CONSERVATIVE PARTY PETITION CALLS ON GOVERNOR HOCHUL TO REMOVE MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY ALVIN BRAGG

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CONSERVATIVE PARTY PETITION CALLS ON GOVERNOR HOCHUL TO REMOVE MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY ALVIN BRAGG  

“If Governor Hochul allows Mr. Bragg to remain district attorney, she’ll be signing the death warrant of an untold number of New Yorkers. Firing him could be the most important act she makes as governor of this state.”

Brooklyn, NY – Jan. 14, 2022 The New York State Conservative Party today released an online petition calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to remove newly elected New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg from office, which she has the power to do. D.A. Bragg recently announced that he would not seek prison sentences for dozens of serious crimes, sparking immediate public outrage.

Governor Hochul has failed to take any action thus far about Mr. Bragg’s refusal to properly enforce the law.

“The Conservative Party is the party of common sense in New York, and common sense is needed more than ever in this case,” said Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar. “We have a renegade district attorney on our hands, and he must be removed from office. We urge New Yorkers to sign our petition to Governor Hochul, because — guaranteed — people are going to die because of Mr. Bragg’s wild ideological policy decision.”

In his first memo to staff on Monday, January 3rd, Mr. Bragg said his office “will not seek a carceral sentence” except with homicides and a handful of other cases, including domestic violence felonies, some sex crimes, and public corruption.

Bragg’s memo detailed the following instructions for prosecutors to reduce charges filed by cops in various cases:

  • Armed robbers who use guns or other deadly weapons to stick up stores and other businesses will be prosecuted only for petty larceny, a misdemeanor, provided no victims were seriously injured and there’s no “genuine risk of physical harm” to anyone. Armed robbery, a class B felony, would typically be punishable by a maximum of 25 years in prison, while petty larceny subjects offenders to up to 364 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
  • Convicted criminals caught with weapons other than guns will have those felony charges downgraded to misdemeanors unless they’re also charged with more serious offenses. Criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a class D felony, is punishable by up to 7 years behind bars.
  • Burglars who steal from residential storage areas, parts of homes that aren’t “accessible to a living area” and businesses located in mixed-use buildings will be prosecuted for a low-level class D felony that only covers break-ins instead of for more serious crimes. Those more serious crimes, class B and class C felonies would be punishable by up to 25 and up to 15 years in prison respectively.
  • Drug dealers believed to be “acting as a low-level agent of a seller” will be prosecuted only for misdemeanor possession. Also, suspected dealers will only be prosecuted on felony charges if they’re also accused of more serious crimes or are actually caught in the act of selling drugs. That felony would mean facing up to seven years behind bars.

Mr. Bragg continued: “ADAs should use their judgment and experience to evaluate the person arrested, and identify people: who suffer from mental illness; who are unhoused; who commit crimes of poverty; or who suffer from substance use disorders. Charges should be brought consistent with the goal of providing services to such individuals, and leverage during plea negotiations should not be a factor in this decision,” he wrote.

“If Governor Hochul allows Mr. Bragg to remain district attorney, she’ll be signing the death warrant of an untold number of New Yorkers. Firing him could be the most important act she makes as governor of this state,” Mr. Kassar said.

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