Kathy Hochul speaks to supporters during her election-night party Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in New York.
Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo

But the issue is sure to linger in the coming legislative session in Albany.

Lawmakers and Hochul will enter the six-month session in January with renewed pressure after the election results to address any other changes to the bail laws that could be made. Adams briefly stopped his criticism of the bail law in the weeks leading up to the election. But he has vowed to press again for new measures, such as using “dangerousness” as a factor for judges to set bail — something Democratic legislative leaders view as too subjective.

“We don’t have to do away with the reforms. The criminal justice system was in the wrong direction,” Adams said Nov. 10 on MSNBC. “But when you look at those repeated offenders, particularly those who use guns, and I’m really excited about this legislative cycle.”

Legislative leaders said they are willing to talk with Adams and others about bail changes, but they suggested they will need to be convinced that more tweaks are needed.

“I’m always open to talk to people if there is more information and more data,” Stewart-Cousins said. “But again, every single research that has been done has really shown there is no correlation between the bail reforms we did and crime.”

Joseph Spector contributed reporting.