Rep. Lee Zeldin, the conservative Republican underdog running to become governor in New York, is aligning himself with the law-and-order policies of New York City's Democrat mayor, Eric Adams, to appeal to swing voters who are concerned about public safety.
In 2019, the state changed its bail law to prevent those charged with relatively minor crimes from being held on bail. The law, which took effect the following year, has since been amended twice amid widespread opposition from law enforcement officials, who claim it has led to increased crime, The New York Times reported.
State judges cannot hold defendants based on their perceived dangerousness, and are only required to use the least restrictive means of ensuring defendants return to court. Adams and Zeldin are demanding a special session in Albany to pass stricter pretrial detention.
"Our criminal justice system is insane. It is dangerous. It's harmful. And it's destroying the fabric of our city," said Adams, a former police captain.
New York's bail laws were in the spotlight by a recent incident involving Zeldin, who was publicly attacked by a man who was swiftly released from custody, Politico reported.
"As a result of this insane, broken system, our recidivism rates have skyrocketed," Zeldin said.
Zeldin needs to get about 30% of New York City voters to unseat Democrat Kathy Hochul as governor, and he is trying to mimic Adams' tough-on-crime policies to do that, The New York Times observed. Zeldin hailed a recent Supreme Court decision allowing easier use of concealed weapons in New York State.
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