New York News Chun Yin was smiling when she left court in
Chun Yin was smiling when she left court in Lower Manhattan with activist Don Lee and attorney Julia Kuan on Wednesday. Yin had been arrested 11 times for selling trinkets on Canal Street even though her invalid husband was near her and has a vending license.
Yin and other Chinatown vendors said one NYPD unit unable to catch illegal counterfeiters ticketed legal vendors to get arrest numbers up.
In court, the Manhattan assistant district attorney noted Yin’s husband’s vending license and his deteriorating health and moved to ACD all 11 charges. If she has no legal troubles for six months, all charges will be erased from her record.
Despite this legal victory, if Yin were to set up her vending stand without her invalid husband present she could get arrested again. The Department of Consumer Affairs will not transfer vending licenses between family members unless one is a veteran.
Now Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer wants to change that.
Activist Don Lee has been pushing elected officials to support Yin and other vendors ticketed for very minor offenses. He noted that the Chinatown community of poor immigrants is an easy target.
Yin said that because of Lee’s activism, Kuan’s legal work, and the Fox 5 stories on the vendors, the pressure has worked. So far 14 charges for two vendors have been essentially dropped.
Other vendors say the police have stopped harassing them.
Fox 5