Brooklyn DA To Decline To Prosecute Low Level Crimes As Coronavirus Spreads

by CrownHeights.info

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez released the following statement updating on the COVID-19 virus:

In the coming weeks, my Office will continue to provide essential services necessary to keep Brooklyn safe while adopting social distancing practices to keep our employees and visitors safe and to slow the spread of COVID-19.

During this public health emergency, it is imperative that we also protect those who might be exposed to the Coronavirus during the procedures of arrest, processing and detention in Central Booking.

Therefore, in the interests of public health and safety, and in appropriate exercise of prosecutorial discretion, we will immediately decline to prosecute low-level offenses that don’t jeopardize public safety.

In addition, I am asking our defenders to alert us to clients in pre-trial detention who are vulnerable to infection and who we should consider releasing during this crisis.