State budget delayed as Gov. Hochul pushes for changes to discovery law

The state's discovery law was changed as part of criminal justice reforms passed in 2019.

Kurt Semder

Apr 2, 2025, 10:06 PM

Updated 18 hr ago

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Gov. Kathy Hochul is making her case for changes to the state's discovery law as part of ongoing budget negotiations.
The discovery law changes, made in 2019, shorten the amount of time prosecutors have to turn over all information related to a case to defense counsel.
The governor argues that these changes are causing an increase in dismissals of cases involving domestic violence.
In a statement to News 12, a spokesperson for the governor says "Governor Hochul's top priority is public safety - and that is why she has set out to reduce recidivism and close the revolving door in our court system. Common sense tweaks to discovery are widely supported by prosecutors, women's and victims rights groups, and faith leaders across our State and our Administration will continue to negotiate in good faith with the Senate and Assembly to get this done."