A month before the Republican primary election for Broome County District Attorney, the question of how cases have been dismissed by prosecutors in recent years has taken center stage.
During a press conference Thursday, Republican candidate Paul Battisti, joined by Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar and City of Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham, claimed the current Broome County District Attorney’s office under Mike Korchak has failed in its handling of cases, citing state documents indicating more than 7,000 being dismissed.
“Mike Korchak has completely and utterly failed at keeping Broome County families safe,” Battisti said Thursday at a press conference outside Binghamton City Hall. “Victims are not getting justice. Offenders are not being held accountable. Those that are broken are not receiving the help that they so desperately need.”
However, Korchak later called Battisti’s comments “irresponsible” and “fearmongering,” in a subsequent news conference streamed live on Facebook, pointing to the difference between cases and charges — in a multi-count indictment, certain charges may be dismissed in satisfaction of other charges if a defendant pleads guilty and is sentenced to one or more counts — and referencing state statistics regarding the number of felony cases leading to prison sentences in Broome County.
“The Broome County District Attorney’s office is doing a great job,” Korchak said, “working hard every day for the members of the community.”
2019 Broome County DA race:Where Paul Battisti, Michael Korchak stand on the issues
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Battisti claims crime victims ‘have not seen justice served’
The June 27 Republican primary will see a rematch between Battisti and Korchak. Korchak was elected in 2019 by a margin of just 55 votes, running as a Libertarian after losing…
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