Manhattan’s new district attorney said there will be no prison time in any case unless the defendant is found guilty of murder, other violent felonies, sex offenses or major white collar crimes.
District Attorney Alvin Bragg sent a memo to staff on Monday with the new changes, the Daily Caller reports.
“The Office will not seek a carceral sentence other than for homicide or other cases involving death of a victim, a class B violent felony…domestic violence felonies, sex offenses…public corruption…or major economic crimes,” the memo reads.
Marijuana possession, trespassing, resisting arrest, prostitution and “obscenity” related charges will also not be prosecuted.
“These policies are rooted in these life experiences and professional experiences and substantiated by data,” a Manhattan District Attorney press release reads. “They reflect both the need for fundamental reforms in the criminal legal system and the need for community safety.”
“The two goals of justice and safety are not opposed to each other,” the press release added. “They are inextricably linked. We deserve and demand both, and that has been the focus of my career, and indeed, my life.”
