Tina Luongo, Attorney-In-Charge of the Criminal Defense Practice at The Legal Aid Society, joined other Chief Defenders from The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, New York County Defender Services and Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem on a joint op-ed decrying the fear-mongering from law enforcement and other detractors concerning the newly implemented reforms to New York’s bail, discovery, and speedy trial statutes.

“Moving past the fear-mongering, it’s important not to lose sight of the victims of the old system. It is people like Jerome Murdough and Kalief Browder and India Cummings and Robert Ingalsbe and Selmin Feratovic and Layleen Polanco who have lost their lives because of brutal jail conditions and the violence and despair they breed. New York must show the nation that we can make real strides toward justice in our criminal legal system. Too many lives have already been ruined not to implement these reforms as required under the law.”

Read the full op-ed now in the Gotham Gazette.