Syracuse, NY -- Weeks ago, dozens of Central New York law enforcement representatives sounded the alarm over 2020 bail reform as part of a coordinated resistance across the state.

Tuesday, bail reform advocates fired back with their own news conference at the Central New York Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, joining other advocates statewide.

“Money bail is corrupt,” local NYCLU director Yusuf Abdul-Qadir declared at the start. “The size of people’s wallets shouldn’t determine whether they can wait their court date at home or stay locked up in jail.”

A theme of two justice systems -- one for people with money and one for the poor -- repeated itself during the 30-minute news conference at the NYCLU chapter office downtown.

While law enforcement has warned of dangerous criminals being released while awaiting trial, advocates dismissed such talk as fear-mongering and noted that the law doesn’t impact the vast majority of violent crimes.

The exception, everyone agrees, is burglaries: a serial burglar who does not commit violence must be released before trial, under the new law. It’s a concern that law enforcement have expressed repeatedly, and is acknowledged by advocates of the law. (Certain robberies are also exempted, but those cases will be rare.)

Abdul-Qadir called it “misinformation” to suggest that inmates accused of violent crimes will be released when, in fact, the only violent crimes requiring release are certain burglaries and robberies.

He argued that cash bail disproportionately affects poor people of color, in a city with some of the largest concentrations of poor people of color in the nation.

The purpose of bail is to bring someone back to court. For misdemeanors and non-violent felonies, other methods -- such as simply sending someone a text reminder of a court appearance -- would be more effective, he said.

Even $1,000 bail can be too much for someone who only makes $20,000 a year -- roughly the average annual income in many neighborhoods, he said.

Someone who is jailed is much more likely to take a plea deal -- even if it’s a bad idea -- than someone who is free, he argued.

Right now, 60 percent of people in Syracuse’s jail are still awaiting their day in court, making them legally innocent, he noted.

People shouldn’t be forced to make decisions about their case in desperation to get out of jail, he concluded.

Kelly Gonzalez, deputy director for the Center for Community Alternatives, noted that the new law also requires much more information be turned over to the accused before he or she makes a decision about whether to plead or go to trial.

“No one will be forced to take a plea deal without knowing the evidence” against them, she said.

Many inmates decide to take plea deals -- in exchange for a much lower sentence than is risked after trial -- without ever seeing most of the evidence against them, she said.

The new rules will put New York on the forefront of criminal justice reform, she said. Right now, certain things -- including key witnesses -- can be hidden from a defendant until the eve of trial.

Starting next year, the law will require prosecutors open their file within 15 days of the initial arraignment, she said. (Law enforcement have maintained that such deadlines are impossible to meet without extra money for more personnel. They also worry about an increased risk of witness intimidation.)

Abdul-Qadir said he couldn’t predict how many people would actually be released from jail under the new law. A similar law in New Jersey eventually reduced jail populations by 42 percent, he said.

Onondaga County Sheriff Gene Conway also said he couldn’t predict how many inmates would be released locally, but envisioned a scenario with half as many inmates.

In reality, many inmates held on small amounts of bail in one case have something else keeping them in jail -- a separate conviction, a parole violation or some other pending case, Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard has found.

Judge Rory McMahon has spent the past two days going over every inmate who has cash bail set by Syracuse City Court. So far, the vast majority were being held on something else, as well, and will not be released under the new law.

The number of people who are held solely on small amounts of bail is very small, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick has said. The DA has maintained that his office does not ask for low amounts of bail for minor crimes, arguing: “We do not criminalize poverty.”

Abdul-Qadir said the important thing is that those who don’t need to be locked up aren’t. Advocates described how sending someone to jail -- even before trial -- can destroy families, cost jobs and scar someone permanently.

Cash bail means that happens most to poor people.

“It’s a textbook example of how the rich walk while others languish,” he said.

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Editor’s note: A previous version of this story contained an inaccurately worded quote from NYCLU chapter director Yusuf Abdul-Qadir. The story has been changed to accurately reflect what was said.