DRIVER OF A BLACK NISSAN MAXIMA
WITH TINTED WINDOWS.
IN A STUNNING DEVELOPMENT,
THE POWERFUL NEW YORK STATE
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER TELLS
CBS SHE IS READY TO CONSIDER
CHANGES TO THE STATE'S
CONTROVERSIAL AND JUST ENACTED
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM LAWS.
WITH THE RECENT INCREASE IN
HATE CRIMES, SENATE LEADER
ANDREA STUART COUSINS IS NOT
THE ONLY ONE TALKING ABOUT
REFORMING THE REFORMS.
CBS2 POLITICAL LEADER AND
REPORTER MARCIA KRAMER HAS
MORE.
Reporter: IT'S BEEN JUST
THREE DAYS SINCE NEW YORK'S
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM ACT
TOOK EFFECT, THREE DAYS IN
WHICH PEOPLE CHARGED WITH
COMMITTING ANTISEMITIC HATE
CRIMES HAVE MADE HEADLINES
BECAUSE UNDER THE LAW JUDGES
FREED THEM WITHOUT BAIL.
AND NOW THIS.
WOULD YOU CONSIDER SOME KIND OF
CHANGE?
WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK -- WE
WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT
REFORMING THE SYSTEM BUT MAKING
SURE AGAIN THAT WE DO IT RIGHT
AND WE ARE AS CONCERNED ABOUT
THESE HATE CRIMES AS EVERYONE.
WHAT I DON'T WANT --
YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE
POSSIBILITY OF MAKING CHANGES?
I WILL LOOK, ABSOLUTELY, WE
WILL LOOK.
AND WE WILL MAKE APPROPRIATE
CHANGES AS NECESSARY.
Reporter: THE POWERFUL HEAD
OF THE NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
WAS ASKED ON THE POINT CBSN NEW
YORK'S POLITICAL TALK SHOW
ABOUT WHETHER THE LAW NEEDS TO
BE CHANGED TO INCLUDE A PUBLIC
SAFETY CAR VOTE.
JUDGES ALLOWED TO SET BAIL IN
CASES WHERE THE DEFENDANT COULD
POSE A THREAT TO THE COMMUNITY.
NEW JERSEY, CALIFORNIA AND
ILLINOIS ALREADY INCLUDE THE
CARVE-OUT.
I WONDERED HOW YOU FELT WHEN
YOU SAW THE HEADLINES AND YOU
SAW THE PICTURES OF PEOPLE
ARRESTED FOR HATE CRIMES
GETTING OUT, GOING BACK ON THE
STREET THE VERY SAME DAY AND
DOING IT AGAIN.
WAS THERE A PART OF YOU THAT
SAID WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING?
ABSOLUTELY.
Reporter: SHE ISN'T THE ONLY
ONE ADMITTING THINGS NEED TO
CHANGE, THAT THE LAW NEEDS TO
BE AMENDED.
TODD KOMINSKY ALSO SAYS CHANGES
ARE NEEDED.
NO DOUBT.
WE CAN'T SIT HERE AND SAY WE
WANT A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY
AGAINST HATE CRIME AND SAY
THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S TIME THAT
WE GET SERIOUS ABOUT IT AND OUR
LAWS NOT REFLECT THAT.
Reporter: CBS2 URBAN AFFAIRS
EXPERT MARK PETERS SAYS.
IT'S GOOD NEWS WITHOUT THE
SAFETY VALVE OF ALLOWING JUDGES
TO ASSESS DANGEROUSNESS WHILE
PUTTING PEOPLE OUT ON THE
STREET WHO ARE IN FACT A DANGER
TO THE PUBLIC.
THE SENATE MAJORITY LEADER
TOLD ME LAWMAKERS WILL WORK FOR
ADVOCATES, MEMBERS OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT, THE DISTRICT
ATTORNEY'S OFFICES AND OTHERS
