- Manhattan District Attorney (DA) Cyrus Vance has been criticized for not prosecuting the rich such as Harvey Weinstein despite clear-cut evidence.
- He also has a track record of imposing harsh punishment guidelines on the poor and minorities.
- In 2016, Vance’s office was responsible for 38% of Rikers Island prison population despite handling 29% of NYC’s criminal cases.
- Brooklyn, which has 1 million more residents than Manhattan, accounted for 22% of Rikers.
- Vance’s tactics include withholding evidence from defendants and detaining 17% of those charged with minor offenses.
