‘Bout Time: New York Becomes The First State To Pass Bill Holding Prosecutors Accountable For Misconduct

August 21, 2018

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New York Becomes The First State In The Nation To Approve Prosecutorial Misconduct Bill

After several years of innocent people being wrongly convicted as a result of prosecutorial misconduct — the tide has shifted as of today.

New York just became the first state in the nation to establish a binding watchdog organization on prosecutorial misconduct. It's not perfect, but until now, we had nothing.

For the first time in our lives, corrupt district attorneys & prosecutors will be held accountable.

— Shaun King (@shaunking) August 20, 2018

We have Brooklyn Assemblyman N. Nick Perry to thank for the bold initiative, which was designed to increase accountability for prosecutors — who are among the most powerful agents in the U.S. criminal justice system but rarely face punishment for misconduct.

All my colleagues who co-sponsored and voted to pass this
bill join me in assuring you that we will use the powers of the public
offices we hold to erase the inequities in our justice system, and together
help balance the scales of justice in the Empire State.

— N Nick Perry (@NNickPerry) August 20, 2018

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill, which allows for a commission of 11 members, appointed by officials from all three branches of the state government, to investigate allegations of misconduct by the state’s 62 county district attorney’s offices.

He said in a statement,

“Our criminal justice system must fairly convict the guilty and exonerate the innocent. When any prosecutor consciously disregards that fundamental duty, communities suffer and lose faith in the system, and they must have a forum to be heard and seek justice. This first-in-the-nation Commission will serve to give New Yorkers comfort that there is a system of checks and balances in the criminal justice system, and to root out any potential abuses of power to ensure that our justice system is just for all New Yorkers.”

It takes a whole village to undo generations worth of injustice, and this is a dope place to start.