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Criminal justice reform advocates are pushing for reforms that would redefine sentencing laws in New York, including eliminating mandatory minimums and allowing rehabilitating prisoners to ask for reduced sentences. But a rise in violent crime could hinder their momentum.
“This is a historic report, and it shows our commitment to righting any past injustices made by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office,” District Attorney Sini said.
Queens state Supreme Court Justice Joseph Zayas called the notes “abhorrent” and “a smoking gun” of discrimination. “The document explicitly instructs prosecutors to discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion and ethnicity, all in clear violation of well established constitutional law,” he said. Both sides in a trial are allowed to eliminate a certain number of potential jurors without giving a reason, in what are known as “peremptory challenges.” But a 1986 U.S. Supreme Court ruling prohibits prosecutors from excluding prospective jurors solely because of their race,...