A Culture of Unfairness?
The issues raised about Poynter were just part of a broader set of concerns criminal justice advocates and legal observers like Roiphe continue to raise. Her “cascading effect” of influence flows from the judges in the courthouse to the prosecutors in the DA’s office, and beyond.

“The judicial office is supposed to be acting as a check on the prosecutors, which in turn ought to redirect the culture in the prosecutor’s offices not to be solely focused on convictions,” she said.

The dynamic in Queens has created the appearance of a system where three institutional cultures—the judiciary, prosecutors and the police—are operating unchecked by the others, Roiphe said.

“What you have is the validating of this corrosive culture within the offices of these different bodies which are supposed to each individually be promoting justice,” she said. “It’s extremely problematic.”