Public defenders tell legislators not to compromise on discovery reform
More than 50 public defender groups sent a letter on Wednesday to state legislators and their staff pleading with them not to accept last-minute proposals to weaken the state’s landmark discovery law reforms. The reforms, passed as part of the budget in 2019, require prosecutors to promptly provide evidence to the defense. Nearly every public defender group in New York state signed onto the letter, which was shared exclusively with City & State.
The letter argues that the 2019 reforms to the discovery process were necessary and that the closed-door discussions about potential changes to the reforms have excluded key stakeholders.
