NYC Council Eyes Easing Punishments For Public Urination, Litter
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The New York City Council is poised to pass criminal justice reforms that would curtail the punishments for low-level offenses such as urinating in public.
The overhaul intends to help unclog the city's courts and jails.
The Criminal Justice Reform Act would alter the penalties for offenses including littering and possessing an open container of alcohol in public. Those offenses would remain illegal, but the legislation would steer them to civil court rather than criminal court.
The package of bills was unveiled Monday by Democratic City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, who said it will result in more proportional penalties for low level, non-violent offenses.
Some penalties would be reduced from 90 days in jail to one day in jail. Community service could be substituted for a monetary penalty, WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported.
"The thing is that right now when you talk about public urination, when you talk about open container, when you talk about the parks rules and littering, you can have a criminal record as a result of being stopped by a police officer," Mark-Viverito said, adding it'll save 10,000 people per year from having a permanent criminal record.
The legislation will be voted upon by the council Wednesday. It has the support of police and Mayor Bill de Blasio, who would sign it into law.
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