New York governor vetoes bill that would make it easier for people to challenge their convictions
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill days before Christmas that would have made it easier for people who have pleaded guilty to crimes to challenge their convictions, a measure that was favored by criminal justice reformers but fiercely opposed by prosecutors.
The Democrat said the bill’s “sweeping expansion of eligibility for post-conviction relief” would “up-end the judicial system and create an unjustifiable risk of flooding the courts with frivolous claims,” in a veto letter released Saturday.
Under existing state law, criminal defendants who plead guilty are usually barred from trying to get their cases reopened based on a new claim of innocence, except in certain circumstances involving new DNA evidence.
The bill passed by the Legislature in June would have expanded the types of evidence that could be considered proof of innocence, including video footage or evidence of someone else confessing to a crime. Arguments that a person was coerced into a false guilty plea would have also been considered.
https://apnews.com/article/new-york-guilty-pleas-challenges-bill-8597ae74b6b40419054272b072a5c472Open linkView original on lemmy.world
The system is working exactly as designed. This almost accidentally made it a little fairer to prisoners.
I wouldn't doubt it if 99% took a plea because they were threatened with a super harsh sentence as an alternative. If everyone stopped pleading you would have the same backlog "upending" the court system. Think that's the case in Oregon, no deals so everyone wants to goto trial.
Trials are how it's supposed to work. I'd argue the plea bargain system de facto violates the right to a fair trial since the vast majority of prisoners never got one
Oh, god, no, the horror! Imagine, all the paperwork of people seeking justice. Perhaps some of them are not actually innocent?! What a ridiculous waste of time, allowing people who may not be actually innocent appeal convictions, just because it will allow wrongfully convicted people to go free.
Only insurrectionist white people get endless appeals silly! People of color go fill the for-profit prisons, it's the circle of life!
I think ny only has public prisons
Looked a little deeper and NY only has public prisons, but there are private "detention centers" whatever that horror is.
She is such a piece of shit. Everytime I hear about her she's screwing over the little guy. She's supposed to be a Dem.
She was more conservative than cuomo, who is about as conservative as you can get from an economic standpoint.
https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-signs-four-new-laws-protect-consumers-price-gouging-medical-debt-and-unfair
Ever since the r2r (right to repair) bill got gimped by her, I don't trust her to do anything good
She's been vetoing a lot of good stuff lately.
What is R2R?
Right to Repair
What a piece of shit. I hope the legislature can overturn the veto, but I can't imagine any/many Republicans voted in favor of this.
Katie, what u doin'!
thepoliceproblem
As a kbin user, I have not figured out how to link to Lemmy communities. [email protected]
In some places people will give a falsified statement for a cigarette and a Twix. Cops know this, too. Just to give a little context as to why this is actually a potentially good thing