NYC NOW - Evening Roundup: More Criminal Charges Possible for Mayor Adams, Report Finds Bail Unaffordable in NY, TSA’s Weirdest Checkpoint Finds for 2024 and Gov. Hochul Looks to Expand Forced Hospitalization

Episode Date: January 8, 2025

Federal prosecutors say they’ve uncovered additional criminal conduct by Mayor Eric Adams. Plus, a New York State law that was supposed to make it more affordable for people to post bail isn’t working as planned. Also, an incident at Newark landson the TSA’s list of unusual items confiscated in 2024. And finally, WNYC’s Michael Hill talks with Albany reporter Jon Campbell about one of Gov. Hochul’s top priorities this legislative session.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. I'm Jene Pierre. Federal prosecutors say they've uncovered, quote, additional criminal conduct by Mayor Eric Adams as part of their ongoing corruption investigation. Although the court filing didn't specify what the conduct was, the news means Adams could face more charges, on top of allegedly taking bribes from Turkish officials. When asked about the prospect of another indictment, the mayor dismissed the government's case. Even Ray Charles can see what's going on. And I have an attorney, Alex Spiro, is handling that. I've said over and over again, I've done nothing wrong.

Let the attorneys do that. I have to run this city. Adams is set to go to trial in April. A New York state law that was supposed to make it more affordable for people to post bail on behalf of someone who's been arrested, isn't working as planned. That's according to a new report from NYU's law school. Judges are supposed to give people at least three different ways to post-bail. The dollar amount often varies between them. Researchers found that judges often make bonds pay to outside companies the cheapest option, but unlike payments directly to the court, those are not refundable. Advocates say that can take a toll on low-income defendants and their loved ones. A spokesperson for the state office of court administration says, as it's reviewing the report. The TSA is out with its top 10 weirdest checkpoint fines for 2024, and an incident at Newark is on the list.

WMYC's Phil Corso has the details. TSA officers at Newark Liberty Airport made the unusual discovery in October, a fully disassembled 9mm gun hidden in a Black Panther Lego box. Officials say the Mississippi traveler stuffed the gun's frame into a boot and mixed other parts with Lego pieces. The TSA says he claimed it was a toy, then blamed his brother. But authorities weren't buying it. They called it a clear attempt to sneak a gun onto a plane.

The man was arrested, and Newark's Lego Gun Caper landed at number eight on the TSA's weirdest checkpoint fines of the year. The annual legislative session is underway in Albany. State lawmakers have their own agendas, but so does Governor Kathy Hockel. More on that after the break. New York state lawmakers are back in Albany for their annual, legislative session. Over the next six months, they'll pass hundreds of bills for Governor Kathy Hogle to either sign or veto. Hokel, on the other hand, has a major priority of her own. She wants to make it easier to hospitalize someone against their will if they're in need of

mental health care. For more, my colleague Michael Hill talked with WMYC's Albany reporter, John Campbell. Let's talk about what the governor's looking for here. Is this a response to the high-profile crimes we've seen recently on New York City streets and subways? Yeah, it is, Michael. Total crime was down on the subway in 2024 compared to the prior year, but we've all seen these images of some really horrific crimes recently, like the woman who was burned to death on the F train in Brooklyn last month. And the governor says those recent violent crimes are in part why she's doing this. We need to ensure that those who are suffering from severe mental illness are getting the care they need. And we're also protecting the innocent bystanders on our subways and on our streets.

She wants to change state law that sets when the state or the city can involuntarily commit someone. Right now, that can only happen if a person is showing signs of mental illness and they're a danger to themselves or others. The governor says she wants to expand the standard, though she hasn't exactly said how. She says she'll provide details in her state budget proposal later this month. John, Mayor Adams has already made it easier for the NYPD to involuntarily remove people from the streets. Has that made any difference? Well, this all goes back to 2022. That's when the state issued this new guidance saying cities can remove someone from the streets or the subway and take them to a hospital if they can't meet their own basic needs. The NYPD has been taking that

approach pretty much ever since, and the mayor has been pushing a bill in Albany that would essentially install that guidance in state law, which would insulate the city from legal challenges. Our colleague, Caroline Lewis, she reported an average of 126 people a week were involuntarily taken to a hospital in the city last year. Those numbers are from January through October. But there's been a lot of resistance in Albany and among organizations, including the New York Civil Liberties Union, which says locking people up essentially isn't the way to combat homelessness and the mental health crisis. They question whether it violates state law, whether it violates federal law. And if somebody doesn't want to go to the hospital, there's a contingent of lawmakers

that think they shouldn't be forced to go. Is anything going to change this year, John, or are we in for another stalemate? Well, it seems like there is a little bit of momentum this year. Governor Hokels supported these kinds of changes for a couple years now, but this is really the first time she's going to have a proposal of her own. And she's got a lot of leverage. in state budget negotiations, so she could choose to force the issue if she wants. And even state lawmakers seem to acknowledge the tide is turning a bit here. Assembly Speaker Carl Hasty is a Democrat from the Bronx. He spoke to reporters last week.

I do think we have to really reexamine how we're handling some of the mental health issues in the state. Hastie has a lot of juice. He leads the assembly and negotiates major legislation with the governor and the Senate. What are some of the other issues lawmakers may tackle this year, John? Well, there's a lot of them. I mean, the legislature passes several hundred bills each session. This year won't be an exception. One of the big things we're going to be watching is whether New York State will take any steps to, quote-unquote, Trump-proof the state.

If the incoming president follows through on his mass deportation pledged, will state lawmakers pass bills that make it tougher to follow through in New York, that's what we'll be watching. The governor and lawmakers is there. also planning to tackle other thorny issues like how the state funds the education system and how it funds the MTA going forward. So the governor's already been rolling out a few things she wants lawmakers to pass. That includes a plan to send checks of up to $500 to New Yorkers. That's what the governor is calling a quote, inflation rebate. So that's going to be a big part of her state of the state address this coming Tuesday. What can we expect to hear from the governor in that state of the state address. The governor's been talking a lot about affordability. She has, and I'd expect her to keep talking

about that in the speech. The state of the state, it really kind of sets the agenda in Albany for the coming year. And the governor is making clear she wants the issue of affordability to be front and center. I mean, we talked about the checks. She wants to send out earlier this week. She also unveiled a proposal to boost the state's child tax credit. She wants to triple it, in fact, from the current $330 maximum to a max of $1,000 per child for families that meet income requirements. Politicians heard a lot of these complaints about the price of goods and services during the last election, so it's really not a coincidence that the governor's focusing on this now. She's up for re-election next year, and polls say she has a lot of work to do to give voters

on her side. And, John, it seems that she's intent in doing. As you were talking and explaining these issues, I couldn't help but think that this is plan to garner attention and really seem to get things done and have a direct impact on New Yorkers ahead of next year's election. That's certainly what she's hoping for. I mean, she over and over is saying, we're going to be putting more money in your pockets, and that's the approach that she's trying to take.

She's hoping that if she does issue these checks and increase tax credits and do things that have a tangible impact on somebody's pocketbook, then it might help her when she runs for re-election in 2026. That's WNYC's John Campbell talking with my colleague Michael Hill. Thanks for listening to NYC now from WMYC. Catch us every weekday three times a day. I'm Jenei Pierre. We'll be back tomorrow.