Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. last week renewed his call to state legislators for their passage of the “Three Strikes You’re In” bill, that mandates prison time for anyone convicted of three misdemeanors within a 10-year-period.
Vallone renewed his call for passage of the measure after a 61-year-old Brooklyn man was arrested for allegedly groping a woman on a PATH train.
A background check revealed that Gian Verdelli had a lengthy criminal history that included 168 arrests dating back to the 1970s, for mostly misdemeanor offenses.
An angered Vallone said he believes Verdelli, a registered sex offender, should not have been walking the streets at the time of his last offense.
“Criminals are continually spitting in the face of the justice system because of lenient laws that allow them to avoid jail time,” Vallone, head of the City Council Public Safety Committee said.
“The only way to repeat this is to eliminate turnstile justice and teach these repeat offenders a valuable lesson. Three strikes, you’re in.”