New York State Senator Palumbo and Assemblyman Durso Push New Bill in Response to Latest Bail Law Failure

Anthony H. Palumbo

March 7, 2024

Fix Bail Reform Now

Fix Bail Reform Now

            New York State Senator Anthony Palumbo (R,C-New Suffolk) and Assemblyman Michael Durso (R,C- Massapequa Park) have introduced new legislation (S.8751) to make body dismemberment/concealment of a human corpse a bail eligible offense.

            The legislation is in response to the horrific case in Babylon, which gained national attention after body parts were discovered in a recreational park and several other locations, including a neighborhood. The suspects in the case were released under New York’s notoriously flawed bail laws after being charged with the concealment of a human corpse by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office as part of their ongoing investigations.

            “Nobody with an ounce of sensibility would say it’s a good idea to let someone charged with the sickening act of human dismemberment leave jail and roam the streets. Yet here in New York, that’s exactly the situation that the irresponsible Democrats who ostensibly lead this state have put us in due to their radical, nonsensical policies of putting criminals first,” said Senator Anthony Palumbo, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary and Codes Committees and a former Suffolk County Prosecutor. “Democrats’ bail policies have already been amended three times because they were such an ill-conceived disaster, and here we are again. Every Democratic legislator who voted for bail reform should hang their head in shame at the notion that we have to scramble to introduce legislation to keep people in jail who are charged with a crime as horrific as body dismemberment. It is a real-life nightmare.”

            “To have to explain to members of the Babylon community, my constituents, that those suspected of chopping up a human being can walk free is horrifying,” said Assemblyman Michael Durso. “While I was not in office at the time, I will fight like hell to undo the so-called bail reform laws so our law enforcement officers can find and hold these monsters.”

            Senator Palumbo continued, “How many more outrageous stories are needed, how many more crime victims need to be violated, and how many more innocent people need to be put in harm’s way before Albany Democrats fix the problems they have caused? Prosecutors and judges need their ability restored to keep dangerous individuals off our streets.”

            “While my legislation focuses on making the crime of body dismemberment/concealment of a human corpse bail eligible, it also highlights the urgent need for a systemic overhaul of the existing bail laws,” closed Senator Palumbo.

            The newly proposed legislation would make the crime of body dismemberment/ concealment of a human corpse a bail eligible class E felony.

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