Senate GOP Leader Flanagan Stands With Murder Victim Lisa Solomon’s Family & Police As Justice Continues To Be Denied To Victims Of Crime

Days after cold-blooded killer Matthew Solomon walked out of prison a free man, New York State Senate Republican Leader John J. Flanagan stood with victim Lisa Solomon’s family and the Suffolk County PBA to speak for crime victims and their families who in the days of Democrat control have no voice in New York State.

Matthew Solomon, married to Lisa for six weeks, hoodwinked heartbroken residents of Long Island by spearheading a search effort for his wife who ‘disappeared’ on Christmas Eve of 1987. As it turned out, Matthew Solomon strangled her and disposed of her body in garbage bags which would later be discovered during a search by her cousin, Steven Klerk.

He received a sentence of 18 years to life. Matthew Solomon was set free by a left-leaning parole board on May 14.

“Some crimes are so heinous that they become seared in your memory and the murder of Lisa Solomon, a young woman with everything to live for, and who had just gotten married, is one of those events. Matthew Solomon deceived the public when it turned out he threw a beautiful life away like garbage. He deserves to spend the rest of his life behind bars. More and more we see a lack of consideration for people like Lisa’s family, those who hurt the most as a result of violent crime, and who are being completely ignored by the parole board and by Democrats who control Albany. It is our responsibility to give victims a voice and to protect the public from people like Matthew Solomon who should never walk the streets again, as Lisa will never be able to do,” said Senate Republican Leader Flanagan.

“The release of Matthew Solomon illustrates that once again, the New York City-dominated legislature is putting violent offenders ahead of victims and their families.  The release of killers is wrong, and dramatically compounds the continuing devastation that the victims and families face on a daily basis.  We need to be the voice for those who cannot speak and stop the revolving door for criminals,” Senator Ken LaValle.

“The release of Matthew Solomon from prison is devastating for the family and friends of Lisa who have suffered for the past thirty one years. Paroling an individual who is capable of such violence and deception is against the welfare and safety of our community,” said Senator Phil Boyle.

“We look for justice in our leadership and in Democrats we have none. Democrats care more about criminals than victims and their families.  The release of these murderers back into our society makes our communities unsafe.  Now, murderers and rapists are being released from New York state prisons to live among us under the guise of prison reform and the lust for votes,” Steven Klerk, Lisa Solomon’s cousin.

“It is shameful that this murderer has been granted parole. The Suffolk PBA stands with the senate republican conference on their Victims’ Justice Agenda,” said Noel DiGerolamo, Suffolk County PBA President.

Recently, the New York State Parole Board has released a series of murders, including Matthew Solomon, Judith Clark, who murdered two police officers and a security guard during the 1981 Brinks heist, and Herman Bell, a cop-killer.

On top of this imbalance of justice, Democrats, who control both legislative houses, pushed through a ‘Criminal Bill of Rights’ which will set 90 percent of criminals home without bail, hobbling police as they try to build cases, and implemented new discovery rules which will turn over victim and witness information to the defense. All of these changes were made unilaterally, without a hearing and without listening to warnings from bipartisan voices from law enforcement and district attorneys offices across the state warning of the dangers.

New York State Senate Republicans put forward a Victims’ Justice Agenda to empower those grieving like Steven Klerk and others ignored by this lopsided system.

                                VICTIMS JUSTICE AGENDA

VICTIMS’ JUSTICE AGENDA

S1995 - Little - Provides that the sentence for murder in the first degree shall be life imprisonment without parole.

S357 - Tedisco - Authorizes imposition of life imprisonment without parole sentence for persistent violent felony offenders upon conviction of a violent felony offense when such person has previously been subjected to two or more predicate violent felony convictions.

S1410 - Ritchie - Requires that all comments and testimony made by a third party either in support or opposition in a parole hearing shall be considered when coming to a decision; adds provisions relating to confidentiality of victim statements.

S4127 - Tedisco - Requires that all victim impact statements in New York state be video recorded; requires that the members of the parole board review all relevant victim impact statements prior to the conduct of a parole hearing

S1745 - Gallivan - Provides that any person interested in the grant or denial of discretionary release shall have the right to submit a written statement of views in support of or in opposition to the granting of discretionary release which the parole board may consider.

S5320 - Antonacci - Requires unanimous consent of the Parole Board to release an inmate on parole.

S3734 - LaValle - Requires inmates to have an acceptable residence to qualify for parole.

S4354 - LaValle - Enacts "Lorraine's Law"; increases from twenty-four to sixty months, the time for which reconsideration for parole for a violent felony offense shall be determined.

S3268 - Lanza - Enacts "Cesar's law" to require the retaking of parolees, who abscond from the supervision of the state board of parole.

S4644 - Helming - Enacts "The Domestic Violence Protection Act - Brittany's Law" requiring registration of violent felony offenders; sets forth duties of the division of criminal justice services; establishes a special telephone number; requires the division to maintain a subdirectory of violent predators.

S1406 - Helming - “Clara’s Law” Requires health care facilities to report incidents of a sexual offense to the departments of health and education.