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Bronx DA explains case screening process and bail eligibility impact on Rikers population
6:12:42
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111 sec
Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark explains her office's approach to case screening and its impact on the Rikers Island population:
- Cases are carefully screened for bail eligibility
- Rikers primarily houses individuals charged with bail-eligible offenses
- The Bronx has 1,127 cases in Rikers, mostly for serious crimes like murder and weapon possession
- Clark defends her office's high declination rate and focus on public safety threats
Darcel Clark
6:12:42
Well I would say in The Bronx, you know, we screen each case very carefully.
6:12:50
You know, a lot has to do with whether or cases are bail eligible.
6:12:54
So, you know, Rikers Island is not filled with people that for crimes that are not bail eligible.
6:13:03
So we're talking about cases that we can seek bail and may receive, bail from judges.
6:13:11
Doesn't always happen in The Bronx.
6:13:13
I could tell you that.
6:13:14
But what I can say is that, you know, we make sure that we we screen them and those that I have in Rikers and I think as of today or yesterday, I had to look up some numbers.
6:13:28
There were 66,967 people in Rikers, and of those, 1,127 were held on Bronx cases.
6:13:42
And those cases, the top charges are murder in the second degree, attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon, robbery in the first degree, and attempted criminal possession of a weapon.
6:13:56
Those are some of the those are the areas that cause the most harm to public safety.
6:14:02
So when I have cases, you know, I look at them thoroughly.
6:14:05
Look, I get accused for not prosecuting enough cases.
6:14:08
So I have the highest declination rate in the city and I get blamed for that.
6:14:13
So to have 1,100, you know, I I mean I wish nobody had to be in jail, if we have to hold people accountable and we have to talk about public safety, those that are held on Bronx cases have been alleged to committed these crimes that I've spoken.
6:14:29
These are the top charges that poses the most threat to public safety in The Bronx.