The sad fact is that Cy Vance routinely values bad police officers over the people they discriminate against, bully and abuse. Holding police accountable is a decision that starts at the top. Let’s face it: These injustices won’t stop happening until we throw the people in charge out of office.Īs a public defender for over a decade, I’ve seen far too many instances of abuse by police officers. The videos of the NYPD that we have seen recently are horrifying, but I know from working on the inside as a PD they’re not an aberration. How would that same experience influence your handling of police accountability issues? As a former PD, I will always recognize that, based on my experience representing thousands of people charged with crimes, if someone is locked up for 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks, or even 3 days, they’re exponentially more likely to re-offend or get rearrested. And we’ll provide mental health and substance abuse treatment rather than locking up the afflicted. We will decriminalize sex work and low-level drug offenses. With a former public defender as DA, we’ll be able to end cash bail for real as well as finally end the system of wealth-based detention, which does not keep us safe. That’s why I know the only way we can change the system is by changing the DA. If someone is locked up for 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks, or even 3 days, they’re exponentially more likely to re-offend or get rearrested.Īs a public defender, I took on Cy Vance’s office for a decade in defense of some of New York’s most vulnerable people. It’s not that the system is broken, the problem is that it’s working exactly the way a rigged system is supposed to. In short, the non-powerful and disconnected. I’ve spent over a decade pushing back against a system that’s designed to systematically disenfranchise so many: Black and brown people, lower-income people, LGBTQIA+ folks, sex workers, those from marginalized communities. My experience as a public defender is what drives me to seek change for Manhattan. How would your experience as a public defender influence the changes you’d implement in the DA’s office? Her extended network of supporters also helped generate the substantial fundraising numbers Orlins’ campaign reported last week. Orlins, a Manhattan native, has used her national platform to advocate for criminal justice reform. ![]() She is also known for her performances in the reality-TV shows Survivor and the Amazing Race. ![]() ![]() Note: This the fourth in a series of interviews with 2021 contenders in the race for Manhattan District Attorney.Įliza Orlins has been a public defender with the Legal Aid Society in Manhattan since 2009.
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