Last summer saw Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charge elderly store clerk Jose Alba with second degree murder after he stabbed a younger man who attacked him.
Alba was jailed for a time at New York City's notorious jail on Rikers Island before his charges were ultimately dropped. However, the case is blowing up again as Alba has decided to sue Bragg.
Alba's case gained national attention after security footage emerged of a confrontation between the clerk and Austin Simon as well as Simon's girlfriend, Tina Lee.
It showed Simon, a 35-year-old man with an extensive criminal record, coming behind the counter at Alba's store and assaulting the clerk.
Bodega worker, Jose Alba, charged in fatal stabbing of a man who attacked him, which looks like a case of self-defense. pic.twitter.com/fB4H2Fh7vS
— BG is Home! (@ViralShid) July 7, 2022
Interestingly, while Lee was later seen drawing a knife of her own and stabbing Alba, Bragg opted not to pursue charges against the woman.
Great news! Now for Tina Lee, the PoS who started this entire mess and managed to stab Jose in the arm, to hopefully get what's coming to her! pic.twitter.com/cRsIevWioU
— RubySalt912 (@RubySalt912) July 20, 2022
According to Fox News, Alba has filed a civil rights lawsuit against Bragg, arguing that he was targeted under the prosecutor's "racial equity" policies.
Also named in the suit is NYPD Detective William Garcia, Department of Corrections Commissioner Louis Molina, with the latter said to be responsible for Alba receiving "inadequate medical care at Rikers Island."
"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," Fox News quoted Alba's complaint as stating,
"Despite the fact that Simon and Lee were the initial aggressors, it was Plaintiff who was arrested, incarcerated, and wrongfully prosecuted," it continues.
"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," Alba's complaint asserts.
Richard Cardinale is Alba's attorney, and he told Fox News that his client is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages."
"The case is strong because it relies on defendants’ own documents and statements and papers filed in the criminal case," Cardinale was quoted as saying.
"This is not a case based on a lawyer or client’s unsupported speculation," Alba's attorney went on to declare.
