CRIME AND NO PUNISHMENT – The Story of Crime and Leniency Destroying New York City

December 28, 2022

“We are now telling judges that for hundreds of crimes, 'You have no discretion. You have to let the individual go.' And then everyone seems to wonder why we have a recidivism problem."

Tom Basile

New York City used to be one of the safest big cities in America. Now, it's a breeding ground for violent crime. What happened?

ON OCT. 18, 2018, Afghanistan War veteran Sgt. Hason Correa was brutally beaten, stabbed, and murdered on the streets of Harlem in a horrific attack caught on camera. James Saunders, who wielded the knife, had a long history of violent crime, as did his brother Christopher Saunders.

Their sister, Mary Saunders, held Correa's arms behind his back while James stabbed him. Despite being able to break free, the Saunders siblings chased Correa down and tripped him, then proceeded to kick and beat him while James Saunders continued to stab him.

Correa died at the scene from a fatal stab wound to the heart.

For three years, the case against the Saunders siblings and their friend Travis was strong and ready for trial, with multiple judges reportedly stating that, "Everyone's exposure was significant to the homicide." The Manhattan District Attorney's Office initially charged and indicted the four offenders for first-degree gang assault and second-degree murder. However, when Alvin Bragg took over the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, the charges against Mary Saunders and Travis were suddenly dismissed.

Mary's charges were reduced to "assault with a shoe," for which she served just one year.

"Mary Saunders got away with it. She got away with murder."

Madeline Brames, mother of Sgt. Hason Correa

Madeline Brames, mother of slain Afghanistan War veteran Sgt. Hason Correa, breaks down in the courtroom.

Madeline Brames, Correa's mother, has spoken out about her frustration and anger over the lack of justice in her son's case and the seeming anti-justice and anti-police stance of the Democrat-led administrations in NYC.

LISTEN to the entire Crime and No Punishment episode of The Code Red Podcast to hear more heartbreaking stories like Brames' and to learn what needs to be done to fix the issue of rampant crime in NYC.

"Sometimes I think that the moms where arrests weren't made in the murders of their children are better off than the moms where arrests were made because they are going to be dragged through a process that has no mercy on them like the people had no mercy on our children when they killed them."

Madeline Brames

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The Code Red Podcast explores critical national security issues through engaging discussions with experts, story telling of past events, and conversations with Legislators. We investigate the issues that threaten our sovereignty with in-depth analyses on how the decisions of our leaders impact America’s safety.

Today's Episode:
Crime and No Punishment explores the disturbing trend of increasing crime in New York City. Once a beacon of safety among big cities in America, the city is now grappling with issues such as teenage fare-beaters killing cab drivers and the brutal murder of an Army veteran.

The Code Red Podcast is a publication of Secure America Now, the largest national security digital platform in the country. Since the early 2010s, Secure America Now has been fighting to bring critical security issues to the forefront of the American debate. Learn more at https://www.secureamericanow.org/

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