NYC should have ‘no plea bargain rule’ for prosecuting hate crimes: Mayor Adams

New York City prosecutors should never offer plea deals to people accused of hate crimes, Mayor Adams said Thursday.

“Many people who commit these hate crimes are not going to jail after being arrested, not serving any time at all. We believe this is the wrong message, and we should have a no plea bargain rule around these issues,” Adams said. “It is imperative that we do not attempt to cover up hate crimes, but respond to them accordingly, charge people accordingly and hold them accountable for the actions.”

The mayor floated the hardline prosecution policy in a virtual press briefing after attending a conference in Athens, Greece on combatting anti-Semitism.

He said taking the possibility of a plea deal off the table for hate crime cases was one of his main “takeaways“ from discussions at the conference.

“Oftentimes in these cases, we allow individuals to plead down to harassment or some other lesser crime. I believe we should not allow any plea bargaining at all in cases involving crimes that are stemmed from hate,” he said.

Plea deals — which are frequently used by district attorneys — allow defendants to avoid trial in exchange for copping to charges agreed upon by both sides.

Hate crimes have ticked up dramatically in the city since the beginning of the pandemic, according to NYPD data.

In all of 2019, the NYPD reported 423 hate crimes across the city. This year, there had already been 469 bias incidents as of Sept. 30, according to the latest available NYPD statistics.

Beyond rolling back plea bargains, Adams said there must be a social media crackdown on hate speech that incites violence.

“Our federal lawmakers must take a higher role in how we look at social media, the impact it is making in radicalizing and coalescing people around hatred of all kinds, including anti-Semitism,” the mayor said. “The social media industry must take a stronger role on dealing with hate.”