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As Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg approaches his re-election campaign, residents under his jurisdiction face significant concerns about his tenure in office. His controversial policies on criminal prosecution and his highly publicized case against Donald Trump have left many questioning his priorities.

Television personality Judge Judith Sheindlin, widely known as “Judge Judy,” delivered a scathing assessment of Bragg’s performance during a conversation with Chris Wallace on CNN’s “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace” in June 2024.

“I would be happier, as someone who owns property in Manhattan, if the district attorney of New York County would take care of criminals who were making it impossible for citizens to walk in the streets and use the subway, to use his efforts to keep those people off the street, than to spend $5 million or $10 million of taxpayers’ money trying Donald Trump on this nonsense,” Sheindlin stated.

She further expressed her disapproval, saying, “That’s my view. But I, as a taxpayer in this country, resent using the system for your own personal self-aggrandizement.”

The case against Trump, centered around payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels concerning an alleged 2006 encounter that Trump denies, drew particular criticism from Sheindlin. “You had to twist yourself into a pretzel to figure out what the crime was,” she remarked to Wallace. “[Bragg] doesn’t like him. New York City didn’t like him, for a while.”

The Manhattan case was part of a broader legal offensive against Trump, including actions by Fulton County DA Fani Willis in Georgia and federal special counsel Jack Smith. However, Bragg’s prosecution stands alone in reaching completion, culminating in a conviction without punishment from Judge Juan Merchan on January 10.

Despite Manhattan’s strong Democratic leanings, Bragg’s approach to law enforcement and public safety has drawn criticism from prominent figures like Sheindlin. Recent reports from Newsweek indicate increased fundraising success for Bragg in early 2025, yet his November re-election bid will ultimately rest with Manhattan voters.

The upcoming election may well test whether residents will heed Judge Judy’s warnings about their district attorney’s priorities, particularly given her status as a respected New York figure with broader appeal than Bragg himself.