The District Attorney of New York City, known for bringing charges against the former U.S. President, Donald Trump, over payments made to a film actress, is facing a lawsuit. The lawsuit has been filed by Jose Alba, a previous store clerk who was charged with murder following the fatal stabbing of an individual named Austin Simon in a Harlem store in 2022. Alba asserts that he was defending himself after Simon initiated a physical confrontation.
Alba, after defending himself against Simon, contacted the police. However, he was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. In a recent lawsuit, Alba alleges that District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s emphasis on “racial equity” in the Manhattan legal system led to his imprisonment at Rikers Island. This lawsuit was lodged in the Manhattan federal court, as mentioned by the New York Post.
The lawsuit criticizes Bragg’s approach to “racial equity,” suggesting that rather than achieving justice, it has inadvertently led to race-based discrimination against certain individuals. Bragg’s initial decision was to set Alba’s bail at half a million dollars, but it was later reduced by a judge to $250,000. Since Alba couldn’t afford the bail, he spent six days in Rikers, facing tough conditions. Only after the bail was decreased to $50,000 was he released, as the Post highlighted.
Prominent figures, including Mayor Eric Adams and former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton, have publicly criticized Bragg for his handling of Alba’s case. Adams sympathized with Alba, pointing out that he was merely doing his job when the altercation occurred.
The exact amount Alba seeks in compensatory and punitive damages will be set by a jury, as stated by his lawyer, Richard Cardinale, in the New York Post.
Separately, in April, former President Trump appeared in court in Manhattan, pleading not guilty to multiple charges related to payments made to actress Stormy Daniels, as pursued by Bragg.
