As part of the State’s 2020 Budget, the New York Legislature enacted sweeping changes to the criminal justice system. While a sizeable portion focuses on overhauling the current discovery and speedy trial laws, public attention has gravitated toward the dramatically transformed bail structure. Specifically, monetary release conditions or “cash bail” (e.g., cash, credit card, bonds) have been eliminated for virtually all misdemeanors and non-violent felonies – meaning that persons charged with “non-qualifying” offenses must be released from custody. Additionally, law enforcement officers must issue desk appearance tickets (a formal arrest without being held until arraignment) to individuals charged with misdemeanors and Class E felonies (the lowest class level of felony offenses) in lieu of effecting a custodial arrest unless they have an outstanding warrant, a temporary order of protection is being sought, or a driver’s license suspension is mandated.

CNN came under fire this week when two of their employees were exposed for vile, anti-Semitic tweets back in 2011. Although there has been one resignation so far, anyone familiar with CNN’s history should not be surprised that their vetting process did not catch this, prior to hiring these employees. They have long since turned a blind eye to a certain type of bigotry, namely bigotry towards Jews.

Visit included trip to the site of the former death camp

 In late August 2019, I had the opportunity to visit Poland as a guest of the Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation. Together, our delegation of federal government employees spent one week diving into graduate level coursework on the heart-wrenching history of atrocities perpetrated against mankind, and atrocity prevention strategies so that we may better identify, counteract and prevent future acts of violence against humanity. Genocide has been perpetrated over the centuries all over the world, but the scope of the Holocaust is unparalleled. Two-thirds of the Jews in Europe were exterminated during this time. 

Joe Lieberman was almost U.S. vice president. But his real distinction was as a politician who stuck to his principles and showed how to be a faithful Jew in the public square.

(March 28, 2024 / JNS) In a life full of accomplishments, Joe Lieberman will almost certainly be best remembered as the answer to a trivia question. Even more significant was his role as a supporting player in one of the most intense political controversies as well as one of the great “what ifs” in American history. But as much as the 2000 presidential election—during which he became Al Gore’s running mate and the first Jew ever to achieve such a distinction—and its denouement over recounts in Florida was his moment in the sun, his life should be recalled with honor and affection for much more than that.