Gov promotes let-’em-looser

Gov. Hochul has promoted a major advocate of the state’s controversial bail-reform laws to become one of her top legal advisers — even as she claims to have vigorously worked to change the lax rules.

Joshua Norkin — the former project coordinator for the Decarceration Project at The Legal Aid Society and a prominent player in pushing for bail reform — was promoted to Hochul’s deputy counsel in July, his LinkedIn states.

Then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo had appointed Norkin as assistant counsel for housing and civil rights in 2019 after he left the Legal Aid Society.

Norkin’s promotion by Hochul was immediately ripped by critics who blame the liberal law changes for the crime wave gripping New York City.

Hochul’s challenger Rep. Lee Zeldin, who was stunned by a shooting outside his Long Island home Sunday, said, “From the terrible judgment Crime Wave Kathy showed choosing Brian Benjamin as her lieutenant governor, to her ridiculous promotion of Joshua Norkin up the ranks of her inner circle, it’s clear the pro-criminal policies of New

York under her rule will keep getting worse with Hochul as governor.”

Benjamin resigned in April after being indicted for alleged bribery.

Praised by Cuomo

A Cuomo press release in 2019 had heralded Norkin for developing a national model for overhauling “restrictive criminal justice laws.’’ The release also praised Norkin for launching the Legal Aid Society’s Decarceration Project that campaigned against the use of cash bail and pretrial incarceration in New York for most criminal defendants.

The bail reform law approved in 2019 eliminated cash bail for nearly all nonviolent and misdemeanor crimes.

Hochul’s office Sunday defended Norkin’s promotion.

“Joshua Norkin is a highly qualified attorney with years of service to New York State who, in his new role, is continuing to work to support Gov. Hochul’s agenda of keeping New Yorkers safe from crime and gun violence,” said Liz Fine, counsel to the governor.