Latest news with #ManhattanDA
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Manhattan DA quietly pulls data dashboard amid slipping convictions
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's conviction rate has plunged every year since he took office — and he's hiding the ugly numbers from the public, The Post has learned. Just 35% of felony cases – 6,871 out of 19,602 crimes – ended in convictions last year, down from 37% in 2023, 40% in 2022, and 42% in 2021 before Bragg took office, according to data from the state Division of Criminal Justice. And those numbers are way down from 2019, the last year before New York's woke discovery reform laws took effect, when 64% of felonies resulted in convictions. Advertisement 4 Alvin Bragg's conviction rate has fallen every single year since he took office. Steven Hirsch Even when the Democratic prosecutor's office did win a conviction, 66% of the time it was a charge downgraded to a misdemeanor or even a non-criminal violation. And the number of felony cases Bragg simply refused to prosecute has nearly doubled since he took over – from 7% in 2022, to 8% in 2023 and 12% in 2024. Advertisement Bragg ordered prosecutors to stop seeking prison for hordes of crimes including armed robberies and drug dealing in his Day 1 memo. 'These outcomes are by design,' Rafael Mangual, legal fellow at the Manhattan Institute, told The Post. 'Bragg's philosophy is that incarceration should be the last resort. And he won't even pursue prison terms beyond 20 years, irrespective of the offense.' Mangual says Bragg fails to acknowledge that 'prison is where we get the public safety benefits – because individuals who are currently engaged in criminal conduct are going to be taken out of commission.' 4 Felony conviction rates have dropped and refusals to prosecute have risen since Bragg took office. NY Post Design Advertisement Misdemeanor convictions are tanking too, plummeting from 24% in 2022, to 21% in 2023 and 17% in 2024, records show. Bragg declined to prosecute 9% of misdemeanors in 2022, then 19% in 2023 and 31% in 2024, according to the data. But the public would never know any of this because the DA's office quietly yanked the data dashboard from its website. 4 The data page of the Manhattan DA's website has been 'under construction' since the fall. Advertisement It's been 'under construction' since October. 'They hid it knowing that DA Bragg is going to be up for re-election,' slammed outraged West Village resident Scott Evans. 'They're hiding behind the curtain of 'there's no data to talk about.' ' Evans says he's pressed Bragg's representatives about the missing page at community meetings – only to be told they don't want the public to 'misinterpret the data.' A spokesperson for Bragg told The Post he's working with the other boroughs' DA's on how to present the data, without adding more specifics. 4 A screenshot of the Manhattan DA's data page taken on September 25, before it was taken down. Scott Evans Before it was pulled, the DA's office touted its data dashboard as 'groundbreaking.' 'The Manhattan DA's office is committed to enhancing transparency in the criminal justice system,' the website boldly used to claim. 'Our data dashboard, the first in New York State, provides the public with comprehensive data about our office's prosecutions.' Case data was updated weekly. Advertisement 'This is exactly the wrong time to take that tool away from the public, as we come into an election year and they try to evaluate whether that's the direction they want the DA's office be moving,' said Mangual.
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
Dozens of propane tanks found in back of van after crash in NYC, police say
A driver is facing charges after police say they found dozens of propane tanks in the back of his van following a crash in Manhattan. Police said they responded to a crash Tuesday night at 42nd Street and 10th Avenue in midtown. The driver of the white mini van attempted to get rid of his keys and claimed he could not open the van, according to police. Police said the responding officers noticed a strong smell of gas and propane tanks in the back of the van. The FDNY was called in to remove 76 propane cylinders and 15 fuel canisters, for a total of 75 gallons of gas and 10 gallons of diesel, police said. The fire department posted four photos on social media, showing the cylinders stacked on top of each other in the back of the van, and then lined up on the street. The driver was charged with reckless endangerment and police said he was in violation of multiple fire codes. Police did not provide any details about why the man had so many tanks in his van. The Manhattan district attorney's office is now handling the case.
CBS News
3 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Vet testifies NYC carriage horse "never should have been working" on day it collapsed
The prosecution rested and the defense began its case Thursday in the animal cruelty trial of a man whose carriage horse collapsed in Hell's Kitchen nearly three years ago. Video of a carriage horse named Ryder on the ground at 45th Street and Ninth Avenue on Aug. 10, 2022, went viral. The horse's handler, 56-year-old Ian McKeever, has pleaded not guilty to overdriving, torturing and injuring animals, and failure to provide proper sustenance, a misdemeanor. The Manhattan district attorney's office alleges Ryder the horse collapsed after working a full day in 84-degree weather and that McKeever repeatedly tried to force the animal to stand, never offering water and ignoring signs he was in distress. A forensic veterinarian who examined Ryder nearly two months after the fall was called as a witness by the prosecution and testified the horse "never should have been working on that day." Ryder retired to an upstate farm, but was euthanized in October of that year. A necropsy was done. The veterinarian said cancer was found in multiple organs and the final diagnosis was T-cell leukemia. The effects of the leukemia likely were a contributing factor in the animal's collapse, the vet testified, but not the sole cause, adding Ryder not having enough fat and muscle, the heat, and a long day as other contributing factors. "He was pushed beyond his limit," the vet testified. The defense argues the horse tripped and fell, and was well taken care of. They called the director of Veterinary Public Health Services for New York City to the stand. She testified before they sign off on horse licenses, a vet has to submit a certificate of health. Christina Hansen, the chief shop steward for Central Park Carriages TWU Local 100, testified Ryder was in the stall next to her horse. Hansen said she saw Ryder most days, calling him bright and alert. "[He] never struck me as being an unhealthy horse," she testified. The defense called the current equine veterinarian for the NYPD as an expert witness. Prosecutors pointed out the doctor, a former horse racing vet, has been repeatedly fined with the state's gaming commission and faced other suspensions. He examined Ryder after the collapse and says he appeared responsive, but right away thought the horse had neurologic issues and was underweight. McKeever is expected to take the stand in his own defense before both sides make their closing arguments. If convicted, he faces up to one year behind bars.
CBS News
5 days ago
- CBS News
NYC carriage horse handler's animal cruelty trial gets underway amid calls for a ban
The trial of a New York City carriage horse handler accused of animal cruelty got underway Wednesday. The horse, named Ryder, collapsed in Hell's Kitchen during the summer of 2022. The video of the horse on the ground on 45th Street and Ninth Avenue went viral, and renewed calls by animal rights activists to ban horse drawn carriages in the city. The Manhattan DA's office said Ryder collapsed after working a full day in 84 degree weather, and that Ian McKeever, its handler, repeatedly tried to force the animal to stand, and at no point offered any water. McKeever, 56, is charged with overdriving, torturing and injuring animals as well as failure to provide proper sustenance. Prosecutors allege McKeever, who has worked in the industry for decades, ignored signs Ryder was struggling. Wednesday, a witness told the jury Ryder seemed to be in "major distress." "He looked emaciated. I could see all of his ribs," another witness testified. That same witness said Ryder's teeth looked really worn down. McKeever's defense attorney said the horse was well taken care of, and that it was on the ground because it tripped and fell. "Ryder's fall is heartbreaking, but the evidence in this case is not going to show that Ryder fell because Ian overdrove him," the defense attorney told the jury. McKeever is expected to take the stand in his own defense. The Manhattan DA's office says the horse had a variety of health issues and was sent to a farm upstate. It was eventually euthanized due to those various health issues. The manager of the Manhattan stable where Ryder was kept told the jury he bought the standardbred in Pennsylvania for McKeever's brother in April, 2022, and that he was checked out by a vet. Over the next few months, the horse lost a a little bit of weight, the manager testified. During cross examination, he testified standardbred horses are skinnier. During re-direct, the manager said again that it's the driver's responsibility to monitor the horse's condition when it's working. Member of the animal rights organization NYCLASS are attending the trial as they push for the passage of Ryder's Law, which calls for electric carriages to replace carriage horses. "Named after Ryder that would phase out the operation of horse-drawn carriages as so many other worldwide cities have done. For exactly the reasons, it is cruel and in a modern day city. It's wildly unsafe," said Edita Birnkrant, executive director of NYCLASS. Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents about 300 carriage horse drivers and owners, did not comment directly on the case, but blasted NYCLASS. "They have failed in their mission because their wild claims of widespread neglect and abuse are simply not true. Most of us are in this business because we love animals, want to spend all day with horses, and care deeply about them. NYCLASS has cruelly pursued the vilification of all carriage drivers in an effort to advance their animal rights agenda," Christina Hansen of TWU Local 100 said. McKeever has pleaded not guilty. He faces up to a year behind bars if convicted. The trial is expected to last a week.
New York Post
5 days ago
- New York Post
Prosecutors target warring ‘Fast Life,' ‘Wuski' gangs responsible for more than half of all gun violence in Harlem
Manhattan prosecutors said they are breaking up warring gangs by using lump prosecutions — slapping charges on the violent crews terrorizing the northern part of the borough. The Manhattan District Attorney's office recently indicted the Harlem-based 'Fast Life', 'LA World' and 'Wuski' gangs, officials said. 'Bringing these indictments and removing individuals from the community who we allege repeatedly endanger the lives of others, including other young people, is a necessary step to achieve lasting public safety,' DA Alvin Bragg said. Advertisement The three crews were involved in a nasty gang war, which allegedly caused more than half the gun violence in East Harlem between March 2024 and September 2024, according to prosecutors. Some 16 members of both crews were allegedly involved in 21 shootings, according to the indictments of the LA World and Wuski crews. Members of the Fast Life crew are also alleged to have been involved in shootings in a separate indictment. 4 16 members of the warring LA World and Wuski crews were allegedly involved in 21 shootings, according to the Manhattan DA's office. William Farrington Advertisement 'It's an impactful case, but also illustrative of the problem that can happen when two gangs are really, really get going,' Assistant DA Pierre Griffith said. Assistant DAs Chris Prevost and Pierre Griffith argued that by building cases against these crews, prosecutors are attacking the structure that encourages violent crime. 'Gun violence, particularly spikes in gun violence, are often concentrated within certain neighborhoods … it can be linked to particular criminal enterprises within a neighborhood that are engaged in some sort of ongoing feud with another gang,' Griffith said. 4 The Manhattan DA's office alleges that members of the LA World and Wuski gangs were at one point responsible for more than half the violence in East Harlem. Manhattan DA Advertisement A handful of gangs driving up gun violence wasn't just a fluke, according to prosecutors. Members of the '200/8 Block,' '6 Block', and 'Own Every Dollar' crews terrorized Inwood and Washington Heights for six years, allegedly having been involved in a combined 18 shootings that took the lives of seven people, according to prosecutors. They were also responsible for half the shootings in the two neighborhoods for 2024, much like the gangs in Harlem, prosecutors said. 4 A member of the Wuski gang allegedly carrying out a hit, according to prosecutors. Manhattan DA Advertisement 'We certainly see that they can have a disproportionate impact on gun violence in an area,' Griffith said. 'So we're always trying to identify them and bring cases that can hopefully address those issues.' Prosecutors analyze the social media of alleged gang members and cooperate with on-the-ground members of the NYPD to build their case against both the crews in Harlem as well as in Washington Heights and Inwood. 'We've had a lot of good luck and success with the sort of units that we partner with in the NYPD who are focused on gun violence, gangs and criminal enterprises,' Griffith said. 'The resources at those areas can bring an indictment.' 4 Prosecutors analyze the social media pages of alleged gang members' and cooperate with on-the-ground members of the NYPD to build their cases. Manhattan DA In North Manhattan, where the gangs were operating, the amount of homicides has also dropped from 34 to 14 homicides from the same time last year, according to city figures. Shooting victims and shooting incidents have also been nearly slashed in half, according to the NYPD.
