Far-Left Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is getting a taste of his own medicine after a bodega clerk filed murder charges against him after fatally stabbing an attacker in his store last year.
Jose Alba was attacked behind the counter of his store by 35-year-old Austin Simon and his girlfriend, Tina Lee, last July. According to the lawsuit, Alba is suing Bragg for racial discrimination after being sent to Rikers Island and charged with second-degree murder despite it being self-defense.
The complaint states:
“New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg and/or his subordinates, following Bragg’s policy to achieve ‘racial equity’ in the Manhattan criminal justice system, charged Plaintiff with murder in the second degree and asked for high bail at Plaintiff’s arraignment. Despite the fact that Simon and Lee were the initial aggressors, it was the Plaintiff who was arrested, incarcerated, and wrongfully prosecuted. While in theory, Bragg’s ‘racial equity’ policies are a well-intentioned attempt by him to implement even-handed justice, the means and methods employed by Bragg have instead had an opposite effect and resulted in discrimination against certain defendants based on race.”
Richard Cardinale, Alba’s attorney, is reportedly seeking justice and compensatory and punitive damages against the city.
The altercation ignited after the clerk argued with Simon’s girlfriend, who could not afford a bag of chips. The ex-con reportedly went behind the counter, attacking and shoving him, which resulted in a fight that ended in Simon’s death.
Alba’s bail was initially set at $500,000 before a judge lowered it to $250,000.
The hard-working clerk was sent to Rikers Island because he could not afford the hefty fee. According to court documents, Alba endured “inhumane and unconstitutional conditions.”
The complaint continued by saying:
“After the video of Simon and Lee’s attack on Plaintiff was shown by the news media, and Plaintiff’s arrest, prosecution, and incarceration at Rikers Island Correctional Facility became a national story, there was widespread outrage against Bragg and his office for charging a law-abiding, older working man for lawfully defending himself during the crime wave in New York City, caused in part by the massive resignations of New York City Police Officers, and legislation and policies that frustrate the ability for law enforcement to combat crime.”
Alba was sent to rot in prison while Bragg took his time investigating the incident.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) condemned the initial charging decision, saying that Alba acted in self-defense to counter-act an attempt to rob or kill him.
However, under intense public pressure, Bragg dropped the murder charge on July 19, 2022.