"Criminal Court Judge John Walsh dismissed most of the roughly three-dozen summonses he heard on Monday, either due to insufficient details or errors in the NYPD-issued tickets or simply as a warning, also known as an "adjournment in contemplation of dismissal." Only a few cyclists were actually forced to pay a fine, albeit for pleading down their original criminal summonses to disorderly conduct, a violation."
"Ironically, the hearings were taking place on the 16th floor of the Municipal Building in lower Manhattan just as Mamdani was holding an unrelated press conference. The mayor has been asked repeatedly by reporters why he is continuing a policy instituted by Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch even though he has insisted that cyclists "should not be facing a criminal summons." Tisch began the crackdown on cyclists last spring on orders from her former boss, Eric Adams, and nevertheless, despite the new mayor, she persists."
"Cyclists called on Mamdani to force Tisch, who works for him, to scrap the aggressive enforcement policy, which led to an array of bizarre and brutal arrests of cyclists and e-bike riders, and snarled thousands of New Yorkers in the criminal justice system for violations that were previously subject to a traffic ticket that they could conveniently pay online, just like car drivers."
NYPD has issued a wave of criminal summonses to city cyclists for basic moving violations, converting routine traffic infractions into criminal cases. Criminal Court Judge John Walsh dismissed most of about three dozen summonses because of insufficient details, ticket errors, or granted adjournments in contemplation of dismissal. A small number of cyclists paid fines after pleading down to disorderly conduct. Mayor Mamdani has said cyclists should not face criminal summonses, yet the enforcement policy instituted by Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch remains active. Cyclists report bizarre and brutal arrests and urge the mayor to end the aggressive policy that has funneled thousands into the criminal justice system.
Read at Streetsblog
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