Bodega Self-Defense Killing Shows the Failure of Progressive Criminal Justice Reform in NYC

Crime rates in the Big Apple are high. The city’s Soros-funded District Attorney has taken a progressive approach to crime—weak on criminals, hard on self-defense.

What happened. Jose Alba, 61, was working in a Manhattan bodega. A convict (on parole for attacking an officer) stormed into the store after his girlfriend’s government benefits card was declined. The convict went behind the counter and attacked Alba, who then stabbed him fatally.

The charges. Immediately, Alba, charged with murder, had his bail set at a quarter of a million dollars and had to spend almost a week at the dangerous Riker’s Island jail. The video of the stabbing was available instantly and showed apparent self-defense. Alba also had no prior criminal record.

• Bipartisan outrage ensued. NYC bodega owners urged the DA to drop the murder charges and renewed calls for implementing Stand Your Ground self-defense laws in New York.

Where’s the Soros-funded DA in all of this? Since Bragg has been in office, he has sought to make it harder to punish criminals and has worked to lower sentencing for violent criminals. In this case, he could have dropped the murder charges, but Bragg’s office tried to double the bail to $500,000. Prosecutors eventually lowered Alba’s bail to $50,000.

Big picture. Progressive criminal reform aims to reform bail, limit mass incarceration, and focus on police misconduct rather than prosecuting criminals. These efforts result in preventable crime. Jose Alba’s case fits the trend of being weak on crime but hard on those who defend themselves against it.