Manhattan DA's halt to prison sentences for many crimes was backed by Jerry Nadler, other prominent Democrats

Bragg announced a cap of 20 years in jail for murder, with support from major Democratic Party leaders

However, Bragg's unprecedented overhaul of the criminal justice system was not a surprise. It was a core part of his campaign, which received support from Democratic Party leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock and more.

In a stunning reversal of traditional law enforcement procedures, Bragg sent a memo stressing "diversion and alternatives to incarceration" in prosecutions. The exceptions to the no-jail time offenses include murder, some sex offenses and white-collar corruption crimes. Several serious crimes, like armed robbery, are being reduced to misdemeanors.