A VALUABLE EXPERIMENT: More Good Outcomes from NYPD Arrest Slowdown—Less Harried Public Defenders.

The massive reduction in the number of arrests and citations by the New York Police Department has lasted long enough now to filter down to the courts. As a result, New York City courts are a lot less busy. The New York Times focuses on idle clerks fiddling with smartphones and courtrooms shutting down early, but buried further into the story is good news for those the police do arrest. Public defenders now have more time to spare for them. . . .

One public defender finished with her work “early” at 11 p.m. and noted that she was normally overbooked. We can only hope that the drop in clients also means each client’s case gets a more thorough review, and poor defendants who can’t afford lawyers are less likely to be pushed to take possibly bad plea deals. The Times ends its story noting that because of the NYPD slowdown, the silly arrests are now particularly notable.

The justice system should focus on serious crimes against persons and property, not on “revenue offenses.”