During a virtual appearance at NYU Law School, Manhattan DA Bragg acknowledged botching the rollout of his controversial policy memo—which sparked immediate backlash and relentless tabloid coverage—but stood by the underlying policies within the document.
Some of the coverage, Bragg said, came from misinterpretations of a memo originally meant for prosecutors in his office. Some of that scrutiny centered around his statements that certain crimes that had been charged as violent robberies would be charged as petit larcenies. Public
, their clients often faced “upcharging,” meaning prosecutors levied more serious charges against them than the actual offenses they were alleged to have committed. Bragg said in cases where the facts indicated a serious crime, perpetrators would be charged accordingly. “If you are beating someone up and brandishing a knife, that is a serious matter,” Bragg said. “The fact pattern …under our law is quite serious.”
Still Bragg indicated the policies he laid out weren’t meant to be set in stone and that prosecutors in his office would have the freedom to apply them with their own discretion.NYC news never sleeps. Get the Gothamist Daily newsletter and don't miss a moment.By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our
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