New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has lashed out at the state's criminal justice system, blaming soaring crime rates in the Big Apple on a dramatically reduced number of trial verdicts, which he slammed as 'unacceptable.'
A spokesperson for the court system responded by accusing the mayor of 'gaslighting' the public in an attempt to shift the blame for the crime epidemic.
Speaking during his daily remote press conference on Monday, de Blasio revealed that in the first half of 2021, there were only 18 trial verdicts across the five boroughs, compared to 405 during the same time in 2019.
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday revealed that there were only 18 trial verdicts during the first half of 20201, compared to 405 in 2019
De Blasio blamed the city's elevated crime rates on the criminal justice system
The mayor said courts have been lagging behind other institutions in reopening at full capacity, despite offers of help from the administration
'That isn't good enough,' the mayor said, after heaping praise on the New York City Police Department for making a record number of gun-related arrests, and highlighting the work of community activists.
Lucian Chaifen, Director of Communications with the Office of Court Administration, responded to de Blasio's harsh criticism by accusing the mayor of engaging in finger-pointing.
'Yet again, the mayor demonstrates his glaring lack of understanding of the criminal justice process in this state,' Chaifen said in a statement. 'His gaslighting rhetoric regarding court operations is an attempt to shift the public safety discussion continues.'
The spokesperson argued that the court system has been back at full strength since May, and rebuked prosecutors and defense attorneys for not being prepared to try their cases.
Chaifen, nevertheless, acknowledged that because of social distancing requirements, only three trials can now be held simultaneously in each county, compared to up to a dozen before the pandemic, as New York Post reported.
State courts outside New York City have produced 118 trial verdicts during the first eight months of the year.
A spokesperson for the court system hit out at de Blasio, accusing him of using 'gaslighting' rhetoric' to shift blame
Latest numbers from the NYPD show that shootings, rapes and assaults are all up
'Whether it’s something as horrible as a murder or gun violence, you need a culture of consequences,' de Blasio said. 'The court system not functioning is having a bigger impact than almost any other factor right now.
'The absence of those consequences for a whole variety of crimes is undermining public safety.'
He added: 'If someone has committed a crime against a fellow New Yorker and they never see a consequence, or they think it's so far away that it will have no impact on their life, it gives them license.'
According to latest NYPD crime statistics, shootings were up 5.3 per cent during the week of August 23-29, compared to the same time last year.
Rape and felony assault rates were also up about 5 per cent, but the number of murders slipped 1.3 per cent, compared to August 2020.
De Blasio argued that because of the courts, violent crimes go unpunished, which he slammed as being 'unacceptable'
De Blasio went on to accuse city courts of lagging behind other institutions in reopening at full capacity.
'We have a lot of businesses back at full strength. In the areas that we have our new mandates for - indoor dining, entertainment - they’re back full strength. Why is the court system the outlier?' de Blasio demanded. 'We need our criminal justice system fully operational to protect New Yorkers. Period. Anything less than that is unacceptable.'
The mayor also contended that his administration has continuously offered to help the courts to ramp up their operations by providing additional space and aid with vaccination, 'and we're still not getting a satisfactory outcome,' he said.
Lisa Ohta, president of the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys, told NY1 that although the pandemic has delayed some trials, there is little evidence to suggest that it has resulted in elevated crime rates.
'It is the low-level offenses, the violations, the non-violent misdemeanors that have been delayed more than other things, as they should be, because these are not issues that are putting people at serious risk,' Ohta said.
