For  Immediate  Release  
November  21,  2019  
For  More  Information:      
District  Attorneys  Association  of  the  State  of  NY:  518-­‐598-­‐8968  
NYS  Association  of  Chiefs  of  Police:  518-­‐355-­‐3371  
NYS  Sheriffs’  Association:  518-­‐434-­‐9091  
 
Prosecutors,  Sheriffs,  Police  Chiefs  and  Police  Unions  Urge  Lawmakers  to  
Carefully  Examine  the  Full  Impacts  of  Sweeping  Criminal  Justice  Laws  Set  To  
Take  Effect  January,  1,  2020  
Concerns  about  Public  Safety  and  the  Safety  of  Victims  and  Witnesses  Warrant  a  Closer  Look  at  
the  Unintended  Consequences  of  Changes  to  Discovery  and  Bail  Laws  
 
 
(ALBANY,  NY)  In  numerous  locations  across  the  State,  hundreds  of  District  Attorneys,  Sheriffs,  
Police  Chiefs,  Police  Union  members  and  other  law  enforcement  officials  call  on  the  Legislature  
and  the  Governor  to  address  serious  concerns  to  New  York’s  new  bail  and  discovery  laws.  
 
The  bills  were  embedded  in  the  greater  budget  bill  and  passed  with  little  to  no  input  from  the  
law  enforcement  community.  The  bail  bill  will  eliminate  cash  bail  for  a  wide  swath  of  crimes  
and  fails  to  provide  any  mechanism  for  judges  to  consider  a  defendant’s  danger  to  the  
community.    Zero  dollars  were  provided  by  the  State  for  pretrial  services  to  help  ensure  
attendance  at  trial.    
 
The  discovery  bill  overhauls  the  discovery  process  and  requires  an  expedited  timeline  to  
provide  materials  such  as  police  reports,  radio  transmissions,  body-­‐worn  and  dash-­‐cam  video,  
laboratory  test  results  and  volumes  of  other  materials  and  data  related  to  prosecution.  The  bill  
considerably  expands  the  number  of  cases  where  these  documents  must  be  exchanged  yet  
provides  no  additional  funding  or  resources  for  prosecutors  or  law  enforcement  to  comply.  The  
discovery  bill  also  requires  the  disclosure  of  victim  and  witness  names  and  identifying  
information  to  the  accused  without  adequate  mechanisms  to  protect  against  witness  
intimidation  and  tampering.    Additionally,  the  law  creates  a  statutory  right  for  the  accused  to  
visit  a  crime  scene  even  if  it  is  a  private  home.    
 
 
Orange  County  District  Attorney  David  M.  Hoovler,  President,  District  Attorney’s  Association  
of  the  State  of  New  York.      
The  new  reality  of  criminal  justice  will  be  upon  us  in  upcoming  months.  I  urge  the  Governor  and  
our  legislative  leaders  to  listen  to  the  collective  perspective  of  our  State’s  law  enforcement  
experts.  As  we  proceed  to  make  sweeping  changes  to  our  criminal  justice  system,  we  must  also  
continue  to  prioritize  the  victims  and  witnesses  of  our  state  who  are  the  most  vulnerable  
residents  of  our  State  and  are  at  the  heart  of  the  criminal  justice  system.  
 
Oneida  County  Sheriff  Robert  M.  Maciol,  President,  New  York  State  Sheriff’s  Association  
The  criminal  justice  reforms  that  will  be  going  into  effect  next  year  will  erode  public  safety,  and  
undermine  the  trust  that  victims  and  witnesses  must  place  in  police  and  prosecutors.    It  is  
unfortunate  that  the  concerns  of  law  enforcement  professionals  were  not  given  any  serious  
consideration  when  these  laws  were  being  drafted  and  deliberated.    Hopefully  our  communities  
won’t  suffer  as  a  result,  but  that  is  not  our  expectation,  given  the  lack  of  State  support  to  
implement  these  sweeping,  drastic  changes.    I  would  implore  the  Legislature  and  Governor  to  
delay  implementation  of  these  new  laws  until  the  concerns  of  Sheriffs,  District  Attorneys,  Chiefs  
of  Police,  and  probation  professionals  can  be  addressed.  
 
Town  of  Greece  Police  Chief  Patrick  D.  Phelan,  President,  New  York  State  Association  of  
Chiefs  of  Police  
Every  community  in  New  York  State  is  being  negatively  impacted  by  the  Legislature’s  passage  of  
various  Criminal  Justice  Reforms.    On  behalf  of  police  chiefs  throughout  New  York,  I  urge  to  our  
state  political  leaders  to  take  a  closer  look  at  exactly  what  will  take  effect  in  January.    Not  
hearing  from  criminal  justice  professionals  prior  to  passage  was  a  grievous  error  that  must  be  
corrected.  In  any  reform  we  must  not  forget  about  the  victims  of  crime,  the  very  people  the  
system  is  set  up  to  protect.  
 
County  Executive,  Orange  County,  Steven  M.  Neuhaus  
The  State  Legislators  who  voted  for  this  law  have  made  our  community  less  safe  and  will  cost  
property  taxpayers  more  of  their  hard  earned  money.  This  legislation  presents  a  clear  danger  to  
Orange  County  residents  and  people  all  over  our  state.  I’ve  called  upon  the  State  Legislature  to  
return  to  Albany  and  delay  the  implementation  of  these  laws.  
 
Michael  Essig,  President,  New  York  State  Fraternal  Order  of  Police    
While  the  2019  reforms  were  well  meaning,  they  clearly  shifted  the  criminal  justice  system  too  
far  in  favor  of  criminals.  I  urge  our  lawmakers  to  re-­‐examine  these  reforms  and  remember  
victims  should  come  first  in  our  criminal  justice  system.  
 
Michael  Sweeton,  Town  of  Warwick,  Supervisor,  President  of  Orange  County  Association  of  
Towns,  Villages  and  Cities,  President,  
The  criminal  justice  reforms  passed  by  the  New  York  State  Legislature  and  signed  into  law  by  
Governor  Cuomo  place  a  tremendous  financial  burden  on  the  Towns,  Villages  and  Cities  of  our  
state  and  put  our  residents  at  risk.  In  my  municipality  alone  it  will  cost,  at  a  minimum,  over  
$300,000  to  comply  with  these  new  laws,  which  will  consume  more  than  60%  of  the  state  
mandated  tax  cap.  I  urge  our  legislators  to  postpone  implementation  of  these  new  laws  until  
changes  can  be  made  and  money  for  these  unfunded  mandates  is  provided.  
 
 
Virtually  ever  other  state  in  the  country  that  has  eliminated  cash  bail  has  given  Judges  the  
resources  to  make  proper  decisions  about  who  should  be  held  and  who  should  be  released.  47  
States  permit  judges  to  consider  public  safety  in  their  determination  to  set  bail.  After  
neighboring  New  Jersey  implemented  cashless  bail,  within  months,  they  moved  to  a  system  
where  judges  use  risk  assessment  to  weigh  a  defendant’s  criminal  history  and  the  charges  they  
face  to  determine  their  risk  of  danger  to  public  safety.    
 
Year  after  year,  New  York  continues  to  be  a  leader  in  public  safety.  New  York  is  the  fifth  safest  
state  in  the  country  and  has  the  lowest  crime  rate  of  any  large  state.  New  York  also  has  the  
lowest  imprisonment  rate  of  any  large  state.  Since  2007,  crime  has  declined  by  18%  in  New  
York  State.  New  York  State  has  a  property  crime  rate  40%  lower  than  the  national  average.  The  
every  day  work  of  prosecutors,  sheriffs  and  police  officers  is  an  integral  part  of  maintaining  and  
improving  the  quality  of  life  for  all  New  Yorkers.  All  of  these  offices  must  be  adequately  funded  
and  properly  staffed.  
 
The  events  will  be  taking  place  at  numerous  locations  around  the  State  on  Thursday,  November  
21.  
 
Albany  County:  6  Lodge  Street,  Albany,  NY  12207,  10:30  AM.      
 
Delaware  County/Eastern  Southern  Tier:  280  Phoebe  Lane,  Suite  #1,  Delhi,  NY,  10:30  
AM.  
   
Erie/Niagara  County:  Town  of  Clarence  Courthouse,  5  Town  Place,  Clarence  NY  14031,  
10:30  AM.  
 
Monroe  County:  Monroe  County  Sheriff’s  Office  Public  Safety  Building,  130  South  
Plymouth  Avenue,  Rochester,  New  York  14614,  10:30  AM.    
 
Oneida  County:  6075  Judd  Road,  Oriskany  at  10:30  AM.      
   
Onondaga  County—Roll  Call  room  of  the  Justice  Center  at  the  Onondaga  County  
Sheriff’s    555  S.  State  St.  Syracuse.    10:00  AM.  
   
Orange  County—Orange  County  Government  Center,  255  Main  Street,  Goshen,  NY  
10924,  1:00  PM.        
 
Richmond  County-­‐  Richmond  County  District  Attorneys  Office,  130  Stuyvesant  Place,  
Staten  Island,  NY,  10:30  Am.    
 
 Rockland  County—Steps  of  the  Rockland  County  Courthouse,  1  South  Main  St,  New  City,  
NY,  10:30  AM.  
 
Additional  events  may  be  added  in  additional  counties.  
 
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