On Wednesday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul chided critics of New York’s cashless bail system and called out judges and prosecutors for not following the law.
“I am aware of the mayor’s press conference, and I absolutely support his interest in getting the judges to follow the law,” Hochul said.
In an interview with the media, Hochul also defended the changes made as part of the state budget this year that expanded the list of bailable crimes and made it. Hence, judges have more authority to set bail when dealing with repeat offenders.
“I encourage everybody in the entire ecosystem related to public safety, starting with law enforcement and our district attorneys and our judges, to review the bail laws that were enacted in the budget,” Hochul added.
“Every one of those changes gives them the tools they need to work toward our common objective of increasing public safety,” she said.
According to reports, Hochul also suggested “continuing education programs” or more briefings from the state to ensure judges understand the current law.
New York’s cashless bail laws, enacted in 2019 and amended twice already, have consistently remained a flashpoint in Empire State politics, with critics on both sides of the aisle linking the changes to upticks in crime.
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