John Flanagan Sounds Off On Bail Reform Laws, Creates Petition

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — John Flanagan, New York State senator, wrote a letter to the editor in which he denounced state bail reform laws. He's inviting residents to sign an online petition to get the laws repealed. Below is Flanagan's full, unabridged letter:

Dear Editor:

Since the beginning of this year, when changes that Democratic leadership made to New York State’s bail system began providing Get Out Of Jail Free cards to criminals, I have been extremely vocal about how these “reforms” are making our state and community less safe. As we have seen in an alarming number of cases, these changes have led to the release of hundreds of prisoners onto our streets, creating a policy that is dangerously shortsighted.

Thousands of residents have expressed their outrage at these “reforms” and made it clear that change must happen now. To help ensure that the voice of every New Yorker is heard, my office has set up an online petition that will allow everyone to join together to tell Governor [Andrew] Cuomo and the Democratic leadership in the Assembly and the Senate that we want change now.

While some Democratic legislators talk about making amendments, their words ring hollow. It is clear that correcting the mistakes created by bail reform requires an urgent solution and the inaction of Governor Cuomo and Democratic legislators is appalling. In just two weeks, we have seen a person charged with manslaughter; the driver of a fatal hit and run; a drunk driver in an accident that killed a pedestrian; and the perpetrator of a hate crime that’s been arrested three times in the past week all set free without paying bail.

I invite everyone in our community to join me in calling for immediate action to halt this extremely dangerous policy by visiting my website at flanagan.nysenate.gov and clicking on the link on our home page. Common sense needs to prevail, and the voices and safety of honest, law-abiding New Yorkers deserve to be put before the rights of dangerous criminals.

Sincerely,

John Flanagan