Gowdy: How many people will be victimized by soft-on-crime policies?
‘Sunday Night in America’ host examines the consequences of the left’s ‘dangerous’ justice reform.
Former federal prosecutor Trey Gowdy tore into the new Manhattan District Attorney on Sunday, wondering whether the progressive soft-on-crime Democrat might be better suited for a job on "the editorial board at the New York Times."
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr., is accused of abandoning the law and traditional law enforcement procedures in his third day on the job with a memo ordering prosecutors not to seek prison sentences for a slew of crimes and to downgrade charges – including for robberies and commercial burglaries.
Gowdy called the new directive "dangerously stupid."
"The problem is he doesn’t want to be a prosecutor," the "Sunday Night in America" host told viewers. "He has a hard time finding crimes he wants to prosecute…and even when he can be bothered to prosecute. He doesn’t believe in prison. So we have a prosecutor who doesn’t like prosecuting or punishing crime. I wonder if he might be happier as a defense attorney or maybe working for the editorial board at the New York Times."
Bragg's memo states robbery charge should be downgraded to a petit larceny if the brandishing of the weapon "does not create a genuine risk of physical harm." The DA also said he will stop prosecuting other crimes – including some trespass offenses, resisting arrest and fare evasion, but plans to aggressively seek "alternatives to incarceration" for cases that do warrant prosecution.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 01: District attorney candidate Alvin Bragg speaks during a Get Out the Vote rally at A. Philip Randolph Square in Harlem on November 01, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) ((Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images))
Gowdy said the new policies would seemingly eliminate the role of police, juries and judges.
MANHATTAN DA SAYS HE DOESN'T ‘UNDERSTAND’ THE PUSHBACK TO SOFT-ON-CRIME POLICIES
"We hear the phrase ‘threat to democracy’ a lot," he said. "What would you call a prosecutor who decides to ignore laws passed by legislative bodies and eliminates the role for police, juries and judges. Is that anti-democratic when one person issues a memo obviating the criminal code? Why would the police arrest anyone who isn't going to be prosecuted? Why should the police risk their lives or risk being sued to investigate crimes the prosecutor will either reduce to probation or dismiss?"
Bragg follows a path of progressive prosecutors in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston, Philadelphia, among others, who are pushing for radical changes to the justice system on the local level.
"Does that sound progressive or insane?" Gowdy asked, emphasizing that policies like these ultimately hurt the people most likely to be victimized, "which is often communities of color and those who don’t live behind gates or have a security detail."
Democratic candidate for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks to the press after casting his ballot in the New York City election in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., November 2, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Segar
"These hug-a thug, soft on crime policies have real world consequences. Not only are more people victimized and killed, but these prosecutors are trying to change the law with a memo. That is anti-democratic," he asserted.
In an interview with Fox News, Bragg defended his office’s agenda, sparking immediate backlash.
"We’ve laid out a path that is going to reduce incarceration, reduce violent crime, get people services, are neighborhoods safer, get New York City back up on his feet," he said. "It’s the road forward and the pathway to safety and justice."
Gowdy said the approach won't bode well for Democrats in November.
"I hate to ruin the ending but when you let violent people out on bond, you get more violence," he said. "When you have fewer police, less funding, less prosecutions and no prison time, you are going to get more violent crime.
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"That does not sound very progressive to me," he concluded. "It sounds stupid but dangerously so. My guess is a political strategy of closing the schools but opening the prisons is not going to work come November."
Gowdy wondered how many people will become victims of crime between now and then.