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Public Advocate Jumaane Williams on wrongful convictions and the need for police transparency and accountability
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In this chapter Public Advocate Jumaane Williams speaks on the need for police transparency and the need to address wrongful convictions in New York City.
He highlighted the importance of this issue, referencing the vacating of 316 convictions involving discredit NYPD officers and the impact such convictions have had on communities and the individuals involved.
Williams emphasizes the financial cost to the city and the need for laws and policies that ensure justice and accountability, such as the implementation of Intro 586 and the wrongful convictions act.
He concludes by stressing that wrongful convictions are a scourge on the legal system and quoted Doctor Martin Luther King Jr., “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Yusef Salaam
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And I'd like to pass the microphone to our public advocate, Jumani Williams.
Jumaane Williams
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Thank you so much.
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Morning.
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Peace and blessed and love and lights, everyone.
0:05:13
Mister chair, I I just wanted to point out this is pretty momentous.
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I know you alluded to it in your statement, but to have you Youssef Salam, formerly of Central Park 5, now Alexander 85, to be chairing and hearing from New York City Council Public Safety.
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On wrongful convictions is simply amazing.
0:05:33
I just wanna make sure I put it on a record.
0:05:35
And as a as a person of faith to another person of faith, allow walk by the most simply, God is great.
0:05:41
So just wanna make sure I put that into the record.
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As mentioned, I'm a public advocate of the city of New York.
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My name is Giovanni Williams.
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I wanna thank cheese alarm, members of the committee on public safety for holding this important hearing and the members of NYPD for being here.
0:05:54
And June of last year, district attorney Alvin Bragg, who, by the way, is a district attorney of a county that is much safer than Maricopa County in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Vacated 316 convictions involving discredit NYPD officers.
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These convictions occurred between 19962017 and have those 31657 of the convictions resulted in in incarceration.
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This, of course, did not cover everyone wrongfully convicted in our city, as a result of abusive corrupt or discriminatory policing.
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One of those people is in the room serving as the chair of this committee.
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I would also like to acknowledge Steven Lopez, a 6 person wrongfully arrested incarcerated for the 1989 attack on the jogger in Central Park who was exonerated in 2022.
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There are many ways that police investigate the procedures can result in wrongful convictions, including coercive, interactive techniques that result in false confessions lying on the stand in court failing to return over culpitatory evidence working with an unreliable performance and displaying outright prejudice.
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New York City and the United States unfortunately has a long history of police misconduct leading to wrongful convictions, the first scope of which we are only just beginning to see with the advent of DNA analysis leading to an increase in exonerations.
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Longfire convictions, harm entire communities, incarceration tears people from their loved ones traumatizing, not only them, but their friends and families, who may have depended on that person emotionally and financially, and not to mention leaving the person who is actually guilty still out.
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When a person is released from prison or jail or even if they were not sentenced to any period of incarceration, the criminal record follows them and affects their ability to pursue employment education and and a conflict even where they can live.
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Wrongful convictions, Hamas City Financial as well.
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For example, Lewis and his Kosovo, a former NYPD detective who has been accused of framing dozens of people for murder has caused taxpayers a $110,000,000 settlement alone.
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Derek Hamilton who spent more than 20 years in prison as a result of Scottsdale's misconduct and persuaded prosecutors throughout his conviction was awarded $7,000,000 by the city and his since become an activist working to 3 other innocent people.
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This is money that can go be going to schools, housing, and other social services.
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This all underscores the need for police transparency and accountability.
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At the end of last year, this council passed intro 586, part of the Harmony Staff sect, which requires reporting on lower level ones and 2 investigative counters.
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And my hope is that mayor Adams and NYPD will implement this law, and I'm looking forward to conversations about how we can best implement it.
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Further, all the allegations should be recorded in accordance with state law, and I believe we have to ask that CCRB to be given some additional power in terms of disciplining officers who engage in abuse corruption discrimination and misconduct.
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Regardless of whether police truly believe in suspect is guilty, the safeguards and standards must be followed in any investigation.
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But we have found that this allowing often the commission to be the sole person that makes a decision makes it more difficult for there to be accountability when it comes to discipline.
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We also must robustly invest in public defense, legal services providers called on administration for a $195,000,000 and increased funding for fiscal year 24.
0:09:02
The city must fulfill the contracts on time or our entire legal system can can suffer.
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And lastly, I ask governor Hochul to sign the wrongful convictions acting for law.
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This legislation will provide individuals convicted of a crime with opportunity for meaningful review to ensure redress for wrongful convictions, including in cases where the individual has pleaded guilty.
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Wrongfully convicted people who pleaded guilty often have no recourse for justice.
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And this law would create a path for them.
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Wrongful convictions are a scourge on our legal system, particularly for a community that already feels a burden of the overuse of incarcerated resources.
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I'll remind you of the words of Doctor Monarchy Junior.
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Injustice anyway is a threat to justice is everywhere looking forward to discussion.
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Thank you.