Resistance greets Hochul’s bid to change bail laws

‘Dangerousness’ among proposal’s 10 points

Advocates and lawmakers are pushing back on Governor Kathy Hochul’s plan to enact more restrictive bail laws as she looks to respond to increases in major crimes and gun violence. Hochul said she would look to negotiate the changes and introduce them as part of her $216 billion budget proposal, which is due on April 1.

The governor’s 10-point plan, as reported by the New York Post, would expand the number of crimes eligible for bail and give judges more discretion on when to detain suspects and repeat offenders, among other changes. The plan would also tweak the “Raise the Age” statute, including by giving judges the ability to keep gun-possession cases involving minors in criminal court.