The killing of a man who was set to testify against MS-13 gang members in open court has ignited debate about New York state’s new criminal justice reforms.
Wilmer Maldonado Rodriguez was found dead Sunday outside his home on Long Island, police said. Rodriguez had intervened as gang members were threatening two boys when he was stabbed and beaten in October of 2018.
New York’s controversial new discovery law, enacted on Jan. 1 with a slew of other criminal justice reforms, dictates when prosecutors can release information about individuals involved in crimes, including identities. Weeks before Rodriguez’s death, a judge ordered prosecutors to disclose his identity to the lawyers representing the gang members accused of attacking him.
Previously, the state was among ten that let prosecutors wait until the eve of trial to hand over witness names and other evidence. However, the new law calls for such information to generally be revealed within 15 days before a suspect’s arraignment.
“This courageous man was prepared to testify against alleged assailants at an upcoming trial, but he was brutally beaten to death before he could,” Madeline Singas, the Nassau County district attorney, told the New York Times.
The local police chief told Newsday, “This man’s dead because we didn’t do enough.”
