Brooklyn Defenders Urges State Lawmakers to Reject Changes to New York’s Discovery Laws

“For decades, prosecutors and police in New York were not required to provide crucial evidence, known as ‘discovery,’ to people facing criminal allegations or their attorneys until the eve of trial. Instead, people were coerced to plead guilty blindfolded to the evidence, fueling mass incarceration and wrongful convictions. In 2019, New York enacted new discovery laws, bringing the state from one of the worst on this issue to one of the best in the country.

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Rather than provide the necessary resources to fulfill the purpose of New York’s discovery law, Governor Hochul, alongside a handful of District Attorneys, are attempting to force through a proposal that would gut these much needed reforms. Legislative changes to undermine the discovery laws will diminish prosecutorial accountability, result in more wrongful convictions, and cause more New Yorkers to languish in deadly jails for longer."

View full statement here.


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