Early Release Controversy
On June 21, 2004, Velella was sentenced to one year in jail for bribery under a plea deal, but was released from Rikers Island on September 28, 2004 after less than twelve weeks by the Local Conditional Release Commission, an obscure New York City agency. (Ironically, in the State Senate, Velella had voted to abolish the LCRC.) His early release sparked outrage, especially in the media. Both the New York Post and New York Daily News, which both endorsed Velella in past campaigns, published editorials demanding his return to jail. The New York Post pasted Velella's face on a Monopoly "Get Out of Jail Free" card and published it daily in its opinion section.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg called for an investigation into the circumstances of Velella's early release. The city's Department of Investigations (DOI), which looked into the matter, found that the Local Conditional Release Commission (LCRC) had violated established procedures when it granted Velella's request. On November 19, 2004, the commission ordered that Velella be returned to prison. Although Velella appealed this decision, the New York State Appeals Court refused to give him another reprieve. Velella returned to Rikers Island in late December to resume his sentence. Velella was released on March 18, 2005, after serving only 182 days of his original one-year sentence.
Read more about this topic: Guy Velella
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