Black New Yorkers are disproportionately prosecuted for misdemeanors even though such cases rarely result in convictions, according to a new study released Thursday by the Center for Court Innovation.  

Of the 190,000 misdemeanor prosecutions in 2019 and 2020 in New York City, like vending without a license and aggressive solicitation, Black people accounted for about half of those charged despite making up just about a quarter of the city population. The authors of the nonprofit’s study found that Latino New Yorkers were also overrepresented in prosecutions of these minor crimes.  

“The data doesn’t prove bias, it just proves we’re getting inequitable outcomes,” said Michael Rempel, one of the authors of the report. “Whatever the reasons for the outcome, the upshot is we’re looking at vast overinvolvement of Black and brown people in a misdemeanor justice system that doesn’t ultimately promote either accountability or fairness.”

Just 12% of the misdemeanor arrests resulted in a conviction, and only 9% brought a prison sentence. About a third resulted in a plea deal to a lesser offense, like a non-criminal violation.