Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly is kicking off her reelection bid Tuesday by heading to Albany to name for adjustments to the state’s “pro-criminal” discovery legislation.
Donnelly, a Republican, advised The Publish she’s working on her file of placing violent criminals behind bars and standing up for law-abiding residents.
Democrat Nicole Aloise will look to unseat her in November, one other profession prosecutor who spent 16 years working in each the Queens and Nassau district attorneys’ workplaces.
“As a prosecutor with over 32 years of experience, and as the District Attorney of one of the largest counties in the state, I’ve witnessed firsthand how Cashless Bail and Discovery Reform Laws have compromised public safety,” Donnelly, 60, mentioned.
She is about to seem at a press convention within the state Capitol alongside state Senate Minority Chief Robert Ortt and members of the Senate GOP convention to induce the Democratic-run Legislature and Gov. Kathy Hochul to revise or repeal the controversial bail reform and discovery legal guidelines.
“Since the implementation of these laws, we’ve seen a revolving door of justice, where criminals walk free on technicalities while victims continue to suffer,” Donnelly mentioned.
The invention legislation — authorised in 2019 — moved up deadlines for prosecutors handy over proof and the names of witnesses to the defendants’ attorneys.
The deadlines are unrealistic for prosecutors with giant caseloads, Donnelly claims. And minor errors — usually unrelated to the crime itself — have led to the dismissal of significant circumstances, permitting criminals to stroll free, she mentioned.
She helps limiting the quantity of data turned over to the protection and shortening the time-frame protection attorneys can problem a prosecutor’s discovery certification.
“In some cases, we’ve been forced to hand over victims’ sensitive information—like a rape victim’s phone number—directly to their attacker,” she added.
Hochul herself has known as for adjustments to the invention legislation, coming on the urging of the state District Attorneys Affiliation.
Donnelly was first elected DA in 2021, in a crimson wave upset over Democratic state Sen. Todd Kaminsky, who voted for the 2019 bail and discovery legal guidelines.
She has assisted within the infamous Gilgo Seashore serial killer case and secured convictions in high-profile circumstances, together with the tried homicide of Nassau County law enforcement officials.
“When I ran for District Attorney in 2021, I promised the people of Nassau County that I would always put their safety first—and I have delivered,” Donnelly mentioned.
However, she mentioned, “the fight is far from over.”
