Manhattan DA Vance Says Low-Level Arrests of Protesters Will Not Be Prosecuted
The Manhattan DA's office will continue to evaluate other protest-related charges and will decline to prosecute where appropriate, according to a statement.
June 05, 2020 at 05:37 PM
3 minute read
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. Photo: Rick Kopstein/ALM
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. on Friday announced that his office will decline to prosecute charges of unlawful assembly or disorderly conduct related to arrests during protests for racial justice and against police brutality in the city.
Vance is apparently the first of the city's five district attorneys to make such an announcement.
Prior to Vance's announcement, the policy of his office was to offer arrestees an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal. The Manhattan DA's office will continue to evaluate other charges related to the protests, which were sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and will decline to prosecute where appropriate, according to a news release.
"Our office has a moral imperative to enact public policies which assure all New Yorkers that in our justice system and our society, black lives matter and police violence is a crime," Vance said in a statement. "We commend the thousands of our fellow New Yorkers who have peacefully assembled to demand these achievable aims, and our door is open to any New Yorker who wishes to be heard."
A spokesman for Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said the office plans to review arrests from the protests, most of which involved desk appearance tickets. So far, the Brooklyn DA's office has declined to prosecute live arrests that involved only disorderly conduct or unlawful assembly charges, spokesman Oren Yaniv said.
In the Bronx, the DA's office declines to prosecute and asks that a summons be issued if an arrest involves only unlawful assembly or curfew violation, spokeswoman Patrice O'Shaughnessy said.
A spokesperson for Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said that as of 8 p.m. Friday, the DA's office had not prosecuted anyone for protesting. Katz will decline to prosecute anyone arrested for violating the city's curfew order, the spokesperson said.
The Richmond County DA's office had not received any protest-related arrests as of 5:45 p.m. Friday, a spokesman said.
New York State Sen, Brad Hoylman, D-Manhattan, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, began calling Monday for all five DAs to drop charges of unlawful assembly or disorderly conduct.
READ MORE:
Defense Lawyers Appeal Ruling to Allow Arraignment Delays for Persons Arrested at NYC Protests
George Floyd's Death Sparks Revived Calls for NY Criminal Justice Reform Bills
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