Issues

Maud Maron’s Policy Platform for Manhattan District Attorney: Restoring Safety and Justice for all New Yorkers

Maud’s Promise to Manhattan Residents

As Manhattan District Attorney, I will prioritize the safety of all New Yorkers by restoring accountability in our criminal justice system, ensuring our streets and subways are secure, and advocating for common-sense reforms to the state laws that have led to increased crime committed largely by recidivist offenders.

I am a 36-year Manhattan resident. My husband and I are raising our four children here, all of whom attend or graduated from our public schools.

I know the City’s criminal justice system. I served as a public defender for the Legal Aid Society for 22 years, representing criminal defendants in Manhattan and the Bronx who were unable to afford a private defense attorney. I have zealously protected the rights of the accused, and I know the critical role that defense attorneys play in the criminal justice system, especially for the poor.

However, just as defendants have fundamental rights, so does the public. The District Attorney represents “the People” and it is the duty of the District Attorney to ensure that the law is enforced equally and properly in order to protect public safety and to secure justice for victims of crime.

To this end, I will work in close cooperation with the NYPD. I will support Commissioner Tisch’s efforts to crack-down on recidivist offenders and I will work with her to end the “revolving door” that simply returns lawbreakers to the streets time after time.

Like Commissioner Tisch, I will call upon the Governor and the State Legislature to reform the criminal justice laws, including the current bail and discovery statutes, that remove discretion from judges and result in the dismissal of serious cases on bureaucratic technicalities.

I will listen to crime victims, the individuals and businesses in Manhattan that I am sworn to protect.

I will prosecute every crime, from fare evasion and shoplifting, to robbery and murder, by enforcing the law as written and with an understanding that public safety depends upon deterrence and accountability. To excuse crime or to refuse to prosecute “low level” offenses breeds contempt for the law and invites chaos.

Ultimately, it is the obligation of the District Attorney to seek a just outcome, based upon the facts and law, in each case. In the tradition of Frank Hogan and Robert Morgenthau, who made the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office the finest prosecutor’s office in the nation, I pledge to work on behalf of the 1.6 million residents of New York County, and the millions of workers and visitors who traverse our streets each day, to restore and protect public safety in the heart of the greatest city in the world.

Core Policy Priorities

End Bragg’s Day One Memo: Restore the Rule of Law

Alvin Bragg’s Day One Memo decriminalized entire categories of crime, from fare evasion to resisting arrest, leading to surging recidivism, demoralized police, and diminished safety. This memo also banned prosecutors from seeking serious prison sentences—even in cases involving murder.

As District Attorney, Maud will:

  • Repeal the Day One Memo entirely.
  • Prosecute all crimes based on the law and facts of each case.
  • Rebuild the relationship between the DA’s Office and the NYPD.
  • Restore accountability and deterrence as foundations of public safety.

Over 300,000 people were victims of crime in NYC last year. Alvin Bragg’s policies ignore them. His priorities have centered on leniency for criminals, not justice for victims.

Maud will:

  • Prioritize victims in every case.
  • Seek real consequences for violent and repeat offenders.
  • Ensure that public safety is the top job of the DA’s Office.

Misguided reforms passed in Albany have triggered a crisis in public safety. Bail restrictions, the “Less is More” parole law, and discovery deadlines have tied prosecutors’ hands and protected repeat offenders.

Maud will advocate to:

  • Overhaul bail laws to restore judicial discretion. 
  • Repeal “Less is More,” a law that makes it difficult to jail defendants who violate the terms of their parole.
  • Modify “Raise the Age” to ensure violent juveniles face consequences.
  • Reform discovery deadlines to stop case dismissals over technicalities.
  • Protect the NYPD Gang Database as a vital law enforcement tool.

Crime in subways, near shelters, and on sidewalks has eroded quality of life. Bragg has refused to act.

Maud will:

  • Prosecute crimes regardless of immigration status.
  • Work with federal and local law enforcement to protect the public.
  • Hold shelter operators accountable and collaborate with local communities to reduce crime and restore order.

Mentally ill individuals in crisis are cycling through courts and back into the streets under Bragg’s policies.

Maud will:

  • Establish a Mental Health & Public Safety Unit.
  • Ensure the enforcement of court-ordered treatment and accountability.
  • Keep dangerous individuals from harming themselves or others.

NYCHA developments face disproportionate crime. Bragg has done little to help the city’s most vulnerable residents.

Maud will:

  • Launch a NYCHA-focused unit to prosecute gang violence and drug crimes.
  • Partner with tenants to identify threats and improve security.
  • Enforce trespass laws and ensure broken locks, lighting, and cameras are fixed.

Out-of-control e-bike use is endangering pedestrians across Manhattan.

Maud will:

  • Prosecute riders who injure pedestrians.
  • Investigate negligent delivery companies.
  • Support legislation for speed limits, licensing, and mandatory registration to ensure that bikes have basic safety features such as proper head and tail lights.

From fraudulent contracts to campaign abuse, corruption is rampant. Bragg has ignored it.

Maud will:

  • Rebuild the public corruption unit.
  • Prosecute abuses uncovered by the NYC Department of Investigation.
  • Use audits, wiretaps, and whistleblower protections to hold bad actors accountable.

Antisemitic attacks in Manhattan have doubled since October 2023. Bragg has dropped charges and offered sweetheart plea deals in high-profile hate crime cases.

Maud will:

  • Prosecute hate crimes swiftly and seriously.
  • Collaborate with Jewish leaders and NYPD to enhance security.
  • Investigate foreign funding of terrorist-linked activities.

Bragg has treated police as adversaries. Maud will treat them as allies.

Maud will:

  • Establish an NYPD-DA liaison unit to coordinate prosecutions.
  • Back proven strategies like CompStat and Operation Impact.
  • Support smart reforms that protect both the public and officers.

Bragg supports closing Rikers and building jails in neighborhoods. Maud opposes this.

Maud will:

  • Advocate to keep Rikers open and reform jail facilities.
  • Protect communities from neighborhood jail construction.
  • Maintain mental health facilities and critical detention capacity.

Over 1,400 illegal cannabis shops operate openly under Bragg’s watch.

Maud will:

  • Prosecute unlicensed sellers.
  • Use asset forfeiture to shut down illegal operations.
  • Coordinate raids with the NYPD to restore neighborhood safety.

Conclusion: A District Attorney Who Works for the People

My platform represents a return to the best traditions of the New York County District Attorney’s Office. The District Attorney’s Office is not a social service agency or a place for political activism. The role of the District Attorney is to enforce the law and to seek justice in each case the office brings before the courts. If elected, I will work tirelessly to restore the purpose, high standards, functionality, and ethos of the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. 

All New Yorkers deserve a DA who prioritizes the public and endeavors to protect its citizens.  As Manhattan District Attorney, I will act with honesty, integrity and in the best interests of Manhattan and the entire City of New York to serve, protect and defend public safety—my first and only priority. New Yorkers deserve a safe city and need a District Attorney.