If you were thinking about opening up a business in New York, particularly in Manhattan, may we offer a word of advice? Don’t. Even before this year, it was dangerous to try and make a living if you were a small business owner, but thanks to a newly elected District Attorney, life is about to get even harder for law abiding citizens and much easier for dangerous and armed criminals.
Ever since Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg took his position this year, he’s been mired in controversy for directives that he’s given his office and staff. His first memo basically told the attorneys under his employ that they were no longer allowed to treat armed robberies as felonies. Instead, alleged criminals are to be prosecuted for petty larceny.
What’s the difference in punishments? Well, not only is one a misdemeanor and one a felony, but one is a max punishment of a year in jail and a thousand dollar fine and the other is a max of 25 years in prison. There was also the abolishing of life sentences without parole, even for the serial crimes of murder and rape.
Of course, Bragg told the world that his memo was misinterpreted by the multitudes because we aren’t all lawyers. He defended policies in which he told his staff not to seek out “carceral sentencing”! He even claimed that most of the memo was common sense and he couldn’t understand “the push back” on his memo.
Bragg even said some career criminals needed to be connected to mental health or addiction services.
“This is going to make us safer. It’s intuitive. It’s common sense,” he said. “I don’t understand the push back.”
He did insist that he would be tough on guns.
The New York Post’s Nicole Gelinas went after Bragg and the infamous memo. The breakdown was intense, thorough, and heavily detailed, both in point of what the actual laws in New York state should be happening, as well as what Bragg is now recommending for his office.
“To review: Bragg calls out five provisions of criminal law.
“Two of the provisions cover only gun crimes.
“The third covers only “deadly weapons,” like knives (not pork chops).
“The fourth covers only the actual use or immediate threat with a dangerous instrument.
“The fifth covers only the actual use of physical force, not the threat of physical force.
“Then, Bragg told his lawyers not to prosecute these crimes.
“Instead, suspects “should be charged under “155.25,” which is misdemeanor larceny.
“In short: If you hold a gun to a clerk’s face and ask them to empty the cash register, it’s a misdemeanor, with a theoretical year in prison, but, in practice, no real punishment.
“What aren’t Sewell, Wylde and the rest of us understanding?”
In yet another story by the New York Post from January 10th, 2022, it’s being reported that several business leaders are looking into recalling Bragg as he shows no signs of walking back the policies that might make New York City a more dangerous city than it already was last year and the year before.
Fox News asked an even more important question. Why would cops want to risk their lives in this city?
Below are some tweets and reactions, most of which are pointing out that this will simply push people out of the city and into other states altogether. Particularly Florida.
Go NY
soon Miami will triple by size
— Janis Krumins (@JanisKruminsJr) January 10, 2022
The New York City District Attorney just skyrocketed South Florida real estate prices by downgrading armed robbery to a misdemeanor.
— Kumar
(@datarade) January 9, 2022
Time to leave north America for San Salvador
— Tanya Stanyar (@TStanyar) January 10, 2022
This story syndicated with permission from The Liberty Leader