Update: The Charge or Release bill, endorsed by DFNYC in 2005, was reintroduced in the City Council for 2006 by Charles Baron as Introduction 53. If passed, it would ensure that all persons arrested in New York City are arraigned with 24 hours of arrest. Please contact your city council member and urge them to support Intro 53.

Contact your city council member and ask them to co-sponsor Intro 53. Please note that even if you council member was a co-sponsor in 2005, he or she will need to co-sponsor again in 2006. If your city council member has already co-sponsored the new introduction, be sure to thank them. Always include your name, address, and phone number whenever you contact your representative and tell them you are a member of Democracy for NYC. See the list of current co-sponsors.

You may also want to contact:

Chair of the Public Safety Committee, Peter Vallone, Jr.(212) 788-6963 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Speaker of the City Council Christine Quinn(212) 788-7210 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Read the text of the legislation.

Democracy for NYC is proud to join with the New York Civil Liberties Union's Bill of Rights Defense Campaign, along with a diverse coalition of legal, policy and community organizations, in advocating for legislation to ensure that all persons arrested in New York City are arraigned within 24 hours of arrest.

While a New York State Court of Appeals decision in 1991 first established the "24 hour rule," individuals are routinely held without seeing a judge for much longer. As with many other aspects of the criminal justice system, the practice of prolonged detention has disproportionately impacted communities of color. Post-9/11, we've witnessed the same practice used against political demonstrators. For example, during the Republican National Convention, the NYPD detained large numbers of protesters for upwards of 30, 40 and even 50 hours, creating significant outrage throughout the city about the practice, and opening the door for long-overdue reform.

Charge or Release basics: The Charge or Release bill, currently pending in the city council, will help to prevent 2 major problems in our city: (1) discrimination, and (2) the criminalization of dissent. Right now, when people are arrested in New York City, there is very little to stop police from simply detaining them for days without any opportunity to see a judge or hear the charges against them. The power to keep someone in jail for more than a day is abused - against people of color, peaceful demonstrators, etc. The Charge or Release bill will set a standard of 24 hours, meaning that when the police arrest a person, they cannot keep that person in jail for longer than 24 hours, unless they charge them with a crime. Basically, people that are arrested must be "arraigned" (be informed of the charges against them and go before a judge to be "charged," or "released") within 24 hours after arrest. Basically, if the Charge or Release bill passes, police will have much less power to harass people on the basis of their race or political opinions.

Update: The Charge or Release bill, endorsed by DFNYC in 2005, was reintroduced in the City Council for 2006 by Charles Baron as Introduction 53. If passed, it would ensure that all persons arrested in New York City are arraigned with 24 hours of arrest. Please contact your city council member and urge them to support Intro 53.

Contact your city council member and ask them to co-sponsor Intro 53. Please note that even if you council member was a co-sponsor in 2005, he or she will need to co-sponsor again in 2006. If your city council member has already co-sponsored the new introduction, be sure to thank them. Always include your name, address, and phone number whenever you contact your representative and tell them you are a member of Democracy for NYC. See the list of current co-sponsors.

You may also want to contact:

Chair of the Public Safety Committee, Peter Vallone, Jr.(212) 788-6963 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Speaker of the City Council Christine Quinn(212) 788-7210 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Read the text of the legislation.

Democracy for NYC is proud to join with the New York Civil Liberties Union's Bill of Rights Defense Campaign, along with a diverse coalition of legal, policy and community organizations, in advocating for legislation to ensure that all persons arrested in New York City are arraigned within 24 hours of arrest.

While a New York State Court of Appeals decision in 1991 first established the "24 hour rule," individuals are routinely held without seeing a judge for much longer. As with many other aspects of the criminal justice system, the practice of prolonged detention has disproportionately impacted communities of color. Post-9/11, we've witnessed the same practice used against political demonstrators. For example, during the Republican National Convention, the NYPD detained large numbers of protesters for upwards of 30, 40 and even 50 hours, creating significant outrage throughout the city about the practice, and opening the door for long-overdue reform.

Charge or Release basics: The Charge or Release bill, currently pending in the city council, will help to prevent 2 major problems in our city: (1) discrimination, and (2) the criminalization of dissent. Right now, when people are arrested in New York City, there is very little to stop police from simply detaining them for days without any opportunity to see a judge or hear the charges against them. The power to keep someone in jail for more than a day is abused - against people of color, peaceful demonstrators, etc. The Charge or Release bill will set a standard of 24 hours, meaning that when the police arrest a person, they cannot keep that person in jail for longer than 24 hours, unless they charge them with a crime. Basically, people that are arrested must be "arraigned" (be informed of the charges against them and go before a judge to be "charged," or "released") within 24 hours after arrest. Basically, if the Charge or Release bill passes, police will have much less power to harass people on the basis of their race or political opinions.

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