The role of district attorneys as advocates of criminal justice reform has set the tone for races across the country and the Manhattan DA race is no different with Cy Vance on his way out.
Below are eight candidates who want to advance the objectives that come together under the banner of racial equality and providing justice in modern way. As the June 22 Democratic primary approaches, New Yorkers will get to cast their vote for a new Manhattan DA, find out what they are about by reading on.
Dan Quart
I’m running to ensure one standard of justice for all Manhattanites and as District Attorney I’ll prioritize reforming our criminal justice system, holding the police accountable, and keeping all Manhattanites safe. Our current system too often criminalizes poverty, mental health, and homelessness, an approach that does nothing but trap New Yorkers in a cycle of incarceration and doesn’t make communities any safer. I’ll continue my lifelong fight to reform this system by providing more alternatives to jail, declining to prosecute low-level charges that pose no public safety threat, and holding police officers who abuse their power accountable. Finally, I’ll prioritize keeping Manhattanites safe. To me, public safety means police accountability and criminal justice reform, but it also means getting justice for sexual assault survivors, reforming the Sex Crimes Unit, prosecuting violent and economic crime, and protecting workers and tenants.
