Mayor Eric Adams says his “coronary heart goes out” to Jose Alba, the bodega employee unjustly charged with homicide for defending himself from a violent assault. But he gained’t condemn Manhattan District Legal professional Alvin Bragg for bringing the charges in opposition to Alba and having him jailed on $500,000 bail.
What’s the mayor afraid of?
Adams says “we can not dictate or mandate how [a DA] determines how he’s going to prosecute crimes,” and he gained’t “second-guess” Bragg “for his actions.”
Hmm. The mayor had no issues “second-guessing” Staten Island DA Mike McMahon’s choice to hit a grocery-store employee with a 24-hour jail keep for seeming to strike former Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Adams known as that lockup “unfair” — and explicitly urged the DA to consider prosecuting Giuliani for submitting a false police report.
Sure, the mayor’s coronary heart is in the precise place on crime. The police initiatives he’s put in place have began to drive down homicides and shootings considerably — although different crimes proceed to tick up. And he rightly blasts his fellow Dems’ disastrous criminal-justice “reforms.”
But Bragg — who refuses to do what’s essential to keep our streets, companies and subways protected — confirmed his actual agenda with the Alba cost. No bail or jail time for serial criminals, however elevate a hand in your individual protection and he’ll toss you within the slammer in a heartbeat.
Adams must make extra noise about it. Even a bipartisan group of metropolis council members is demanding Bragg drop the case; they haven’t any downside “second-guessing” the DA.
Certainly, Bragg is actively turning prison justice on its head, going easy on perps and now cracking down on victims.
It’s all of the extra cause for Gov. Kathy Hochul to fireplace him, and if she gained’t, it’s cause sufficient for voters to fireplace her this November. (Her rival within the governor’s race, Lee Zeldin, vows to oust Bragg instantly if he gained’t do his job.)
And Adams shouldn’t be afraid to say so.
