Only days away from the General Election, Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini is attempting to undercut the growing support for challenger Ray Tierney on the issue of bail reform which has become perhaps the top issue in this contentious DA race.
In his more recent statements, Sini tells voters that he met with NYS legislators both on Long Island and in Albany advocating against bail reform. While Republicans have openly opposed so-called bail reform, the Democratic supermajority swept this legislation through both Senate and Assembly with ease during the 2019 state budget. At a recent debate in front of the Suffolk County Criminal Bar Association, Sini further pointed to an Op-Ed that he penned to Newsday with then Nassau District Attorney Madeline Singas in opposition to the bail laws.
In fact, they did no such thing; they took the opportunity to instead expressly profess a need for this reform.
“We need to overhaul New York’s Bail system,” their Op-Ed reads, “because no one should be in jail awaiting trial simply because they’re poor. We support the transition to cashless bail.” That doesn’t sound like a criticism to us!
In an exclusive interview with The Messenger Papers, Assemblyman Doug Smith of Holbrook, and Assemblyman Joe DeStefano of Medford both remembered a meeting in Albany on February 26, 2019 where Suffolk Executive Steve Bellone and DA Sini addressed the full bipartisan Assembly and Senate delegation about the county’s priorities. Smith and DeStefano clearly recall that Sini expressed support for cashless bail and did not take a hard position in opposition.
“To be honest,” Assemblyman Smith noted, “more time was spent discussing a support for electric bikes, and now there appears to be a lot of back pedaling.”
“Suffolk’s Sheriff Errol Toulon, a Democrat, stood with us at rallies and press conferences in Albany and on Long Island strongly opposing these dangerous catch and release policies. Babylon Supervisor and Suffolk Democratic Leader Rich Schaffer stood with us in opposing these laws. District Attorney Tim Sini remained silent – and we would have really appreciated his support,” Smith stated.
With one-party rule in Albany, District Attorney Tim Sini had an engraved invitation to be a leader on this issue, instead he has put Suffolk residents in grave danger.
That is the message. This is The Messenger.
