News: Codes Committee Advances Justice and Safety Measures

ALBANY— The Senate Codes Committee today advanced several bills today aimed at improving justice and safety in New York. Two of the bills are sponsored by Codes Committee Chair Senator Zellnor Myrie (D-Central Brooklyn) including:

• S.6319-B, the Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act. This bill will make it easier for certain defendants to apply for their criminal convictions to be vacated, or to challenge guilty pleas under certain circumstances
• S.8944, which grants courts and prosecutors more flexibility in plea agreements for certain felonies by allowing defendants to plea to a lesser charge when that plea is determined to be in the interest of justice

"New Yorkers depend on a legal system that puts safety, fairness and justice first," said Senator Myrie. "I'm proud to sponsor these bills which will ensure our criminal laws reflect our values, expand opportunities for defendants to challenge wrongful convictions, and provide greater discretion to the courts and prosecutors who administer our system of justice."

Among the other bills passed in the Codes Committee today were:

• S.9629 (Bottcher), Francesco's Law. This bill strengthens penalties for failing to safely store rifles, shotguns and firearms when accessible to minors and prohibited persons (such as people with prior felony convictions), and requires the Office of Gun Violence Prevention to collect data on injuries and deaths related to unsafe gun storage
• S.158 (Salazar), the Second Look Act. This bill allows eligible incarcerated people to apply for a sentence reduction, based on the nature of their sentence and the length of time already served
• S.878-C (Bailey), which clarifies under what circumstances a minor may be interrogated while in custody, and requires that minors have an opportunity to consult with an attorney before waiving their Miranda rights. The bill also strengthens current laws regarding notification and presence of a child's parents or legal guardians during an interrogation.

"These bills, along with the others we passed today, will protect minors' constitutional rights, give more incarcerated people an opportunity to apply for sentence reductions when warranted, and strengthen penalties for unsafe gun storage in New York State," concluded Senator Myrie. "As Codes Committee chair, I have consistently worked to advance legislation that protects New Yorkers and ensures the effective and fair administration of our criminal and civil laws. I'm grateful to my colleagues for passing these bills, and look forward to the work ahead."