TN-5 candidate and former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell criticized liberal prosecutors and the defund the police movement in comments that she made to The Tennessee Star on Friday regarding the case of Jose Alba who was charged with second-degree murder the New York City Democrats said was a clear instance of self defense.
“It seems liberal prosecutors and district attorneys are more focused on cracking down on law abiding citizens than criminals.” Said Beth Harwell.
“What happened in New York to Jose Alba is troubling. That man was trying to defend himself and after being attacked by a career criminal who was on parole for assaulting a police officer,” she said.
“Criminals around the country are emboldened by the defund the police movement and by the liberal court systems who never enforce the laws on the books. Our law enforcement officers are doing everything they can, but the legal system is failing us by letting criminals off the hook,” added the TN-5 candidate.
Harwell is a leading candidate in the August 4 Republican primary in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat.
The New York Post reported that even New York City Democrats are calling for the charges against Alba to be dropped.
A bipartisan group of New York City politicians sent Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg a letter demanding that he drop his case against bodega clerk Jose Alba in the stabbing death of an ex-con who attacked him behind the counter, according to The New York Post.
“The fact that you are even prosecuting Mr. Alba reveals how your perverse sense of justice not only protects violent criminals, but actively seeks to destroy the lives of crime victims,” the lawmakers wrote.
“Your approach is not a policy of restorative justice or de-incarceration,” they said. “You are simply rewarding the guilty and punishing the innocent.”
The letter was signed by councilmembers Robert Holden (D-Queens), Joe Borelli (R-Staten Island), Inna Vernikov (R-Brooklyn), David Carr (R-Staten Island), Kalman Yeger (D-Brooklyn), Joann Ariola (R-Queens) and Vickie Paladino (R-Queens).
The New York Post additionally reported on Thursday that NYC Mayor Eric Adams expressed sympathy for Alba, saying in a press conference, “My heart goes out for this hard-working, honest New Yorker that was doing his job in his place of business, where a person came in and went behind the counter and attacked him.”
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, Truth Social, and Parler.
Photo “Beth Harwell” by Beth Harwell.
