DA says New York’s death penalty is ‘dead’

On Wednesday, October 24, Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown stopped by the Richmond Hill Block Association (RHBA), 110-08 Jamaica Avenue, to address audience members at RHBA’s monthly meeting.
Brown began by announcing that the death penalty in New York State has been “effectively ended” after a decision from the New York State Court of Appeals to overturn the death penalty ruling in the “Wendy’s Massacre” case.
The case involved the execution-style murders of seven employees of a Wendy’s restaurant in 2000 by two individuals, one of whom was mildly retarded and sentenced to life without parole. The other party was sentenced to death, until the recent Court of Appeals decision.
Brown used the Wendy’s Massacre update to segue onto the topic of violent crime in New York City, which, he said, has gone down drastically since 1991.
“In 1991, there were 361 homicides in New York, and this year, we’ve only got 84 so far,” said Brown. “In 1991, there were also 52,000 cars reported stolen in the city, and only 4,900 this year.”
Brown, who is running unopposed for reelection, said he looked forward to serving the Queens community for another four years, then opened the floor up to questions.
Simcha Waisman, RHBA President, took the opportunity to direct the conversation to graffiti, a topic that has been a local concern in Richmond Hill for months. Waisman asked Brown to speak about what was being done to try to curb the graffiti problem that has plagued Richmond Hill for a long time. Specifically, Waisman wanted to know how graffiti vandals are punished when caught.
“They’re not treated lightly,” Brown assured. “First arrest is community service, but depending on additional arrests - we’ve got some that have actually been in state prison for over a year.”
“It was helpful,” said Waisman of Brown’s visit. “He educated people on the rules and regulations, the law, how far he can go and what he can’t do. People know exactly how much power he has. Everyone was happy and satisfied by the end of the meeting, and that’s what’s important.”
RHBA also took a moment to present Officer Robert Woicyk, of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct, with a proclamation for outstanding service to the community and for “going above and beyond the call of duty,” said Waisman.