Katal Responds to New Plan by the Office of Court Administration to Expedite Court Processes

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, October 11, 2024

Contact:  Yonah Zeitz, yonah@katalcenter.org | (347) 201-2769

Follow on Twitter @KatalCenter | #ShutRikers | #CutShutInvestNY

Katal Responds to New Plan by the Office of Court Administration to Expedite Court Processes

New York, NY: Yesterday, the Office of Court Administration announced a slate of reforms to speed up court delays in New York City Criminal Courts. The reforms are long overdue: court delays have become routine across the city, significantly contributing to the rising jail population. In a July report, the City Comptroller found that “between 2019 to 2023, there was a 179% increase in the number of felony cases in DOC custody that took more than three years to process.”

The reforms will be piloted in Brooklyn by the Kings County Supreme Court before rolling out city-wide. Administrative Judge Matthew D’Emic stated that efficient case management is critical to the administration of justice and is “necessary to the closing of Rikers Island.” 

Statement from Yonah Zeitz, Director of Advocacy, Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice. 

“Currently, incarcerated people spend years waiting to get their day in court. In 2023, over 1,500 cases required more than one year to be resolved. Our members – both those previously incarcerated at Rikers and family members with loved ones currently on the island – have been severely impacted by ongoing court delays in NYC. These delays are inexcusable and violate people’s constitutional right to a speedy trial. So this announcement by the Office of Court Administration is welcome news. Addressing the court delays is a vital step to reducing the jail population, which is essential to shutting down Rikers. Speeding up court processing times will reduce the jail population and move the city one step closer to shutting down Rikers once and for all.

Background: Since our launch in 2016, Katal has called for comprehensive speedy trial reform in New York. Addressing the speedy trial delays in New York is essential to ensure that people are not unjustly and unnecessarily held in pre-trial detention. Katal leads the #ShutRikers campaign with our allies to cut down the jail population; shut down Rikers Island; and invest in real public safety: housing, health care, education, and jobs. 

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