Hate crime suspect arrested for third time in one week under new NY bail reform laws
Tiffany Harris is arrested three times in five days under New York's new criminal justice reforms. New York Republican Assemblyman Mike Lipetri sounds off.
After a hate crime suspect was arrested for the third time in one week and released without bail under new criminal justice reform laws, state Assemblyman Mike Lipetri, R-N.Y., predicted Thursday that the laws would pose a "huge" threat to New York in the upcoming year.
Appearing on "Fox & Friends" with host Brian Kilmeade, Lipetri said that the case of Tiffany Harris is "exactly why" he is now running for Congress.
"Because we have to restore common sense and you're not seeing it here at all," said Lipetri. "What you're doing is now you are posing a danger to the community."
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According to the New York Post, Harris, 30, has more than a dozen total arrests to her name. She was released without bail on Saturday in advance of the new "soft-on-crime" reform laws, only to be arrested again on Sunday for allegedly punching a woman unprovoked.
She was freed on Monday after pleading not guilty to her crimes.
Lipetri said that Harris was just one example of how the new legislature could hurt New York residents.
"Christmas Eve you had a hit-and-run of a mother of three who was killed, you had an NYPD officer who was sucker-punched, and all these criminals [are] being released out without bail back into our streets and back in our communities," he added.
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Lipetri explained that there used to be judicial discretion in cases like Harris's where judges could determine on a case-by-case basis whether or not the defendant was a "serious offender," posed a danger to the community, or were potentially a flight risk.
"What happened [was] the legislature overreached its authority, stepped into [the] judiciary, stripped from judges to determine [that]," he explained. "And, that could no longer be the case. That's a huge issue."
"There's no common sense," Lipetri told Kilmeade.
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Kilmeade noted that there is a one-party rule in blue states like New York and California -- eliminating compromise or a "counter" to Democrats' positions.
"That's why you have to start remembering the law-abiding middle-class residents -- standing up for them, their values -- not criminals," Lipetri stated.