Times Union photo illustration by Jeff Boyer.

Imagine a criminal justice system in which people merely accused of a crime were routinely imprisoned without trial.

Where affluent defendants could buy their freedom while people of lesser means, unable to afford bail, languished behind bars.

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Where the right to a fair trial could be thwarted by prosecutors withholding information until the last minute, leaving defense attorneys unable to put together an effective case.

Where too often, defendants pleaded guilty not because they were guilty, but because they didn’t stand a chance against this lopsided system.

That was what New York’s criminal justice system looked like up until about six years ago, when Democratic lawmakers and then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo implemented some much-needed reforms to the bail system and the process of discovery, through which prosecutors provide their evidence to the defense.

It was a well-intentioned effort, but time has shown it wasn’t perfect. Gov. Kathy Hochul has........

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