Queens

Law professors filed a grievance regarding Nicole Aloise’s serious misconduct in three separate cases she prosecuted for the Queens District Attorney’s Office (QDAO).

In People v. McCray, the Second Department Appellate Division found that Aloise made “patently improper” arguments when she impermissibly vouched for the credibility of the complainant and for the strength of her case, appealed to the jurors’ sympathy, and denigrated both the defendant and the defense itself. In People v. Velez, Aloise’s summation comments drew explicit rebukes from the Appellate Division judges presiding over the case on appeal.

Despite the findings of misconduct noted in this grievance, the New York Attorney Detail Report lists “Disciplinary History: No record of public discipline” for Aloise at the time the professors filed this grievance.

Aloise’s misconduct in Queens was far from unique; serious misconduct at QDAO has been regularly reported for years.

Powerful positions require the highest accountability. We cannot reward prosecutors for breaking the rules.