Gov. Kathy Hochul insisted Wednesday that everyone failed tragic Buffalo mom of three Keaira Bennefield — and not her or New York. laws without cash bail.
The Democrat deflected blame away from herself and instead pointed the finger at ‘the system’ and ‘the judges and ‘prosecutors’ after Keaira was executed less than 24 hours after her execution. estranged husband released from prison without bail for a filmed beating.
“The system has completely failed him,” Hochul said at a rally in Westchester when The Post asked him to respond to the victim’s distraught mother, who blamed the governor for the barbaric murder.
“The system has to work. Protective orders need to be granted, halfway houses need to be available, and we need to make sure judges and prosecutors charge appropriately.
In Keaira’s case, a protective order was issued the same day Adam Bennefield, 45, was released on October 4 because he had only been charged with misdemeanors for savagely beating his estranged wife – and could not be held on bail under the New York reforms.
The next day, according to police, Bennefield executed the mother of three.
Critics were quick to hit out at Hochul’s blame game – arguing that the buck should stop with her as governor.
“Kathy Hochul desperately wants to point the finger at everyone for Bennefield’s murder. Kathy Hochul should point the finger at herself and the cashless bail law in Albany,” upstate Rep. Elise Stefanik, House Republican Conference Speaker, told The Post.
“Kathy Hochul has let New Yorkers down at every turn. She is responsible for the crime crisis and the devastating loss of life.
“It’s a disgusting and cowardly new low — even for her,” said Nick Langworthy, state GOP chairman and congressional candidate in upstate District 23, which includes Erie County. .
“Kathy Hochul has the power to change those laws today, but instead she was their greatest cheerleader and continues to double down,” he continued. “Keaira would still be alive today if she had acted. She’s unfit to run for governor, and election day can’t come soon enough. »
And her Republican gubernatorial rival, Lee Zeldin, also chimed in, saying “blood is on her hands.”
“Keaira’s three children will now grow up without a mother, because of Kathy Hochul’s unerring and forgiving leadership. She refuses to support judges with the discretion to weigh dangerousness,” he said.
Under current Empire state laws, judges cannot weigh a suspect’s “dangerousness” when considering bail. That meant the judge who freed Bennefield couldn’t even consider he had gone to jail 15 years prior for kidnapping another ex at gunpoint in 2000.
Hochul has repeatedly doubled on its support for cashless bail, but has previously admitted the laws may need some tweaking. she pitched a 10 point plan to fix some aspects of the legislation in March, but it won’t be considered until well after his run against Rep. Lee Zeldin is decided on Tuesday’s election day.
Nonetheless, the governor highlighted her modest changes to bail laws when asked about Keaira’s tragic case.
Adam Bennefield previously went to jail after kidnapping another ex at gunpoint in 2000.
Keaira’s mother, Tammy Hudson, holds two of Kearia’s three children – son Adam Jr. and daughter Zahryah.
Hudson was allegedly shot by her ex-husband in front of her three children.
Keaira Hudson died on October 5.
“The system has to all work together and I changed the bail laws. I made them tougher than they were before to make sure we take care of repeat offenders and people who use drugs. firearms,” Hochul said.
“But I’m always ready to take a fresh look to make sure we’re protecting the citizens of the state – that’s my number one job, that’s what I’ve been focused on since I was sworn in to the first time that requires me to look out for their safety and well-being. And that’s what I will continue to do.”
Veteran Queens prosecutor James Quinn told the Post that Hochul’s claim that he dealt with repeat offenders under bail law is “not true.”
“You’ve got a guy who’s been in jail for 15 years for kidnapping a woman and is being filmed beating his wife and the judge can’t set bail under the law,” he said . “If this guy isn’t a repeat offender, what is?
“Governor. Hochul is responsible for not trying hard enough to change the bail law. She doesn’t have the guts to fight the legislator on this,” he continued. “She’s trying to get past the next election when she says, ‘It’s the system’s fault.’ She should fix the problem.
The backlash came after Keaira’s mother, Tammy Hudson, tore Hochul up about her daughter’s murder, telling the Post in a front-page story published Wednesday, “She should be charged with the crime. She is also responsible for the crime.
“She failed me. She failed me and my daughter and she needs to make a change with bail reform,” Hudson added.
Hochul responded by saying, “I can understand the pain of a grieving mother. I understand that she’s looking for someone, and I understand that.