“New Yorkers with 10-year-old summons warrants face unnecessary unemployment risk, housing and immigration consequences,” Mr. Vance told Criminal Court Judge Tamiko A. Amaker in Manhattan. Advertisement Continue reading the main storyThe dismissals affected a sizable share of the 1.6 million outstanding summons warrants citywide. As a practical matter, arresting people on summons warrants is not a high priority for the Police Department, but such warrants can prompt an arrest if someone is stopped for another reason. All five district attorneys have been hosting events at which people can go before a judge to clear up old warrants for minor offenses, usually by having the charges dismissed. Mr. Vance said the district attorneys had balanced leniency with concerns for public safety.

Source: New York Times August 10, 2017 00:45 UTC