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Criminal justice advocates push back against Governor's Discovery changes
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New York Governor Kathy Hochul is proposing to "streamline" the Discovery process in the state's court system as part of her FY2026 Executive Budget proposal. The goal is to close loopholes that lead to cases being dismissed due to technicalities. The proposal includes:
1. Allowing prosecutors to certify subpoenas after disclosing all relevant materials.
2. Expanding automatic redaction of sensitive witness details.
3. Reducing the notice period from 48 hours to 24 hours before presenting a defendant's statements to a grand jury.
However, public defenders and criminal justice reform advocates are opposed to the proposal, saying it would shift the burden to the defense and undermine the reforms implemented in 2019. They argue that there are no loopholes or provisions allowing for meritless dismissals, and that the proposal would lead to coerced pleas, wrongful convictions, and pre-trial delays.
The Center for Law and Justice in Albany agrees with the advocates, stating that the reforms were implemented to give people a second chance and prevent low-level crimes from entering the justice system. They believe that reversing these reforms would have negative effects on families and communities.
Criminal justice advocates push back against Governor's Discovery changes
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