Alvin Bragg slammed for prioritizing COVID card fraud over immigrant assaults on police
As he faces mounting criticism over his decision to release -- without bail -- a group of illegal migrants accused of attacking NYPD officers, Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg has also drawn the ire of a state Supreme Court judge who has publicly questioned his priorities, as the Daily Mail explains.
The judge at issue believes Bragg is in the wrong by focusing on prosecuting COVID-19 vaccine card-related offenses rather than crimes targeting law enforcement.
Outrageous attack, aftermath
As CBS News noted, late last month, a group of illegal immigrants attacked a pair of NYPD officers in the Times Square area of the city.
The incident unfolded when the police were attempting to break up a crowed that had grown disorderly outside of a shelter on West 42nd Street.
Even though video evidence of what occurred was readily accessible, Bragg opted to release the suspects without bail, sparking outrage among police officers as well as the general citizenry.
According to Bragg, the footage alone was not enough to do anything other than release the suspects, because it did not “conclusively identify each defendant.”
Bragg declared, “In a court of law, our profound obligation is to make sure we have right people charged with right crimes. I don't think New Yorkers want to charge the wrong person. There is a presumption of pre-trial non-incarceration for every case except those with charges of homicide or the death of a victim.”
Judge speaks out
As the New York Post reported, Bragg's conduct drew a sharp rebuke from state Supreme Court Justice Brendan Lantry this week when he dismissed felony charges that had been brought against two individuals who purchased falsified COVID-19 vaccine cards during the pandemic.
Lantry declared the charges to be overkill and stated that the two defendants in the case had been essentially “cherry-picked” by Bragg to face counts of possession of a forged instrument.
In his opinion, Lantry assailed the fact that Bragg's office “routinely -- nearly daily -- move[s] to dismiss significantly more serious counts or entire indictments” so as not to impose stricter penalties for those previously convicted of felonies or to put their immigration status in danger.
Reactions pour in
Among those who lauded Lantry's words and his decision regarding the COVID card defendants was City Council Minority Leader Joseph Borelli, who opined to the Post, “This is what Alvin Bragg is -- a clown. Imagine prosecuting a scared woman for this, even though she didn't use the fake card, while at the same time letting violent perps go. I'm glad the judge called him out for the world to see.
Also commenting on the growing frustration regarding Bragg's prosecutorial priorities -- and by extension the lax stance on immigration taken by President Joe Biden – was outspoken liberal actor and comedian Michael Rapaport who went so far as to say that the powerful Democrats' dereliction of their duties could force him to cast his vote for “pig d*** Donald Trump” in the November election.
