MAYVILLE — Chautauqua County District Attorney Patrick Swanson says modifications to the New York State bail reform statue are not enough to fix the issues previously discussed by law enforcement and prosecutors around the state.
Swanson tells WNYNewsNow that the changes technically began Thursday throughout the state. He says he believes the changes are a good start, but more action needs to be taken.
“There are some additions to what we can get bail on, compared to what the law was, that I would say are positive developments,” Swanson said. “But, ultimately, my hope is, somewhere down the road, that the realization that we need to give the judges discretion back, is what we really need.”
Swanson says that any crime that is alleged to have caused the death of another individual now qualifies for bail as part of the statute. The prosecutor adds that includes second-degree manslaughter, which was previously ineligible for bail as part of the original statute that took effect Jan. 1.
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