Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

Brooklyn District Attorney's Office

Brooklyn District Attorney's Office

  • Brooklyn District Attorney Candidates Address Criminal Justice Reform at Forum

    dfnjhhbv0aazwy

    Brooklyn DA candidates at Thursday's forum (photo: @FaithinNewYork)


    The candidates for the Brooklyn District Attorney race gathered at St. Francis College in Brooklyn on Thursday for a forum hosted by criminal justice and civil rights advocacy groups, focusing on contentious issues revolving around criminal justice in the borough. Five candidates offered their takes to an audience of community advocates and Brooklynites concerned about mass incarceration, police abuse, bail, and other contentious issues.

    The candidates present were Acting DA Eric Gonzalez, City Council

    ...
  • 'Making A Murderer' Flaws All Around Us

    making a murderer

    photo via Making A Murderer on Twitter


    The Netflix documentary "Making A Murderer" challenges the moral core of our criminal justice system: that the police and prosecutors are objective and unbiased. The film follows Steven Avery, a Wisconsin man who spent 18 years in prison for rape before being exonerated, then arrested for murder two years later, found guilty, and sentenced to life in prison. The highly questionable police methods—a key piece of evidence miraculously appears; an improbable confession

    ...
  • Incoming DAs Plan to Join Thompson and Vance Warrant-Clearing Efforts

    vance bratton nypdnews

    DA Vance with Commissioner Bratton, photo via @NYPDNews

     


     

    In an effort to reduce the city’s backlog of 1.3 million open arrest warrants for unanswered summonses for non-violent offenses such as being in a park after dark, having an open container of alcohol, and littering, city district attorneys are holding amnesty events,

    ...
  • At 'Begin Again,' Signs of New Approach to Broken Justice System

    ken thompson jumaane williams laurie cumbo

    DA Thompson, center, with Council Members Williams & Cumbo (@JumaaneWilliams)


    During Father's Day weekend, hundreds of individuals received the gift of a new beginning. The Brooklyn District Attorney's office held a 'Begin Again' event to lift open arrest warrants related to summonses for low-level offenses ranging from public intoxication, the most common violation, to being

    ...
  • Are DAs Doing Enough to Overturn Wrongful Convictions?

    DA Thompson Reynoso

    Brooklyn DA Thompson, left, & Council Member Reynoso (photo: @BrooklynDA)


    What is the price of winning? For prosecutors in wrongful conviction cases, it can be a life.

    Last year, there were a record 131 exonerations nationwide according to the National Registry of Exonerations. Of those exonerated, six were serving time on death row.

    During that same time period, six new Conviction Integrity Units (CIUs) were established at district attorney offices across

    ...