NYC NOW - November 27, 2023: Evening Roundup

Episode Date: November 27, 2023

Two new laws have come into effect in New York City: one banning discrimination against weight, and the other allows New Yorkers freedom to choose where they get phone repairs. Also, in New Jersey, expect large billboards warning against drunk driving ahead of the holidays. Finally, Mayor Adams has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman three decades ago under the Adult Survivors Act. He denies the claims. WNYC’s Kerry Nolan sat with reporter Elizabeth Kim to break down the case.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. I'm Sean Carlson. A new law aimed at preventing discrimination against people in employment, housing, or public accommodations based on their weight or height is now in effect. Local Laws 61 designates size, a protected class, just like race, gender, and religion. Laws penalizing weight discrimination are still relatively novel. New York City now joins the ranks of places like Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. Another law going into effect in New York will soon let people fix their phones wherever they want. It's called the right to repair bill, and it was signed into law last year.

Until now, people had to take their electronic device to a repair center authorized by the manufacturer, like Apple or Best Buy. Chuck Bell is program director at the nonprofit consumer reports. He says fewer devices will end up in landfills annually. A lot of times if you had a simple repair, the company might encourage you to operate. upgrade your device rather than continuing to use it. And so we think with consumers having the right to repair, they'll both save money, but also be able to protect the environment a bit better. Tablets, mobile phones, and desktops and laptops purchased after July 1st of this year are covered. The law goes into effect December 28.

In New Jersey, starting Monday, ahead of the holiday season, there will be reminders not to drink while driving. You can expect to see billboards along New Jersey's highways and televised public service announcements in both English and Spanish that feature top law enforcement. A person is considered to be drunk driving if they operate a vehicle with the blood alcohol content above 0.08 percent. Even a first offense carries penalties including fines, insurance charges, and jail time. And a person who turns over the keys to someone intoxicated can be hit with those same penalties. According to state authorities, 24 people died on New Jersey roads and crashes involving impaired drivers between Thanksgiving. in New Year's Eve of 2022. Up next, we're covering a bombshell accusation

against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. That's after the break. Mayor Eric Adams is being accused of sexually assaulting a woman three decades ago. The civil lawsuit was filed last Wednesday, two days before the expiration of New York's Adult Survivors Act. Speaking to MSNBC on Sunday, Adams denied the allegations.

I have no idea why this was brought forth. I don't recall ever meeting this person over 30 years ago. W. and my sees Elizabeth Kim covers the mayor and city hall. She joined my colleague Carrie Nolan to discuss the latest on the case. So, Liz, what do we know about the alleged incident? So the court filing is only three pages, and it's pretty short on details. What we know is that the accuser says Adams sexually assaulted her when they were both city-employed. employees in 1993. Adams was a transit officer at the time. And she's accusing him of other charges,

too. There's battery, employment discrimination, retaliation, and quote, intentional infliction of emotional distress. Aside from Adams, the court filing also names the city of New York, the NYPD's Transit Bureau, and the Department's Guardians Association. That's a fraternal organization representing black officers. The accuser is seeking at least $5 million in damages. So what do we know about the accuser? WNYC's not naming her because she's an alleged victim of sexual assault. We have, though, reached out both to her and her attorney, but neither have responded.

According to the NYPD, she was appointed in November 1980 as a police administrative aid. She separated from the police department in October of 1992. The NYPD notes, however, that she didn't work for the police department for the entire 12 years. Liz, can you tell us a little more about how the Adult Survivors Act allows this lawsuit to be filed now, even though the alleged incident happened 30 years ago? The lawsuit was filed, as you said, under the Adult Survivors Act. And this is a law that was passed in 2022 that gave accusers a one-year window to sue their alleged abusers in civil court and seek monetary damages. This is regardless of when the abuse occurred. But the law expired last Friday, and the state has seen numerous lawsuits, some against prominent individuals in the last week as the deadline approached. They include one against former Governor Andrew Cuomo.

He was sued for sexual harassment by Brittany Camiso, a former aide. She publicly accused him in 2020 of groping her and filed a criminal complaint against Cuomo in 2021. But following an investigation, Albany prosecutors said they didn't have enough evidence to go to trial. Now, Cuomo has repeatedly denied her allegations. All told, however, the law has ushered in more than 2,500 lawsuits. So where does this case go from here? Wednesday's night's filing was a summons. The next step is for the accuser to file a civil complaint. Now, that's likely to have many more specifics on the alleged abuse. The defendant generally has 20 days to respond, and then a date will be set for both parties to appear in court.

Now, the mayor has been under scrutiny for a federal investigation. How do you think the latest allegations will affect the mayor and his ability to govern? A sexual assault accusation is very serious, and it will raise questions about the mayor's conduct, especially as more details come out once the complaint is filed. It will also be a major distraction for the mayor. He has significant policy challenges on his plate. There's a budget crisis. There's a migrant crisis. And as you mentioned, he's also being dogged by questions of a federal investigation, which reportedly involve illegal campaign donations. All of this comes. as he approaches the halfway mark of his mayoralty when he's trying to make a case that his policies have improved the city. Instead, the focus has been on his ethical behavior and now an accusation of sexual misconduct.

That's my colleague, Carrie Nolan, talking with Elizabeth Kim. Thanks for listening to NYC now from WMIC. You can catch us every weekday three times a day. I'm Sean Carlson. We'll be back tomorrow.