WEST SENECA, N.Y. — The West Seneca town board approved a resolution showing support for state assemblyman Pat Burke's proposed legislation, which is named after Rachael Wierzbicki.
Investigators say she was killed by her ex-boyfriend, Shane Casado, in South Buffalo in 2018. Casado had originally posted bail, but it was eventually revoked after the court found out he didn't have a job.
Now, Burke is proposing the '"Justice for Rachael Act," which would create "dangerousness hearings" and give judges autonomy to consider public safety in pretrial detention.
"We really don't want people being out on the streets that are a danger to the community," said Lauri Wierzbicki, Rachael’s mother. "So that was the intent of this whole bill, because you know, we went through a horrific... when he was let out on bail, it was just terrible that they would even let somebody let that out on the streets, because he could do that to anybody else."
This is all connected to the opposition to the state's new cash bail laws.
On Thursday, New York State Republicans will hold a "repeal bail reform roundtable" discussion in Buffalo to meet with police, prosecutors, victims, and the public.