Warrants can hang over the heads of people like the Sword of Damocles. With this omnipresent threat preventing some city residents from moving forward in their lives, Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson hosted his third Begin Again event Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Mount Lebanon Baptist Church, in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. His office determined,“There are approximately 1.1 million open warrants citywide, and they carry a number of negative consequences, including subjecting the warrant holder to arrest at any time.”
The district attorney’s office partnered with the Legal Aid Society, the Office of Court Administration and the NYPD to provide on-site legal counsel and give New Yorkers a chance to clear their old warrants.
Thompson said that more than 1,800 people from all five boroughs attended the two Begin Again events held in June and September, and more than 1,300 outstanding warrants were cleared.
Attendees at Saturday’s event expressed relief that they were finally able to clear the warrants.
Up to 500 people came through the doors, took a number and sat in the sanctuary, where a movie played, lunch was served and the D.A., Public Advocate Letitia James and a host of politicians and community leaders addressed them on various issues.
Although the NYPD was present, monitoring the inside and outside of the church and the makeshift court room, the atmosphere was more conciliatory and purposeful, rather than intimidating or hostile.
Cautious but ultimately relieved seemed to be the response of warrant holders as they first entered, and then exited the church.
As Thompson’s office stated, individuals first consulted with attorneys from the Legal Aid Society to make sure only summons warrants were heard, and then they appeared before the judge, who vacated warrants issued because of the failure to respond to summonses for a multitude of low-level or “quality of life” offenses, such as having an open container of beer, walking a dog without a leash or being in a park after closing.
“It has been pretty positive,” said Charisma L. Troiano, Thomson’s press secretary. “Close to 500 people have come through—men, women, young and old people. We have had people who have come from Queens and Manhattan—New York City residents.”
As people milled around in the church sanctuary, many waited patiently for their number to be called so they could go before the Hon. Judge Claudia Daniels-Depeyster.
Troiano told the Amsterdam News that people who did not handle (appear in court) the summons given for a low-level offense may be unaware that immediate bench warrants have been issued, and if their names are ever run by law enforcement, “the police officers are under obligation to follow that warrant, no questions asked.”
“For a brisk day in December, to have 500 people come to Mount Lebanon is a great thing,” D.A. Thompson told the Amsterdam News. “We have to meet people with low-level (offenses) warrants half way. I intend to lead the way. Thousands of people have come out to Begin Again. I think that law enforcement has to play a role, in that people who walk their dog without a leash, or engage in littering, or had an open can of alcohol—I don’t believe that these people should be put in handcuffs and put through the system. So we need to do more of these around the city.”
Thompson said that as for the other district attorneys, “I have spoken to a number of my colleagues, and I do believe that it is going to spread throughout the city.”
Darryl, 32, came out of the church beaming. Asked how he felt, he replied, “I appreciate it. It is good. I got to go downtown on the 11th for a misdemeanor. They’ve got the same program for that.”
The young man said his warrant was for an open container. “I had it a long time,” he said. “My mom said that I should come down, so I spread the news on Facebook, and I got a lot of people to come down here. This is a great program, to help Black people out—walking around with warrants, getting put in handcuffs for something light. So this is good. They are going to have it again.”
Robert, who gave his age as 40-something, was also cautiously optimistic. “I wasn’t sure what it was when I first heard about it,” he told the Amsterdam News. “I came around the corner, saw what it was and I decided to come in. If I didn’t like what I saw, I would have bounced.”
His warrant was for marijuana possession. “I’m real glad I got it cleared up though,” he said. “It has been hanging over me for a while. These warrants can stop you from doing what you need to do for your family. This Begin Again program is alright.”
On the same Saturday, Thompson hosted a gun buyback event as part of his Citizens’ Safety Day to “help people dispose of unwanted guns that they possess.”
Before the day, the D.A. had declared, “Saturday is going to be a great day for Brooklyn. We are giving residents with firearms and outstanding warrants a chance to free themselves of those burdens. Come out and clear your name and keep your family safe by getting rid of those firearms and warrants.”
City Council Member Mathieu Eugene (D-Flatbush) said, “Virtually every week, people lose their lives because of gun violence in our city. My district has been the backdrop of too many shootings and so I am proud to partner with the NYPD, Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, to sponsor the 2015 Gun Buyback Program in an effort to make the streets safer for all residents. No one should have to be afraid to walk down the street. By offering cash for guns with no questions asked, we are removing these dangerous weapons from our neighborhoods and taking another step towards making New York City a safer city for everyone.”
The Gun Buyback event was held at the Lenox Road Baptist Church, in East Flatbush. Thompson’s office said that gun buyback events since 2008 had gotten 10,000 guns off the street.
Thompson said he is in meetings with the Brooklyn community to determine when and where his forth Begin Again program will be held in the new year.