Attorney Steven Epstein Weighs in on Bail Reform and Gun Violence Debate in ABC 7 Interview

In the last week, the number of people shot in New York City was up roughly 206% compared to last year, according to the New York City Police Department. The reported increase in violence marked the fifth straight week in which more people were shot this year than the year before. During a press conference Monday, NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan described early jail releases and bail reform as contributing factors to the violence. Attorney Steven Epstein pushed back on Monahan's assertion that bail reform is contributing to the increase in shootings.

"I think its offensive, and it's racially based coded language," Epstein said. "Bail reform has nothing to do with the people who get arrested and charged with those types of serious offenses such as homicide. Those people would still be subject to remand or significant cash bail. Bail reform has to do with misdemeanor and non-violent offenses."

See the whole story here.