A swab on the outside of a bag is far less invasive than rifling through the personal belongings. We don't yet have enough information about whether this is an effective security measure that does the least possible harm to personal privacy.

I actually have a punching bag right outside in my garden.

Instead of addressing the real problem, which is enforcement, the City Council has chosen to enact an overly broad bill that criminalizes a cultural activity. We live in a city that is the cultural capital of the world, yet it is a crime for a young adult to carry a magic marker. What's next -- watercolors or crayons?

This is a chronic problem that daily impacts all New Yorkers, especially communities of color. It disproportionately impacts the African American and Latino communities.

In many other cases materials are involved in the case under seal. But here it's classified. It's impossible for a defendant to have a fair trial when the courts are acting without input, and there's no way for a defense counsel to have input if he doesn't know what the other side is saying.

When you're arrested in New York City, there's a good chance you'll do the time without being convicted of doing the crime. It's a perversion of justice.