New York’s Top Judge Homes in on Reforms to Criminal Justice

New York’s top judge on Monday urged reforms to the criminal justice system to reduce over-incarceration in the state and offer rehabilitation-focused services to reduce recidivism.

“What we are doing is not the best we can do,” Court of Appeals Chief Judge Rowan Wilson said during the 2025 State of the Judiciary speech, which a court spokesperson said saw a crowd of about 140 people, including lawmakers and representatives from the attorney general’s office.

“We can do better” by modernizing the state’s approach to criminal justice, he implored at the end of a more than one-hour event that included speeches ...