October 15, 2017 | New York Daily News
Unlike other public officers, prosecutors are often not able to explain their actions — no matter how much we might want to, and no matter how loudly our constituents demand that we do. This is especially so in grand jury investigations, which are required by law to remain secret. That’s why I’ve asked an independent group to help us radically reduce the appearance of influence of money in our work. It's why I've asked the folks at CAPI to look at other jurisdictions around the country and the world, and recommend any steps that we can take, on our own accord, to raise New Yorkers’ confidence that money and power are meaningless before the law.
New York Daily NewsOctober 10, 2017 | New York Post
“This was a brutal stranger assault, and I commend the victim for her bravery in bringing her attacker to justice,” said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. in a statement.
New York PostOctober 2, 2017 | The Manhattan District Attorney
The events in Las Vegas are beyond tragic or reason. All New Yorkers wish the people of Nevada, the families of the victims, and the survivors strength and resolve in the difficult days to come.
The Manhattan District AttorneySeptember 14, 2017 | New York Amsterdam News
As Manhattan’s district attorney, it is my responsibility to make our criminal justice system fairer, more efficient and more effective for all. And if we are going to build a more just system, we must begin by safely reducing unnecessary contact with the criminal justice system. Each new initiative contemplated by my office is scrutinized through that lens, and if a past policy inhibits that goal or contributes to an injustice, we have a duty to reform it.
New York Amsterdam NewsSeptember 7, 2017 | Politico
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance announced that his office is changing its plea guidelines for marijuana arrests to lighten penalties for first- and second-time offenders, effective Tuesday. The new approach is expected to help some immigrants avoid penalties that could lead to deportation and comes amid backlash from municipalities and states over President Donald Trump's immigration policies — specifically the use of courts to identify and deport undocumented immigrants. Vance announced that his office is also working on a policy, to be implemented in the spring, to end prosecutions for low-level drug possession.
PoliticoSeptember 5, 2017 | The Manhattan District Attorney
“Today’s announcement by the Trump Administration to remove protection from deportation for young people brought into this country by their parents is a dark moment in our history. Tens of thousands of New Yorkers will be directly impacted by the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, and the potential removal of law-abiding, tax-paying, and hardworking individuals from schools, jobs, communities, and entire industries will have a ripple effect far beyond that circle.
The Manhattan District AttorneyAugust 23, 2017 | CNN
New York's turnaround on violent crime has improved the lives of all New Yorkers. In 1990, there were more than 2,000 murders in our city. Last year, there were 335. I'm proud to say that New York remains the safest big city in the nation, at least according to the Economist's Safe Cities Index. But this progress could come to a screeching halt if the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, known as CCRA, passes Congress.
CNNAugust 16, 2017 | The New York Times
The Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus Vance Jr., stepped into the void left by the Legislature when he agreed l to pay for Governor Cuomo’s prison education plan with more than $7 million in criminal forfeiture money secured from banks. Lauding what he described as a public safety measure, Mr. Vance said, “It makes no sense to send someone to prison with no pathway for them to succeed.”
The New York TimesAugust 15, 2017 | The Manhattan District Attorney
“I applaud Governor Cuomo’s swift response to the events in Charlottesville by announcing legislation today to add rioting or inciting a riot to New York’s Hate Crime statute. Domestic terrorism perpetrated by white supremacists and neo-Nazis has no place in this city, and will be prosecuted by this office.
The Manhattan District AttorneyAugust 9, 2017 | The Manhattan District Attorney
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the dismissal of 240,472 summonses ten years or older, eliminating the collateral consequences of years-old summons warrants for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and enabling them to collaborate more fully in their communities without fear of arrest. District Attorney Vance personally moved to vacate the summons warrants in Manhattan Criminal Court before Supervising Judge Tamiko Amaker, before moving to dismiss the 240,472 summonses themselves. In total, approximately 644,500 summons cases were dismissed simultaneously in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.
The Manhattan District Attorney