Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - A hearing is scheduled in Albany Monday that will provide further context on efforts and pressures to further revise the state’s controversial bail reform laws.
In Buffalo, a top law enforcement official tells WBEN he agrees with Governor Kathy Hochul's bid to roll back some of the bail reform. Hochul wants judges to have more leeway in determining whether to grant bail.
"We have put out a lot of information on the fact that changes need to be made," says Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia. He says changes needed to be made to bail reform, but those changes went too far. "Judges need to to be allowed to be judges and have that discretion to make determination on cases," says Gramaglia.
Gramaglia believes the biggest challenges are the language of least restrictive means when it comes to bail. "When we have gun defendants that are being arrested, not once, but twice, and sometimes three times and more, we're seeing bail numbers for gun defendants significantly lower than they used to be prior to bail reform," says Gramaglia. He says that really goes back to that language of least restrictive means possible. He says with stolen cars, suspects usually get released on their own recognizance. "You have to send a message at some point, there has to be accountability," contends Gramaglia.
Mayor Byron Brown says Gramaglia and his team have meticulously kept track of the numbers and will send them to state lawmakers.
Hochul made the roll back proposal during the State of the State address this month.