Search
Close this search box.

“kalief’s law” aims to reform pretrial detention after honoree spent 3 years in rikers awaiting trial

Share This Post

NewsOne

The New York State Assembly has passed “Kalief’s Law” in an effort to regulate the right to a speedy trial and ensure that people aren’t held in pretrial detention for longer than necessary, according to the Amsterdam News.

The measure, passed in early June, is named for Kalief Browder, a Black man who was arrested as a teen in 2010 on charges of stealing a backpack. He spent 1,000 days in Rikers Island and 700 days in solitary confinement while awaiting trial. His case was eventually dismissed.

The bill is slated to be introduced to the Senate and if passed, it will be signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

From the News:

“For too long, the constitutionally guaranteed right to a speedy trial has been denied in New York. Our broken Rockefeller-era law does nothing to guarantee to a speedy trial for the accused,” said New York State Senator Daniel Squadron, who cosponsored the bill with Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry. “In fact, it does the exact opposite, protecting a system that too often delays justice at the cost of defendants, victims and the taxpayers.”

Read the Article

More To Explore