Res. No. 41
Title
Resolution to observe every May 25th as Kalief Browder Day in the City of New York.
Body
By Council Member Cornegy
Whereas, Kalief Browder was born on May 25th, 1993 in the Bronx, New York; and
Whereas, Kalief was the youngest of seven siblings, five of whom were adopted by his mother, Venida Browder; and
Whereas, According to various reports, in 2010, at the age of sixteen, Kalief was arrested for the alleged robbery of a backpack that he insisted he had not stolen; and
Whereas, Kalief was incarcerated at Riker's Island, awaiting trial for more than one thousand days for a trial that never came, because the charges were ultimately dropped; and
Whereas, According to various reports, over the span of his incarceration, Kalief was offered several plea deals which he declined as he reiterated his innocence; and
Whereas, According to the New York Times, at one point during his incarceration, a judge offered Mr. Browder a chance to leave jail immediately in exchange for a plea of guilty to two misdemeanors, instead of a felony, which he declined; and
Whereas, According to various sources, of the three years Kalief Browder was incarcerated, he endured more than two years in solitary confinement where he attempted to end his life several times; and
Whereas, Kalief also encountered violence inflicted by both corrections officers and inmates; and
Whereas, According to the New Yorker, on May 29th, 2013, after appearing in front of eight judges, refusing 13 plea deals, and spending 3 years on Riker's Island, Kalief's case was dismissed as prosecutors reported their sole witness and accuser was no longer in the United States; and
Whereas, By the time Kalief was released from jail, he had missed his junior and senior year of high school, his graduation and prom, and was no longer a teenager; and
Whereas, After being released from Rikers, Kalief returned home, and passed the G...
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