Under the rubric of criminal-justice reform, New York’s political class has privileged progressive politics over public safety. On January 1, 2020, a state law took effect eliminating pretrial detention by imposition of cash bail for almost all nonviolent felony and misdemeanor offenses. Even before the outbreak of riots and looting following the May 25 killing of George Floyd spread to New York City and smaller cities upstate, New York’s bail reform was failing its law-abiding residents.
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