Gov. Kathy Hochul defended New York's bail system and pointed to a 12% drop in retail theft over the last year as evidence that crime is down. President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. Attorney General to compile a list of jurisdictions he says substantially eliminated cash bail for crimes including violent assaults, sex offenses, burglary, looting, and vandalism. The White House highlighted cases involving repeat offenders released under state bail laws. Hochul rejected the characterization that New York has cashless bail and said the state increased bail-eligible crimes and judicial discretion after 2019 reforms. Hochul said the problem is not the law but judges failing to apply it.
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday defended New York's bail system and pointed to falling retail theft numbers as evidence that crime is down one day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order threatening to cut off federal funding to states he claims have dangerous bail policies. Trump's order, signed Monday, directs U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to compile a list of jurisdictions that the president claims substantially eliminated cash bail for crimes such as violent assaults, sex offenses, burglary, looting, and vandalism.
At a press conference in Harlem on Tuesday morning, Hochul rejected Trump's claims, stressing that New York does not have a cashless bail system. The President's wrong. He's flat out wrong. We don't have cashless bail in the state of New York, Hochul said. She pointed to changes made since the 2019 reforms originally eliminated bail for misdemeanors and non-violent felonies. Later revisions expanded the list of bail-eligible crimes and gave judges more discretion to detain repeat offenders.
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