the severity of the suspect’s crimes and criminal history when setting bail. Still, New York City Mayor Eric Adams held a news conference on Wednesday to discuss the “broken system” that allows offenders to continue being arrested and released without bail. The mayor also discussed disappointment with the city’s crime rates.
Hours later, Hochul hosted her own news conference where she mentioned her revisions to bail laws. Hochul continues to face scrutiny from Adams and her Republican opponent Lee Zeldin. Adams showcased a poster detailing the crimes of some of the city’s worst offenders without naming them. He said that in 2022, 25 percent of those arrested for a burglary committed a second felony within 60 days. This number rose from 7.7 percent in 2017. In 2019, New York lawmakers rewrote laws so that fewer people awaiting trial would wait behind bars because they were not able to post bail. Law enforcement opposed this law due to rising gun violence. After criticism, lawmakers amended the law and added two dozen crimes to a list of serious charges where a judge could impose cash bail. Adams still believes that New York needs stricter laws and that judges should consider the severity of crimes.