Begin Again Program In Brooklyn Aims To Help Ease Backlog Of Open Court Cases
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Brooklyn officials brought court to the community Saturday in an effort to help ease the backlog of open cases in the New York City court system.
At least 500 people came to a makeshift courtroom at the Mount Lebanon Baptist Church in Bedford-Stuyvesant to address outstanding warrants for low-level offenses.
"Instead of getting locked up, you can come and clear your warrant," one woman told 1010 WINS' Roger Stern. "Who wants to get locked up for something petty?"
It's all part of the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office Begin Again program.
"Many of these tickets are very old," Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson said. "We need to clear up our court system and free our officers to keep us safe."
For many, the judge dismissed the case, Stern reported.
Thompson said there are about 1.1 million open warrants citywide.