Declining Conviction Rates in Manhattan
Since taking office, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has seen a significant drop in conviction rates each year.
In fact, only 35% of felony cases resulted in convictions last year—6,871 out of 19,602. This is down from 37% in 2023, 37% in 2022, and 42% in 2021, according to data from the Criminal Justice Department. Surprisingly, these rates have fallen even more sharply since 2019, prior to the implementation of New York’s Discovery Reform Act.
On top of that, when the DA’s office did achieve a conviction, around 66% of cases were downgraded to misdemeanors or non-criminal offenses. It’s somewhat disheartening to see that, along with this shift, the rate of felony cases that Bragg has chosen not to prosecute has nearly doubled—from 7% in 2022 to 12% in 2024.
Bragg’s directives aimed to limit prison time for various crimes, even serious ones like armed robbery or drug offenses, began on his very first day in office.
Rafael Mangual, a law fellow at the Manhattan Institute, noted that these outcomes are intentional. He shared with the Post that Bragg’s approach is to consider imprisonment as a last option, stating that he doesn’t pursue prison sentences for more than 20 years, irrespective of the crime.
Interestingly, the rates for mistaken convictions have also seen a decline, falling from 24% in 2022 to 17% in 2024.
Data indicates that Bragg refused to pursue 9% of misdemeanor cases in 2022, which escalated to 19% in both 2023 and 2024. However, the public remains largely unaware of these statistics, as Bragg’s office has quietly taken down its data dashboard from the website.
This dashboard has been marked “Under construction” since October, which has drawn frustration from residents like Scott Evans. He expressed anger, suggesting that the DA’s office is deliberately withholding information, especially as Bragg approaches reelection. “They’re hiding behind the curtain, saying they have no data to discuss,” he remarked.
Evans also mentioned that he felt the need to push Bragg’s team for clarity during community meetings, particularly about the missing data pages.
A spokesman for Bragg stated that efforts are being made to collaborate with district attorneys from other boroughs on how to present the data clearly, without revealing too much detail.
Prior to the dashboard’s removal, Bragg’s office touted it as a pioneering tool. They had claimed it was vital for making the criminal justice system more transparent, promising comprehensive updates on prosecution data.
As Bragg’s office heads into an election year, there are concerns about the timing of removing such a public resource, especially when it’s critical to evaluate the direction of the DA’s office.
