“As civil public defenders, we venture into courts, struggles and conflicts where no constitutional right to a lawyer, and very few other protections exist to ensure fairness in process and justice on behalf of the people we represent. We fight for the basic necessities that are destabilized or deprived once an individual is criminally or…
“The “Protect Our Courts Act,” sponsored by Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages and Senator Brad Hoylman, is one way New York state can counterbalance these devastating consequences, and we have one day left in NY’s legislative session to help protect our non-citizen community members. Thomas R. Decker, field office director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) New…
“As lawyers at the Bronx Defenders, we see how the loitering law acts as an invitation to the police to abuse and target our clients for simply “walking while female” in certain neighborhoods. We have represented women who were arrested while walking to meet friends at a bar, waiting outside a store or walking home with diapers…
Runa Rajagopal, our Managing Director of the Civil Action Practice, was selected as a Wasserstein Fellow -The Program recognizes exemplary lawyers who have distinguished themselves in public interest work and who can assist students who are considering similar career paths This year they received over 130 nominations for just a few spots and Runa was…
Sarah Deri Oshiro, our Managing Director of the Immigration Practice, was awarded the Association’s Legal Services Award. She will be receiving her award at the Thirtieth Annual Legal Services Award presentation. The Awards will be held on Tuesday, June 25th at 4 p.m. at the Association. Please click here to register for the event.
JOINT STATEMENT FROM NYIFUP LEGAL PROVIDERS ON CITY COUNCIL RESPONSE RECOMMENDING $16.5 MILLION TO SUPPORT CRUCIAL IMMIGRANT LEGAL SERVICES (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, and The Bronx Defenders – New York City’s defender organizations providing free legal representation through the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) to detained immigrants with pending…
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** March 12, 2019 JOINT STATEMENT FROM NYIFUP LEGAL PROVIDERS ON ICE ADVANCING VARICK STREET HEARINGS WITHOUT NOTICE, EFFECTIVELY STRIPPING IMMIGRANTS OF THEIR DUE PROCESS RIGHTS (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, and The Bronx Defenders – New York City’s defender organizations providing free legal representation through the New York Immigrant…
New York City Council Committee on Public Safety Jointly with the Committee on Justice System, the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Business Licensing Hearing re: Marijuana Legalization: Equity and Justice for NYC. February 27, 2019 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Eli Northrup, Associate Special Counsel to the Criminal Defense Practice As a holistic…
New York City Council Committee on Criminal Justice Hearing re: Oversight – Department of Correction Programming February 26, 2019 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Elizabeth Williams Good morning Chairman Powers and members of the Committee on Criminal Justice. My name is Elizabeth Williams and I am a social worker in the Criminal Defense…
“In the five years I’ve worked as a defender, I have never met a transgender client who was not abused or harassed in some way by the NYPD during the process of their arrest.” Deb Lolai, our LGBTQ specialist, wrote an op-ed highlighting transphobic practice rampant in the NYPD. While in detention, trans and gender…
The Bronx Defenders, along with the Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services and other advocates, demand to be sent to MDC Warden Herman Quay and access the jail’s housing units, medical facilities and mess halls. “They lost the right to say that they can manage this. They lost all credibility.” Read more here.
BRONX, N.Y. — A new study released today by RAND and the University of Pennsylvania Law School finds that The Bronx Defenders’ unique model of holistic defense significantly reduces incarceration rates, sentence length, and pre-trial detention, saving taxpayer dollars, without harming public safety. In total, the study estimates that The Bronx Defenders has saved its…
If you think you might be a member of the class, click here On April 24, 2018, The Bronx Defenders filed a class action against the City of New York and the NYPD for illegally using and sharing information from sealed arrest records in defiance of long-standing privacy laws that protect privacy and the…
Powerful op-ed by BxD’s Emma Ketteringham in the New York Times about poverty and the child-protection system: “For more than a decade, my colleagues at the Bronx Defenders and I have represented thousands of parents like Eline in child-protection proceedings. A majority of them have never abused a child. Yet child services charges them with “parental…
“Allowing ICE to use the city’s court system to trap immigrants is immoral. If New York City is to live up to its promise as a sanctuary city, there can be no place for federal deportation forces in our courts.” Op-ed by BxD’s Justine Olderman for the New York Daily News. Read the piece here.
“With threats to the balance of power in this country on the rise, protecting the class action is urgent. Courts can serve as a check against civil rights violations, but only if lawyers are able to bring cases that challenge government abuse.” Op-ed by BxD’s Jenn Rolnick Borchetta for The Marshall Project on new pro-business legislation that could…
“It’s not enough for cities like New York to declare themselves ‘sanctuaries,’ which simply means that the local police won’t detain noncitizens on the federal government’s behalf. If cities really want to protect immigrants, they must also end the quota-driven style of policing that makes immigrants the victims of unnecessary arrests and disproportionate punishment…” Op-ed…
New York – The Bronx Defenders released the following statement in response to the Mayor and Council Speaker’s announcement they have agreed to create a universal right to counsel for low-income New Yorkers facing eviction. “We applaud Mayor de Blasio and the City Council for taking this historic step toward making NYC a more equitable…
From June 5 to June 10, The Bronx Defenders will be hosting its 2017 Defenders’ Academy: Spring Training program. Defenders’ Academy: Spring Training is a six-day intensive trial skills program for criminal, family, and civil defenders. Through the lens of a complex case problem, participants will receive training on voir dire, opening statements, direct examination, cross…
“Public defenders are pushing City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito as she enters her last year in office to finally allow a vote on two controversial police reform bills. In a letter to Mark-Viverito, nine lawyers’ groups said that the bills known as the Right to Know Act — which the speaker has blocked from the…
New York – Representatives from public defense providers in New York City gathered today on the steps of the New York City Hall to urge Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito to call for a vote on the Right to Know Act after the legislation has remained stalled in the Committee on Public Safety for over two years. The…
“No one knows for certain what President-elect Donald Trump will do to keep his pledge to deport millions of unauthorized immigrants when he takes office. There is, however, a general consensus that removals will rise sharply under his administration. Some states and local governments have made it clear that they won’t wait and see. Whether…
“An hour ride on most NYC subway lines should be enough to see how New York City, for all its diversity, is an economically and racially segregated city. A few stops along that same ride can also illustrate how policing in communities varies depending on the neighborhood. Take the D train from 59th-Columbus Circle to…
“While it’s hard enough for the working poor to find qualified representation, doing so as an immigrant in detention is almost impossible. Just 37 percent of people facing deportation have an attorney with them. For people in immigration detention, that number falls to 14 percent, according to a study published in the University of Pennsylvania…
Contact: media@bronxdefenders.org August 4, 2016, New York – Today, The Bronx Defenders filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of the State of New York against the New York Police Department, arguing the department has violated New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) by refusing to provide relevant information pertaining to its policies and procedures…
Contact: media@bronxdefenders.org July 26, 2016, New York – The City of New York and The Bronx Defenders have requested a six-month stay of the federal class action lawsuit Encarnacion v. City of New York after the Bronx District Attorney’s Office agreed to implement a series of reforms to ensure the NYPD promptly releases personal property…
The New York Police Department (NYPD) is planning a large body-worn camera (BWC) experiment involving 1,000 cameras at precincts all over the City, and is seeking public input to develop the policies that will guide officers using the cameras. This pilot program emerged in part from the class action lawsuits in which the court found the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk…
“The NYPD’s practice of refusing to release money and property allegedly tied to criminal activity is slated to become the subject of a federal class action lawsuit. A Bronx law firm, which sued the city in January over its civil forfeiture policy, amended the complaint Friday to add more plaintiffs who said they were unable…
“Kaleb Hagos was arrested by police on September 23rd, 2015, and had $2,931.68 in cash confiscated, along with an iPhone he was carrying in his pocket. Since then, the case against him has been terminated, and his lawyers at the Bronx Defenders have repeatedly tried to retrieve his phone and money—but to date, the Bronx…
Contact: media@bronxdefenders.org The Bronx Defenders Seeks Class Cert. in Property Retrieval Suit June 3rd, 2016, New York – The Bronx Defenders filed an amended complaint today in Encarnacion v. City of New York, and will ask a federal judge to grant class certification in their lawsuit challenging the NYPD’s unconstitutional practice of retaining people’s property…
Our Executive Director, Robin Steinberg, published the following piece in Daily News about our lawsuit challenging systemic court delay in the Bronx. “This situation constitutes nothing short of a constitutional crisis. People in the poorest borough in New York, with the highest percentage of black and Latino residents, are being forced to choose between returning to…
The New York Times Editorial Board weighs in on Trowbridge et al., v. Cuomo et al, our federal lawsuit challenging the epidemic of court delays in the Bronx Criminal Court. “This Dickensian nightmare is all too common in the Bronx, according to a class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday in Federal District Court by the Bronx Defenders,…
“Public defenders in the Bronx filed a lawsuit Tuesday against lawmakers in New York. They charge that courts are chronically understaffed, jeopardizing the right to a speedy trial for many defendants.” Listen to the story here. For more on the lawsuit, see our press release.
Contact: media@bronxdefenders.org Broken System Undermines Right to Speedy Trial and Due Process for Thousands of People Charged with Low-Level Offenses, Causing Significant Social and Economic Hardships NEW YORK (May 10, 2016) – A federal class action lawsuit was filed today against Governor Andrew Cuomo and the administrators of New York State’s Unified Court System for…
THE MORNING OF MAY 4, 2011, Jameelah El-Shabazz watched out the window of her Bronx apartment as a team of police officers fanned across the rooftop of Banana Kelly High School. The 43-year-old mother of five said she didn’t think much of the scene — drug raids were common in her neighborhood. As she did…
How an Unusual Team Helps Extricate Bronx Residents From NYC’s Criminal-Justice System The Bronx Defenders do more than go to court. It was 1999, and Wendy was in solitary confinement in an upstate New York prison, reeling from the effects of heroin withdrawal. In pain, she oscillated between two thoughts: “I wanted to believe that…
Last February, Harold Stanley was on his block one evening, in the Morrissania section of the Bronx. He decided to drive to McDonalds, and when he came back, sat in his parked car to eat. “Next thing I know somebody’s tapping on my window, telling me get out the car,” he said. “And I said…
After news of Kalief Browder’s suicide, many advocates called on Mayor de Blasio to fix New York’s draconian and unfair bail system. On July 8th, Mayor de Blasio responded by announcing a new bail reform for New York City’s court systems. People charged with certain misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies would have the option of supervised…
Every year, thousands of innocent people are sent to jail only because they can’t afford to post bail, putting them at risk of losing their jobs, custody of their children — even their lives. Two years later, that may be changing. This summer, the New York City Council took a tentative step toward reform by…
About 1,000 times a week in New York City, a judge tells a defendant who is presumed innocent that he or she can pay for their freedom by putting up bail—an amount of money that will be forfeited if the defendant fails to show up for court. Because many people are arrested on fairly minor…
The 2015 Holistic Defense for Public Defender Offices Technical Assistance Project Request for Proposals Deadline: August 21, 2015 Overview The Center for Holistic Defense, a project of The Bronx Defenders, is a resource center for public defender offices, individual advocates, policy makers and others who seek to adopt a more holistic approach to public defense…
Recognizing the pain and trauma of family separation, The Bronx Defenders advocates tirelessly in Bronx Family Court to ensure that our clients are given fair access to justice and that their children are not removed merely because their families are over-policed and prosecuted for being poor. Responding to this reality, we launched our Healthy Mothers,…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 17, 2014 Contact: Scott Levy, The Bronx Defenders, 718-838-7833, ScottL@bronxdefenders.org The Hidden Tax: Economic Costs of Marijuana Enforcement in the Bronx and New York City New York – The Bronx Defenders released The Hidden Tax: Economic Costs of Marijuana Enforcement in New York, a report by The Bronx Defenders Fundamental Fairness…
At this year’s National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) conference, Blueprint for Justice: Designing a New Paradigm for Impact, a total of 16 Bronx Defenders advocates — attorneys, social workers, and data and technology specialists across the Criminal Defense, Family Defense, and Civil Action Practices, as well as the Technology & Evaluation Department — will be presenting on 4 different…
The Otis Bantum Correctional Center has the largest solitary confinement unit on Rikers Island. It holds roughly 400 inmates, according to the Board of Correction. The Otis Bantum Correctional Center has the largest solitary confinement unit on Rikers Island. It holds roughly 400 inmates, according to the Board of Correction. (Brigid Bergin/WNYC) A new report…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 12, 2014 Contact: Skylar Albertson, The Bronx Defenders, (347) 842-1215, SkylarA@bronxdefenders.org Voices From the Box: Solitary Confinement at Rikers Island New York – The Bronx Defenders released a report summarizing the experiences of 59 current and former clients who were subjected to extreme isolation in solitary confinement at Rikers Island. The…
Safer and Stronger: Policy Recommendations for Community Safety in the Bronx Download the PDF here: The Bronx Defenders – Safer and Stronger 2014 The Bronx Defenders provides holistic and client-centered criminal defense, family defense, immigration defense, civil legal services, social work support, and community advocacy to indigent people of the Bronx. Our staff of over 200 represents 35,000…
As part of the New York Law Journal’s 125th anniversary celebration, the Law Journal has created the Impact Award to honor individuals, groups or projects that have had significant and lasting impact on the legal community in New York. The following, in no particular order, are the winners of the 2013 Impact Award. The honorees…
The Bronx Defenders is thrilled to announce that it will receive the National Legal Aid and Defender Association’s 2013 Clara Shortridge Foltz Award for its work pioneering holistic defense in the South Bronx. The Bronx Defenders is deeply grateful for the award and honored to be recognized as one of the many defender offices that…
City’s Fraught Contracting Process is Pushing Non-Profits to the Brink of Collapse (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A, NMIC, the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), Legal Services NYC, CAMBA Legal Services, Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS), the Human Services Council, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, The Bronx Defenders,…
Contact: media@bronxdefenders.org The Bronx, NY – After three months of bargaining, The Bronx Defenders and the union representing a majority of staff at the organization – the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys-UAW Local 2325 – have finalized a collective bargaining agreement that increases wages for all BxD employees, creates a fair and flexible hybrid work…
Contact: media@bronxdefenders.org The Bronx, NY — The Bronx Leadership & Organizing Center (BLOC) and The Bronx Defenders share Bronx tenants’ outrage over the recent decision of the Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) to raise rents by 2.75% on 1-year leases and 5.25% on 2-year leases for rent stabilized apartments. In the Bronx, our communities are…
The Bronx, NY – The Bronx Defenders has announced the appointment of Juval O. Scott, a nationally-recognized leader in public defense, civil rights, and sentencing reform, as the next Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders. Juval will be the first African American and woman of color to lead the organization in its 27-year history. She…
(New York, NY) – The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, and The Legal Aid Society – New York City’s defender organizations providing free legal representation to detained immigrants through the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) – issued the following statement in response to the sudden termination of the free call minutes program at…
Defenders Reaffirm Call for Legislature to Enact Four Bills that Empower Families Before the End of Session New York, NY – On Tuesday May 28, the New York Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights released a report “Examining the New York Child Welfare System and its Impact on Black Children and Families.”…
Washington, D.C. – Last week, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, the National Immigration Project (NIPNLG), and The Bronx Defenders sued Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the GEO Group, a private prison company, under the Federal Tort Claims Act. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Angel Argueta Anariba, a 46-year-old Honduran immigrant who has lived…
Media Contacts: Michael Paul Jackson, mjackson@bronxdefenders.org New York, NY – On behalf of incarcerated New Yorkers, as well as the community members they speak with on the telephone, The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, New York County Defender Services, and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP filed a class action lawsuit Monday evening against the…
(New York) – The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Legal Aid Society, the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, New York County Defender Services, and Queens Defenders released the following joint statement in response to reporting in Gothamist concerning 719 lawsuits alleging sexual abuse in New York City jails under the Adult Survivors Act: “The harms detailed in these…
The Bronx Defenders Joined Community Activists and Elected Officials to Rally for the Passage of Treatment Not Jail, Informed Consent, New York for All, and others Contact: Michael Paul Jackson, mjackson@bronxdefenders.org The Bronx, NY – The Bronx Defenders traveled to Albany today with community leaders, supporters, and advocates to demand legislation that will redefine public…
Media Contacts: Michael Paul Jackson, mjackson@bronxdefenders.org The Bronx, NY – Today, The Bronx Defenders and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, LLP announced that the City of New York has agreed to pay Cheyenne Lee $125,000 after nine NYPD officers barged into her home without a warrant, arrested her teenage nephew, and then arrested her without…
Contact: Michael Paul Jackson, The Bronx Defenders, mjackson@bronxdefenders.org New York, NY – Today, the New York City Council voted to override Mayor Adams’ veto of the How Many Stops Act. In response, Christine Rivera, Policy Counsel for The Bronx Defenders’ Criminal Defense Practice, issued the following statement: “We are pleased that the City Council stood up…
Measures Include Increased Funding for Public Defender Offices, Passage of the Treatment Not Jail Act, the Youth Justice & Opportunities Act and the Eliminating Mandatory Minimums Act, Along With Additional Key Reforms (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, New York County Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of…
Contacts: Anthony Chiarito, The Bronx Defenders, achiarito@bronxdefenders.org Dan Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, ailopez@legal-aid.org New York, NY – On Thursday, the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) – the nation’s first public defender program for detained immigrants – issued the following statement in response to reports that the…
Katie Schaffer, kschaffer@communityalternatives.org, 646-265-2044 Tanya Frable, tfrable@communityalternatives.org, 347-677-2463 NEW YORK – Today, Governor Hochul signed the Clean Slate Act, legislation that will help millions of people support their families, boost New York’s economy and help create safer and stronger communities. Her signature on this historic legislation was lauded by hundreds of labor unions, businesses, and…
Contact: media@bronxdefenders.org “The Bronx Defenders (‘BxD’) is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization whose central mission is to provide client-centered, holistic representation to low-income people in the Bronx. BxD helps approximately 20,000 Bronx residents a year navigate criminal, family, civil, and immigration legal proceedings. “The organization has decided to issue this statement in light of the…
New York State Senate Senate Subcommittee on Cannabis; Standing Committees on Agriculture, Finance, and Investigations and Government Operations To examine issues in the New York State market related to consumer accessibility and retail sale of legal adult-use cannabis October 30, 2023 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Eli Northrup, Policy Director, Criminal Defense Practice…
Contact: media@bronxdefenders.org The Bronx, NY – The Bronx Defenders issued the following statement following a media availability yesterday where Mayor Adams announced a new 60-day shelter limit for migrant families and children: “The Mayor’s new shelter limit is cruel and inhumane. Not only will this new limit force the most vulnerable families and children in…
New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Children & Families The Child Welfare System and the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse or Maltreatment in New York State September 27, 2023 Joint Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, Center for Family Representation, and the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem Read the testimony here
Agreement resolves first-of-its-kind lawsuit to enforce New York’s cannabis legalization law, which ACS violated when it separated Ms. Rivers from her newborn baby Contact: Michael Paul Jackson, The Bronx Defenders, mjackson@bronxdefenders.org Issara Baumann, Arnold & Porter, issara.baumann@arnoldporter.com The Bronx, NY – Today, The Bronx Defenders and Arnold & Porter announced a resolution with New…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (New York, NY) – New York County Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, and Queens Defenders issued the following joint statement regarding the ongoing humanitarian crisis on Rikers Island and the urgent need to close Rikers once and for all: “For years, we’ve watched New York…
New York City Council Committees on Immigration and General Welfare Improving the living conditions for asylum seekers staying in the DHS shelter system, HERRCs, and Respite Centers June 21, 2023 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Rosa Cohen-Cruz, Director of Immigration Policy & Miriam Mack, Director of Family Defense Policy for The Bronx Defenders Read the…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Chiarito, media@bronxdefenders.org (The Bronx, NY) – Today, Justine Olderman announced she will step down as Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders after six years at the organization’s helm, and after 23 years serving in various roles at the 25-year-old organization, from criminal defense attorney to Managing Director of the Criminal Defense Practice, and from Managing Director of the Organization to…
Every day, The Bronx Defenders zealously defends people in court and fights to keep families together. But we know that it is just as important to serve the community out of the courtroom, as well. 10 years ago, BxD began The Client Emergency Fund, a program which provides immediate and impactful direct assistance to individuals…
Contact: Anthony Chiarito, The Bronx Defenders, achiarito@bronxdefenders.org The Bronx Defenders and State Elected Officials Rallied in Albany to Fight for Transformative Change in the Bronx and Beyond The Bronx Defenders host their 4th Annual Community Day of Action in Albany Advocates called for the passage of Clean Slate, Treatment Not Jail, New York For All, and Family Miranda Rights, among many more New York, NY – On Wednesday, May 17th, The Bronx Defenders…
Contacts: Michael Paul Jackson, The Bronx Defenders, mjackson@bronxdefenders.org Issara Baumann, Arnold & Porter, issara.baumann@arnoldporter.com Lawsuits seek to force ACS to finally answer for decades of systemic racism Includes first of its kind lawsuit to enforce MRTA after ACS separated a Black family over lawful cannabis use The Bronx, NY – Today, The Bronx Defenders and Arnold &…
(New York, NY) – In response to Mayor Adams’ remarks this week, The Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, New York County Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, and Queens Defenders issued the following statement: “Mayor Adams used the language of compassion and care this week to reassert an anti-Black, anti-poor,…
Contact: Anthony Chiarito, The Bronx Defenders, (AChiarito@bronxdefenders.org) (NEW YORK, NY) – The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Legal Aid Society, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, New York County Defender Services, and Queens Defenders issued the following joint statement in response to a new report released by the New York City Department of Investigation on…
(NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, New York County Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, and Queens Defenders issued the following joint statement on New York’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget: “Governor Hochul and the Legislature’s decision to yet again rollback New York’s bail laws, eliminating the…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Chiarito, The Bronx Defenders, achiarito@bronxdefenders.org New York, NY – Following last night’s announcement by the Governor on a “conceptual agreement” on the State budget that includes changes to the bail laws, The Bronx Defenders issued the following statement: “Governor Hochul’s efforts to strip the ‘least restrictive means’ language from New…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Chiarito, achiarito@bronxdefenders.org New York, NY – As State lawmakers return to Albany and Governor Hochul attempts to rollback bail and discovery reform yet again through the State budget process, The Bronx Defenders issued the following statement: “The Governor’s attempt to rollback bail and discovery reform is deeply disturbing and should be called…
IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Chiarito, achiarito@bronxdefenders.org New York, NY – The Bronx Defenders issued the following statement following reports that Governor Hochul and New York City’s District Attorneys are proposing changes to the discovery reform law passed in 2019: “Not satisfied with trying to roll back bail reform to make it easier to jail more…
IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Chiarito, achiarito@bronxdefenders.org New York, NY – After watching the New York State budget deadline come and go, The Bronx Defenders issued the following statement: “Once again, the budget is late because our Governor is insisting on changes to our bail law that would lead to thousands of New Yorkers being jailed…
Retribución “rápida y aplastante” en la cárcel del Condado de Orange después de hablar en contra de la brutalidad, el abuso racista y la negligencia medica Contacto: Michael Paul Jackson, The Bronx Defenders, (646) 397-8069, mjackson@bronxdefenders.org Jen Nessel, Centro para los Derechos Constitucionales, (212) 614-6449, jnessel@ccrjustice.org Kaye Dyja, Unión de Libertades Civiles de Nueva York,…
Retribution“swift and crushing” at Orange County Jail after speaking out against brutality, racist abuse, medical neglect Contact: Michael Paul Jackson, The Bronx Defenders, (646) 397-8069, mjackson@bronxdefenders.org Jen Nessel, Center for Constitutional Rights, (212) 614-6449, jnessel@ccrjustice.org Kaye Dyja, New York Civil Liberties Union, (212) 607-3372, kdyja@nyclu.org April 4, 2023, New York – Federal and local officials…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Chiarito, achiarito@bronxdefenders.org New York, NY – On Friday, one day before the New York State budget is due, The Bronx Defenders issued the following statement following reports that the Governor is holding up the budget process over her insistence on changing the state’s bail laws to jail more New Yorkers:…
Ruling restores privacy and presumption of innocence to millions of New Yorkers Media Contact: Michael Paul Jackson, @mjackson@bronxdefenders.org NEW YORK — Today, a Manhattan judge ruled that the New York City Police Department (NYPD) must overhaul its technological systems to end its practice of illegally accessing and using sealed arrest records, restoring privacy and the…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Chiarito, The Bronx Defenders, achiarito@bronxdefenders.org NEW YORK — Today, The Bronx Defenders released the following statement in response to proposals by the industry advocacy group Collective Action to Protect our Stores to expand criminalization in response to concerns about safety and theft: “Everyone has a right to be safe and…
(NEW YORK, NY) – New York’s leading public defender and civil legal service providers called for increased funding in the City budget, highlighting the dire impact underfunding has wrought on their ability to meet the needs of low-income New Yorkers. Not only have chronic underfunding and contracting issues led to widespread attrition, but if unaddressed…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEW YORK — The Legal Aid Society, New York County Defender Services, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, Queens Defenders, Legal Services NYC, Mobilization for Justice, New York Legal Assistance Group, Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A, Urban Justice Center, NMIC and CAMBA Legal Services, TakeRoot Justice released the…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts: Michael Paul Jackson, @mjackson@bronxdefenders.org NEW YORK — Today, The Bronx Defenders filed two lawsuits on behalf of clients challenging police violence and aggression toward Black and brown people. With these cases—and more to come soon—the Impact Litigation Practice is helping clients of The Bronx Defenders demand respect for their fundamental civil…
CONTACTS: Anthony Chiarito, media@bronxdefenders.org, 646-610-1936 Matt Sollars, matt@anatgerstein.com, 347-925-0101 Bronx Cannabis Hub Celebrates Opening of First Cannabis Dispensary by a Hub-assisted Individual in New York State The Bronx, NY – On Tuesday, Smacked Village – which is owned and operated by Roland Conner and his family – became the first cannabis dispensary to open in…
Contacts: Anthony Chiarito, The Bronx Defenders, media@bronxdefenders.org Dan Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, AILopez@legal-aid.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** New York Immigrant Family Unity Project Statement on Massive ICE Data Leak Immigration Legal Providers Call for Release of Affected Individuals; Reaffirm Call for End of ICE Detention (New York, NY) –…
Contact Anthony Chiarito, The Bronx Defenders, media@bronxdefenders.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** The Bronx Defenders Updated Statement in Response to the Mayor’s New Directive for Involuntary Mental Health Removals December 2, 2022 (NEW YORK, NY) – The Bronx Defenders issued the following updated statement following the Mayor’s announcement on Tuesday of a new directive which empowers the NYPD and other…
Contacts: Anthony Chiarito, The Bronx Defenders, media@bronxdefenders.org Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Shannon Anglero, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, sanglero@neighborhooddefender.org Diana Denza, Center for Family Representation, ddenza@cfrny.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 22, 2022 (NEW YORK, NY)— Today, the New York Times reported on a Freedom of Information Law request by The Bronx Defenders, which…
Despite representing 20,000 clients every year in criminal, civil, family, and immigration courts, we still find time to participate in discussions to educate the public about the issues most impacting the people we serve. This month, Wesley Caines (Chief of Staff), Aimee Carlisle (Senior Attorney), Sophia Gurulé (Immigration Policy Counsel), and Julia Solomons (Senior…
October 5, 2022 CONTACTS: The Bronx Defenders, media@bronxdefenders.org The Bronx Cannabis Hub Successfully Helps 30 People Directly Impacted by the War on Drugs Apply for the First Round of Cannabis Dispensary Licenses in New York Bronx, New York – The Bronx Cannabis Hub – a project of The Bronx Defenders in partnership with The Bronx Community Foundation – is…
September 13, 2022 ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** CONTACTS: The Bronx Defenders, media@bronxdefenders.org The Bronx Defenders Announces 25th Anniversary Gala to Celebrate a Quarter Century of Radically Reimagining Justice Bronx, New York – On October 13, 2022, from 6 – 9:30 PM, The Bronx Defenders will celebrate their 25th Anniversary Gala at Tribeca 360°. The Bronx Defenders…
Ousman Darboe is a 28-year-old undocumented Black Muslim man who arrived in the United States from the Gambia as a six-year-old. Fordham Heights in The Bronx has been his home ever since. On July 31, 2017, ICE conducted an early morning raid on Mr. Darboe’s home and arrested him, taking him away from his home…
July 25, 2022 CONTACTS: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, 917-294-9348, ailopez@legal-aid.org Anthony Chiarito, The Bronx Defenders, 646-610-1936, achiarito@bronxdefenders.org Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, 646-995-0537, dball@bds.org NYIFUP Providers Condemn ICE’s Reckless and Dangerous Transfers from Orange County Correctional Facility, Demand Immediate Release of All People from the Facility (NEW YORK, NY) – The Bronx Defenders,…
June 23, 2022 Contacts: The Bronx Defenders: media@bronxdefenders.org Brooklyn Defender Services: mediarequests@bds.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Joint Public Defender Statement on U.S. Supreme Court Ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen (New York, NY) – Black Attorneys of Legal Aid, The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, Monroe County Public Defender, Ontario…
Contacts: Mai Tran, The Bronx Defenders: mtran@bronxdefenders.org, (718) 508-3514 ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Statewide Family Defense Advocates Lay Out Legislative Agenda for 2022 Defenders Call on Albany to Shrink the State’s Foster System, Deepen Support for New York Families, and Increase Funding for Family Defense (New York, NY) – In a recently issued letter, 21 family defense…
March 28, 2022 Hon. Kathy Hochul Governor of New York State NYS State Capitol Building Albany, NY 12224 Hon. Andrea Stewart-Cousins Democratic Leader, New York State Senate 188 State Street LOB – Room 907 Albany, NY 12247 Hon. Carl Heastie Speaker, New York State Assembly New York State Capitol Room 349 Albany, NY 12247 RE:…
Contacts: Arianna Rosales, National Immigration Project (NIPNLG), arianna@nipnlg.org Carolina Chau, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, media@ilrc.org Mai Tran, The Bronx Defenders, mtran@bronxdefenders.org, (718) 508-3514 ***For Immediate Release*** Public Defenders Across the Country Call on DOJ to Investigate Texas’ Unconstitutional “Operation Lone Star” (NEW YORK, NY) — The Public Defenders Coalition for Immigrant Justice and 14 public defender offices…
Media Contacts: Chi Nguyen, The Bronx Defenders (CNguyen@bronxdefenders.org) Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (RHaskins@legal-aid.org) Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (Dball@bds.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (ltoddmedina@nycds.org) Emily Whitfield, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (ewhitfield@ndsny.org) Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders (hpowell@queensdefenders.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYC Defenders Urge New York Lawmakers to Reject Governor…
April 6, 2022 Merrick Garland, U.S. Attorney General Lisa Monaco, Deputy Attorney General Vanita Gupta, Associate Attorney General Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General United States Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 20530 Re: Operation Lone Star Dear Attorney General Garland, Deputy Attorney General Monaco, Associate Attorney General Gupta, Assistant Attorney General Clarke:…
Contact: Chi Nguyen cnguyen@bronxdefenders.org 347-842-2943 ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** The Bronx Defenders Statement in Response to Governor Hochul’s Proposed 10-Point Safety Plan (THE BRONX, NY) – Justine Olderman, Executive Director at The Bronx Defenders issued the following statement in response to reporting on Governor Hochul’s proposed amendments to bail reform, discovery, and “Raise the Age” laws: …
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 14, 2022 MEDIA CONTACTS: Ben Schaefer, bschaefer@nyclu.org, 212-607-3372 Chi Nguyen, cnguyen@bronxdefenders.org, 347-842-2943 Settlement Secures Right to Consideration of Release for People Arrested by ICE in New York ICE agrees to provide individualized custody determinations, abandoning a no-release policy implemented during Trump Administration NEW YORK CITY – The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU)…
February 24, 2022 Contacts: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, AILopez@legal-aid.org, 917-294-9348 Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Chi Nguyen, The Bronx Defenders, cnguyen@bronxdefenders.org, 347-842-2943 ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYIFUP Statement in Response to the Removal of Two Orange County Corrections Officers from the ICE Detainee Unit at Orange County Correctional Facility Attorneys Demand Release of…
February 9, 2022 Chi Nguyen, The Bronx Defenders (CNguyen@bronxdefenders.org) Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (RHaskins@legal-aid.org) Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (Dball@bds.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders (hpowell@queensdefenders.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYC Defenders Call on State Lawmakers to Reject Mayor…
January 27, 2022 Contacts: Chi Nguyen, The Bronx Defenders, cnguyen@bronxdefenders.org Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, AILopez@legal-aid.org Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYIFUP Statement on Client Reports of a Widespread COVID-19 Outbreak in New York Jail Impacting Immigrants in ICE Detention Attorneys Condemn Orange County Correctional Facility’s Failure to Protect…
January 26, 2022 Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (RHaskins@legal-aid.org) Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (Dball@bds.org) Chi Nguyen, The Bronx Defenders (CNguyen@bronxdefenders.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) Sam McCann, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders (hpowell@queensdefenders.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Defenders Call On President Biden to Visit Rikers…
January 24, 2022 Chi Nguyen, The Bronx Defenders (CNguyen@bronxdefenders.org) Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (RHaskins@legal-aid.org) Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (Dball@bds.org) Sam McCann, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders (hpowell@queensdefenders.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYC Defender Joint Statement in Response to Mayor Adams’ Remarks on Gun Violence (NEW YORK, NY)…
January 5, 2022 Contact: Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (RHaskins@legal-aid.org) Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (Dball@bds.org) Chi Nguyen, The Bronx Defenders (CNguyen@bronxdefenders.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) Sam McCann, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders (hpowell@queensdefenders.org) NYC Defenders Demand that City Stop Recording Phone Calls Made…
December 22, 2021 Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (RHaskins@legal-aid.org) Sarah Duggan, Brooklyn Defender Services (SDuggan@bds.org) Chi Nguyen, The Bronx Defenders (CNguyen@bronxdefenders.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) Sam McCann, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders (hpowell@queensdefenders.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** DOC Commissioner: COVID-19 Infection Rate Skyrocketing in Local…
December 16, 2021 Contact: Chi Nguyen, The Bronx Defenders (cnguyen@bronxdefenders.org) Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (DBall@bds.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders (hpowell@queensdefenders.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYC Defenders’ Statement on Mayor-elect Eric Adams’ Comments on Solitary Confinement (NEW YORK, NY) –…
December 10, 2021 Contact: Chi Nguyen, The Bronx Defenders (cnguyen@bronxdefenders.org) Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (rhaskins@legal-aid.org) Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (DBall@bds.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders (hpowell@queensdefenders.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYC Defenders’ Statement on the Death of Malcolm…
October 22, 2021 Press Contacts: Chi Nguyen, The Bronx Defenders, cnguyen@bronxdefenders.org Dan Ball, Brooklyn Defenders Services, dball@bds.org Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, smccan@ndsny.org Joyce McMillan, JMacForFamilies, advocateandorganize@gmail.com Defenders, Advocates and Impacted Parents Urge Passage of Legislation Requiring ACS and Other Family Regulation Agencies to Inform Parents of Their Miranda Rights Black and Brown…
October 21, 2021 Contact: Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (rhaskins@legal-aid.org) Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (DBall@bds.org) Emily Whitfield, The Bronx Defenders (Ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org) Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders (hpowell@queensdefenders.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYC Defenders Decry Commencement of Transfers of Women and Transgender People on Rikers Island to…
October 20, 2021 Emily Whitfield The Bronx Defenders ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYC TGNCNBI Task Force Demands Governor Hochul & Mayor de Blasio Stop Transfers of Women, TGNCNBI New Yorkers to Upstate Prisons (NEW YORK, NY) – The New York City Task Force on Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, Non-Binary, and Intersex (TGNCNBI) individuals, in a…
October 18, 2021 Contact: Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (rhaskins@legal-aid.org) Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Sarah Duggan, Brooklyn Defender Services (SDuggan@bds.org) Emily Whitfield, The Bronx Defenders (Ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders (hpowell@queensdefenders.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** More than 70 Incarcerated Women and Transgender…
October 15, 2021 Contact: Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (rhaskins@legal-aid.org) Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (DBall@bds.org) Emily Whitfield, The Bronx Defenders (Ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders (hpowell@queensdefenders.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYC Defenders Statement on Plan to Transfer Women…
As an organization, The Bronx Defenders is committed to listening to the people we represent and being responsive to their needs and concerns. Client surveys are one way we try to connect with the people we serve to seek their input about their engagement with us, better meet their needs, and hold ourselves accountable to…
New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Correction Re: Conditions at the Rikers Island Correctional Facility and Other Facilities of the New York City Department of Correction October 1, 2021 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Ann Mathews, Managing Director of the Criminal Defense Practice Testimony of Bronx Defenders – Assembly Correction Committee –…
October 7, 2021 Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society, (rhaskins@legal-aid.org) Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (DBall@bds.org) Emily Whitfield, The Bronx Defenders (Ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Joint Defender Statement on Mayor de Blasio’s Comments Concerning New York’s Court System (NEW YORK,…
October 7, 2021 Contacts: Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Emily Whitfield, The Bronx Defenders, ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society, rhaskins@legal-aid.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYIFUP STATEMENT ON BERGEN COUNTY’S EXIT FROM ICE DETENTION CONTRACT Attorneys Call for Immediate Release of Detained Immigrants and Demand End to Transfers, As NJ Local Governments End All…
Court Order Brings Relief for Over 3.5 Million Majority Black and Brown New Yorkers in NYPD’s Massive Searchable Databases MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 CONTACT: Emily Whitfield, ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org (NEW YORK, NY) Saying that a class action lawsuit brought by The Bronx Defenders and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP has a “very strong likelihood of success,”…
New York City Council Committee on Criminal Justice Re: Oversight- The Conditions in Our City’s Jails September 15, 2021 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Julia Solomons, Orayne Williams, Tahanee Dunn, and Martha Grieco City Council Testimony_ Conditions in City Jails 9_15_2021
September 14, 2021 Contacts: Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society, rhaskins@legal-aid.org Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Emily Whitfield, The Bronx Defenders, ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYIFUP STATEMENT ON HUDSON COUNTY’S IMMINENT EXIT FROM ICE DETENTION CONTRACT Attorneys Call for Immediate Release of Detained Immigrants and Demand End to Transfers (New York, NY) – In response to reports that Hudson County will…
September 13, 2021 Contact: Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (DBall@bds.org) Emily Whitfield, The Bronx Defenders (Ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org ) Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (rhaskins@legal-aid.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Elected Officials Detail Illegal, Deadly Conditions Inside Rikers Island Following Visit…
August 30, 2021 Contact: Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (DBall@bds.org) Emily Whitfield, The Bronx Defenders (Ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org) Press Office, The Legal Aid Society (press@legal-aid.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders (hpowell@queensdefenders.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYC DEFENDERS’ STATEMENT ON DEATH OF SEGUNDO GUALLPAAT…
August 26, 2021 Contact: Press Office, The Legal Aid Society (press@legal-aid.org) Dan Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (Dball@bds.org) Emily Whitfield (ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) Sam McCann, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders (hpowell@queensdefenders.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYC Defenders Urge Mayor, Governor, and DOCCS Commissioner to Immediately…
August 16, 2021 Contact: Press Office, The Legal Aid Society (press@legal-aid.org) Sarah Duggan, Brooklyn Defender Services (SDuggan@bds.org) Emily Whitfield, The Bronx Defenders (Ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org) Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYC Defenders Demand Courthouse Safety as the Delta Variant of COVID-19 Surges…
August 10, 2021 Contacts: Emily Whitfield, The Bronx Defenders, ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org, 917-686-4542 Press Office, The Legal Aid Society, press@legal-aid.org Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYIFUP Urges Governor Murphy to sign S3361/A5207, Proposed Legislation That Would Prohibit Future ICE Detention Contracts in New Jersey (New York, NY) – The Bronx Defenders,…
THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2021 Contact: Emily Whitfield, ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org The Bronx Defenders Asks Court to Order NYPD to Stop Accessing New Yorkers’ Sealed Arrest Records “Confidential” NYPD Training Documents Obtained Through Lawsuit Show Officers Were Instructed in Violation of Longstanding Privacy Law (NEW YORK, NY) Saying that the NYPD is flouting the law by permitting its…
June 1, 2021 Contact: Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society, rhaskins@legal-aid.org Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Emily Whitfield, The Bronx Defenders, ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services LToddmedina@nycds.org Sam McCann, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem SMccann@ndsny.org NYC Defenders’ Statement on the City’s Fiscal Year 2022 Budget (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Neighborhood Defender…
In a Legal First, NY State Appeals Court Mandates Review of Problematic Orders of Protection Decision establishes the right to a “Crawford Hearing” to justify stay-away orders that render New Yorkers homeless, jobless and separated from their children CONTACT: Emily Whitfield, The Bronx Defenders, ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org June 24, 2021 (NEW YORK, NY) — Individuals…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – JOINT STATEMENT June 11, 2021 Contact: Rachel Cohen, rachel@immdefense.org, 917-370-8464 The Fight for Justice for Communities of Color Continues, Advocates Tell Albany Justice Roadmap Celebrates Key Wins, But More Is Needed to End Criminalization of Black, Brown and Immigrant Communities ALBANY, NY — As the 2021 legislative session comes to a…
“Sarah Deri Oshiro, who is now managing director of the immigration practice at the Bronx Defenders, had been working on deportation defense at Varick Street for five years prior to the implementation of the program. She saw a grim reality for detained, unrepresented immigrants, despite the city’s robust network of legal services organizations. “Given the…
June 7, 2021 Contacts: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, AILopez@legal-aid.org, 917-294-9348 Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org Yatziri Tovar, Make the Road New York, yatziri.tovar@maketheroadny.org, 917-771-2818 ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Immigration Advocates Condemn “Disappearance” of Detained Clients After Sudden ICE Transfers, Refusal to Provide Any Information In Letter to…
“Eli Northrup, an attorney with the Bronx Defenders, however, told Law360 on Thursday morning that the DA’s office has agreed in conversations with public defenders to identify and dismiss open marijuana cases involving expungeable offenses under the MRTA. In a phone call last week with Ann Mathews, the director of the Bronx Defenders’ criminal practice, Chief…
“Several public defender groups came out in support of a bill introduced in the state legislature that would put an end to paid contracts between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and New York State detention centers last week. The New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, a joint effort between The Legal Aid Society, Bronx Defenders and…
“The New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, a coalition that includes the Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services and The Bronx Defenders announced their backing of the bill, which is meant to reduce the power of ICE to separate immigrant families, supporters of the bill said. The measure is taking aim at multiple local governments…
May 20, 2020 Contacts: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, AILopez@legal-aid.org, 917-294-9348 Daniel Ball Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYIFUP Urges Enactment of the Dignity Not Detention Act in New York State Proposed Legislation Would End Immigration Detention Contracts with ICE in New York State (New York,…
Full memorandum here
“Despite the passage of the recreational cannabis law, those cases are still hovering over people’s heads, says Eli Northrup, a lawyer from Bronx Defenders. For instance, 41 people from the Bronx have been arraigned before court on marijuana charges, and their court dates are coming up. There are also cases involving individuals who, after being arrested, were…
“The Bronx Defenders sent a letter to Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark’s office on April 20th—three weeks after the law was passed—urging her to begin acting in accordance with the law. The letter estimated there were “hundreds” of pending cases in the Bronx in which the most serious charges were criminal sale or possession of…
“The national Bail Project, which helps low-income defendants get out of jail by bailing them out as their criminal cases progress through the courts, was founded three years ago, following a successful 10-year campaign led by Steinberg and the Bronx Defenders in New York City.” Read the full article here
(NEW YORK, NY) – Impacted parents and advocates from across New York State today called on lawmakers in Albany to pass three critical bills that they say will help counter the racial-based surveillance inherent in the family regulation system, and empower Black and brown families. They voiced their demands during a press conference (passcode: %7E5nJ&7)…
“Advocates also sounded the alarm about the sexual abuse and harassment of transgender women in New York City facilities. Dany Greene of the LGBTQ Defense Project at The Bronx Defenders testified that transgender women are still being housed in male jails at Riker’s Island. Conversely, even if they are housed correctly, according to their gender…
“The Third Circuit on Wednesday questioned the government’s argument that the habeas petition of a Honduran citizen facing deportation should have been filed where he’s currently detained in Louisiana, given that at he’s been shuffled around to facilities in multiple states over the past six years.” Read the full article here
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Joint Statement in Response to Reports that NYC Family Court Clerk Used Racial Slurs to Refer to 15-Year-Old (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society’s Juvenile Rights Practice, The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, New York County Defender Services, Lawyers For Children and Center for Family…
“A white clerk in New York City Family Court was allegedly overheard during a virtual court proceeding Thursday calling a Black teenage defendant the N-word as well as another slur, according to the state Office of Court Administration and a news report. The Office of Court Administration on Friday afternoon suspended the clerk, Donna Prainito,…
“Judge Gigi Parris was formerly a corporate associate with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. After three years, she became a Family Defense Practice Staff Attorney with The Bronx Defenders.” Read the full article here
“New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed two new judges to family court and tapped former Supreme Court Justice Helen E. Freedman to serve in the advisory committee on the…” Read the full article here
“The Exoneration Project, The Legal Aid Society, The Bronx Defenders, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, New York County Defender Services, The Office of the Appellate Defender and The Center for Appellate Litigation issues a joint statement following the news: “Although their actions came late, we thank DA Vance and DA Clark for taking this necessary…
April 15, 2021 Contact: Karen Newirth The Exoneration Project 718-490-0028 karen@exonerationproject.org Redmond Haskins The Legal Aid Society 929-441-2384 rhaskins@legal-aid.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** (NEW YORK, NY) – The Exoneration Project, The Legal Aid Society, The Bronx Defenders, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, New York County Defender Services, The Office of the Appellate Defender and The Center…
“Guillermo Bustos migrated to the United States when he was a child. He spent his formative years in Los Angeles, where he graduated from Huntington Park High School in 2006. Guillermo’s entire family and life is in California. He was raised by his mother, Maria Bustos, a lawful permanent resident, and his older sister and…
“A number of the neighborhoods that were most targeted for marijuana enforcement are out here in the Bronx,” said Eli Northrup, a policy lawyer for The Bronx Defenders, a public defender non-profit that helps low-income Bronx residents. “We represent people every day who are affected by marijuana convictions. Even if marijuana policing has gone down…
“As a public defender, Eli Northrup and the organization he works for, the Bronx Defenders, represented thousands of young Black and brown community members facing life-altering marijuana possession charges. Northrup joined the fight to legalize marijuana in New York after witnessing countless lives destroyed over minor marijuana convictions while “mothers in the Upper East Side…
“Eli Northrup, policy counsel for The Bronx Defenders, was quoted as saying, “Because there’s no regulated market, you would be subject to a criminal violation and a fine of up to $250, if you sell any amount under 3 ounces. Anything more than that is a misdemeanor.” Read the full article here
“But Justine Olderman, executive director of The Bronx Defenders, deemed the final plan empty and toothless. “This weak and unimaginative plan will do nothing to address the NYPD’s endemic racism, nor will it reduce the footprint of policing in communities of color,” said Olderman. “Instead, the proposals funnel more funding towards failed policing strategies and…
“Some experts recommend those with certain immigration statuses who might benefit from expungement to talk to a lawyer. Eli Northrup with The Bronx Defenders says communities of color have been largely impacted by marijuana laws. “Even though, white people, people of color use [marijuana] at similar rates, people of color are the ones arrested, convicted…
“Eli Northup, an attorney for The Bronx Defenders, says the decision is long overdue. “If you ever had a conviction for a marijuana offense and that behavior is now legal, that record is automatically expunged,” Northup says. “You don’t have to do anything.” Read the full article here
“It’s a violation to sell any amount of marijuana unlawfully under the MRTA, but harsh penalties for selling lower amounts have been removed. “Because there’s no regulated market, you would be subject to a criminal violation and a fine of up to $250, if you sell any amount under 3 ounces,” said Eli Northrup, policy…
“The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, The Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society, the New York Civil Liberties Union, and Brooklyn Defender Services brought forward the lawsuit and said this ruling confirmed the state’s decision to leave inmates out was “dangerous and discriminatory.” Read the full article here
NY Supreme Court Rules Incarcerated People Must be Offered COVID Vaccine Immediately Judge sides with public defenders and advocates in suit, says state’s exclusion of incarcerated people from vaccine eligibility is unconstitutional March 29, 2021 CONTACT Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (smccann@ndsny.org) Arianna Fishman, New York Civil Liberties Union (afishman@nyclu.org) Redmond Haskins, The…
(ALBANY) – Lawmakers announced last night that they have a deal on a bill that will legalize marijuana in New York. Eli Northrup, Policy Counsel for the Criminal Defense Practice at The Bronx Defenders, issued the following reaction: “We are extremely happy to see that the bill announced closely mirrors the framework of the Marijuana Regulation…
“Public defenders praised the legislation. “Marijuana justice means working to undo the immense damage done by the war on drugs and ensuring that the communities most impacted by prohibition — including many here in the Bronx — have a chance to benefit from legalization as well,” Eli Northrup of the Bronx Defenders said in a…
“NEW YORK, NY – Recent information reveals more than 1,500 phone calls made from those incarcerated here were wrongly recorded, leading New York City public defenders to urge an end to all recordings of phone calls made by those in city jails, and for the city to not renew its contract with Securus, a prison…
NEW YORK – The City Council voted today to approve and endorse Mayor de Blasio’s proposed police ‘reform and reinvention’ plan for New York City as mandated by Governor Cuomo’s executive order 203. Justine Olderman, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders, issued the following response: “The Mayor’s police ‘reform’ plan and process has been flawed…
“Eli Northup is an attorney with the Bronx Defenders. He hopes the deal will also include a provision to automatically wipe out past marijuana convictions from criminal records. “Marijuana convictions can affect people in all these different ways outside of the criminal context, in the child welfare system, when you’re applying for housing, education, there’s…
“Powers said he and his colleagues requested a DOC audit after being contacted by concerned attorneys from the Bronx Defenders, a nonprofit that represents clients in the justice system. The audit found hundreds of phone numbers that were supposed to be on the “do not record” list were actually recorded.” Read the full article here
“[We are calling] for an immediate end to all recording of phone calls made by people incarcerated in New York City jails,” the Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, New York County Defender Services, and Queens Defenders said in a joint statement.” Read the full article…
“Powers said he and his colleagues requested a DOC audit after being contacted by concerned attorneys from the Bronx Defenders, a nonprofit that represents clients in the justice system. The audit found hundreds of phone numbers that were supposed to be on the “do not record” list were actually recorded.” Read the full article here
“[We] demand a full account as to how this was allowed to occur so that we can fully understand and assess the breadth and depth of this breach, how many of our clients cases were implicated, how this information was used, and whether these violations were of such a prejudicial nature that dismissal of the…
“[We are calling] for an immediate end to all recording of phone calls made by people incarcerated in New York City jails,” the Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, New York County Defender Services, and Queens Defenders said in a joint statement. Read the full article…
“Criminal defendants have a constitutional right to lawyers and legal counsel — and New York law says their communications with lawyers and others helping their cases is strictly confidential. The Correction Department first heard about the system screw up in December when several Bronx defenders flagged the issue, sources said. The department requested an audit…
“For more than two decades, the Bronx Defenders has provided a holistic form of legal aid to indigent residents in New York. In addition to pro-bono criminal defense, lawyers help clients with the gamut of social and legal challenges that often surface in the wake of an arrest. The work is expensive, and like many…
“For more than two decades, the Bronx Defenders has provided a holistic form of legal aid to indigent residents in New York. In addition to pro-bono criminal defense, lawyers help clients with the gamut of social and legal challenges that often surface in the wake of an arrest. The work is expensive, and like many…
Julia Solomons, Policy Advocate and Social Worker at The Bronx Defenders, said, “Today we celebrate the passage of this critical legislation. While there is much work left to do to achieve justice for Black and brown communities impacted by mass incarceration, HALT’s passage sends an important message that we value all New Yorkers, regardless of race,…
March 11, 2021 Contact: Ryan Karerat, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** BRONX DEFENDERS STATEMENT ON THE U.S. CITIZENSHIP ACT OF 2021 AND AMERICAN DREAM AND PROMISE ACT OF 2021 (Bronx, NY) – Last month, the White House and Congress unveiled the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 and the American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 in…
March 11, 2021 Contacts: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, AILopez@legal-aid.org, 917-294-9348 Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** The New York Immigrant Family Unity Project Demands Answers on Vaccination Plan for Detained Immigrants (New York, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, and The…
“This coalition includes over 25 well-respected organizations such as AARP, Legal Aid Society, Bronx Defenders, Center for Independence of the Disabled in New York, DC37, Coalition for the Homeless and many more.” Read the full article here
“Justine Olderman, executive director of The Bronx Defenders, said that calls for adequate care and warnings were met with “indifference” that led to the deaths of people in custody. “COVID is still as dangerous today as it was a year ago. Rikers is still overcrowded, people still can’t socially distance from one another. They still…
“The current law really isn’t accessible to most people,” said Scott Levy, an attorney with The Bronx Defenders, which supports the new bill. “Our clients who have criminal histories are trying to get back on their feet, trying to support their families, and just run into roadblock after roadblock. The Clean Slate is designed to eliminate those…
NEW YORK – Mayor de Blasio today released a proposed police ‘reform and reinvention’ plan for New York City as mandated by Governor Cuomo’s executive order 203. Justine Olderman, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders, issued the following response: “While the Mayor claims that this plan was developed with community input, that is not the…
“Of course, this practice isn’t just limited to New York. For example, during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement last year, police in Richmond, VA conducted targeted seizures of smartphones from activists. But what makes New York’s system so interesting is that, following a class action lawsuit from the Bronx Defenders settled in 2018, we now…
“The CRTA provision was unacceptable for social justice activists, including Eli Northrup, policy counsel for The Bronx Defenders, who said, “If criminal penalties exist for marijuana, those laws are not going to be enforced evenly. They’re going to be enforced disproportionately for people of color.” Read the full article here
Sent via Email The New York City Police Department 1 Police Plaza New York, NY 10038 postact@nypd.org Re: Public Comment on the NYPD’s Draft Impact & Use Policies for the Criminal Group Database and Social Network Analysis Tools To Whom It May Concern, On behalf of The Bronx Defenders (“BxD”), Center for Constitutional Rights (“CCR”), …
Public Defenders, Advocates Ask Court to Force State to Offer Vaccine to Incarcerated People Immediately February 25, 2021 CONTACT Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (smccann@ndsny.org) Arianna Fishman, New York Civil Liberties Union (afishman@nyclu.org) Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (rhaskins@legal-aid.org) Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org) Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (Dball@bds.org) (NEW…
“We were certainly disappointed to see the government’s continuing to resist the most basic due-process protections for people arrested by ICE,” said Peter Markowitz, a professor at Cardozo Law School, which filed the case with the Bronx Defenders and New York Civil Liberties Union.” Read the full article here
“The five advocacy groups that filed the suit against Governor Cuomo and Dr. Howard Zucker, the state health commissioner, include the Legal Aid Society, the Bronx Defenders and the New York Civil Liberties Union. The groups argue that the exclusion of incarcerated people from vaccination plans hinders the goal of ensuring equitable access to vaccines…
“A conviction would be automatically and fully expunged five years after sentencing of a misdemeanor conviction and seven years after felony conviction, as long as a person is no longer on probation or parole, has no pending criminal charges in the state and is not a sex offender. The measure has the backing of the…
“Sophia Elena Gurulé, immigration policy counsel at the Bronx Defenders, said it’s typical for such concerns to be ignored. “As recent as two days ago we heard complaints from our clients, people detained at Bergen County Jail, that there are ongoing problems with the heat,” she said. “The Bronx Defenders and the providers that issued that statement have been…
“Eli Northrup, an attorney with the Bronx Defenders who raised concerns about Cuomo’s initial proposal, said these changes look promising, although he hasn’t seen the new version of the bill. But he added that more remains to be done. “It’s still a misdemeanor to possess any amount of illicit cannabis under his proposal,” noted Northrup….
“Despite roughly equal usage of marijuana among racial groups, data has shown that Black and Latino men get arrested and ticketed for marijuana offenses at eight times the rate of white men in New York City, even as enforcement has declined under Mayor Bill de Blasio. This policing disparity exists in communities throughout the state. And the existing data likely…
“Daniel Lambright of the Bronx Defenders discussed the numerous protest-related lawsuits that have been filed over the past year including Payne v. De Blasio, People v. City of New York and Wood v. City of New York among others. Lambright’s main view is that “police use excessive force in policing against protestors … they retaliate…
Letter to Cuomo, Stewart-Cousins, and Heastie Calls for Action to Curb Targeting of Low-Income Communities of Color (New York, NY) – In a recently issued letter, 18 family defense organizations representing thousands of parents across New York State in family court called on Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl…
Together with 17 other family defense organizations across New York, we wrote to Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Speaker Carl Heastie outlining legislative priorities for 2021 which seek to shrink the state’s foster systems while offering families and communities the support and resources they need to raise the next generation…
“Advocacy and grassroots organizations who are members of the Justice Roadmap, including Center for Community Alternatives, The #HALT Solitary Confinement Campaign, Release Aging People in Prison, Bronx Defenders, New York Immigration Coalition, Immigrant Defense Project, Drug Policy Alliance, and New York Communities for Change.” Read the full article here
New York State recently enacted an eviction moratorium that protects most tenants from eviction until May 1, 2021. The Covid-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act pauses most eviction cases and bans most evictions until at least February 26, 2021. If you experienced a COVID-related hardship, the law extends the eviction ban until at least…
“Eli Northrup, an attorney with the Bronx Defenders, said the governor’s proposal also doesn’t go far enough to remove criminal penalties for marijuana-related offenses and in some cases criminalizes them further. “Right now, it’s a misdemeanor to sell a small amount of marijuana to someone under the age of 21, but the governor’s proposal would…
“Justine Olderman, Executive Director of the Bronx Defenders, said the state has routinely disregarded the health and safety of incarcerated people during the pandemic. “Withholding the vaccine from people being detained in congregate settings goes against CDC guidelines. It also goes against the moral responsibility the state has towards the people it incarcerates,” Olderman said….
“The planned town halls will culminate in a report that will be submitted to the New York City Council in March to inform the Council’s consideration of the reform proposal. Co-sponsors involved in the series of forums include the Anti-Violence Project, The Audre Lorde Project, The Bronx Defenders, Center for Constitutional Rights, New York Civil…
“The planned town halls will culminate in a report that will be submitted to the New York City Council in March to inform the Council’s consideration of the reform proposal. Co-sponsors involved in the series of forums include the Anti-Violence Project, The Audre Lorde Project, The Bronx Defenders, Center for Constitutional Rights, New York Civil…
“On Thursday, Fischer’s organization, joined by the Legal Aid Society, the New York Civil Liberties Union, the Bronx Defenders and Brooklyn Defender Services, filed a lawsuit at the state Supreme Court in the Bronx, demanding that vaccines be provided immediately to everyone behind bars. “Beyond politics and an animus toward incarcerated people,” Fischer said, “there’s…
“Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, The Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society, the New York Civil Liberties Union, and Brooklyn Defender Services filed an Article 78 petition Thursday on behalf of all individuals held in New York City jails. The petition alleges that Governor Andrew Cuomo’s refusal to include all incarcerated people in the pool…
“On Thursday, Fischer’s organization, joined by the Legal Aid Society, the New York Civil Liberties Union, the Bronx Defenders and Brooklyn Defender Services, filed a lawsuit at the state Supreme Court in the Bronx, demanding that vaccines be provided immediately to everyone behind bars. “Beyond politics and an animus toward incarcerated people,” Fischer said, “there’s…
“The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, Bronx Defenders, Queens Defenders and Neighborhood Defenders of Harlem sent a letter to Governor Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, calling for legislation to raise the minimum age of delinquency jurisdiction from 7 to 12, thus ending the arrest and subsequent prosecution of children…
“A group of attorneys is demanding the release of federal immigration detainees held in New York and New Jersey, citing a memorandum issued by President Joe Biden’s administration that changed who should be considered a priority for detention and deportation. The letter from Brooklyn Defender Services, the Legal Aid Society and the Bronx Defenders was…
“The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services and The Bronx Defenders are demanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement release immigrant detainees following a U.S. Department of Homeland Security memo put out on Jan. 20. The memo demands ICE prioritize national security, then border security, then public safety when embarking on enforcement actions, including when deciding which…
“This is just the latest lawsuit against Cuomo that has prompted an abrupt shift in his administration’s pandemic policies. While the lawsuit – which was filed on behalf of inmates by groups including the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, Bronx Defenders and the Legal Aid Society – is the first class action over vaccinations in…
February 4, 2021 Contacts: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, AILopez@legal-aid.org, 917-294-9348 Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Immigration Advocates Demand Release of People in Detention in Light of New ICE Guidance In Letter to ICE Field Office, Defense Attorneys and Advocates Call for the Release…
“The only way to do marijuana legalization right is by recognizing and acting to reverse the immense damage done by its criminalization, ”Eli Northrup, criminal defense policy counsel at The Bronx Defenders, said in a press release. “We’re calling on lawmakers to pass the MRTA so that Black and brown communities can actually share in…
Read the full article here
“During Justine Olderman’s time in leadership roles at The Bronx Defenders, she has helped facilitate the expansion of its criminal practice, created an in-house forensic practice group and worked to promote changes to New York’s cash bail system. Under her watch, the legal aid organization has spent the past year pushing for COVID-19 vaccine access…
“A group of attorneys is demanding the release of federal immigration detainees held in New York and New Jersey, citing a memorandum issued by President Joe Biden’s administration that changed who should be considered a priority for detention and deportation. The letter from Brooklyn Defender Services, the Legal Aid Society and the Bronx Defenders was…
Public Defenders, Advocates Sue New York, Claim Vaccine Denial Violates Constitutional Rights of Incarcerated People February 4, 2021 CONTACT Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (smccann@ndsny.org) Arianna Fishman, New York Civil Liberties Union (afishman@nyclu.org) Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (rhaskins@legal-aid.org) Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org) Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (Dball@bds.org) (NEW…
Verified Petition OSC Attorney Affirmation Alberto Frias Affidavit Affirmation of Drs. Adewunmi and Fenig Affirmation of Dr Gonsalves Randy Johns Affidavit Charles Holden Affidavit
“Despite the fact that [the] petitioners face a heightened risk of contracting Covid-19 due to their congregate conditions of confinement, [state officials] have excluded them from access in their current vaccine distribution plan,” says the suit, which was brought by Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, The Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society, the New York…
“Public defenders are suing in state court to force New York officials to expand coronavirus vaccine eligibility to inmates, saying the state’s approach is arbitrary and contradicts federal guidance.” Read the full article here
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Marijuana Legalization Advocates Hold Lobby Day to Urge Lawmakers to Center Racial & Economic Justice by Passing MRTA February 4, 2021 CONTACT Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (RKarerat@bronxdefenders.org) (NEW YORK, NY) – Advocates from across New York State are holding a virtual Lobby Day today to call on the legislature and Gov….
February 3, 2021 Via Email only – thomas.decker@ice.dhs.gov Thomas Decker Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 201 Varick Street New York, NY 10014 Re: Release of people from ICE custody pursuant to January 20 memorandum Dear Director Decker, We write on behalf of the three NYIFUP programs at Brooklyn Defender Services,…
“Following the release of body-camera footage that showed Rochester police pepper-spraying a handcuffed 9-year-old girl, New York City advocates are renewing a push to raise the minimum age of criminal prosecution statewide. In a letter sent to Governor Andrew Cuomo and Albany leaders on Wednesday, public defender groups from all five boroughs pushed for passage of legislation that would hike the…
Deb Lolai, Supervising Attorney in the LGBTQ Defense Project at The Bronx Defenders, said, “We applaud the Senate’s passage of S1351, which will repeal New York’s ‘Walking While Trans’ law. This bill is a critical step toward eliminating enmeshed penalties — such as reduced access to employment, fewer housing options, and punitive immigration consequences —…
January 29, 2021 Via Email only – thomas.r.decker@dhs.ice.gov Thomas Decker Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 201 Varick Street New York, NY 10014 Dear Director Decker, We have received several alarming reports over the last 36 hours from clients at Bergen County Jail that there is no heat in various…
January 29, 2020 Contacts: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, AILopez@legal-aid.org, 917-294-9348 Daniel Ball Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYIFUP Condemns ICE for Heat Outage at Bergen County Jail on Coldest Day in Tri-State in Two Years (New York, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender…
Via e-mail January 27, 2021 The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo Governor of the State of New York New York State Capitol Building Albany, New York 12224 Re: Vaccination of People Held in Prisons and Jails Dear Governor Cuomo: As science and experience have both made clear, jails and prisons perpetuate the COVID-19 pandemic, both…
“Public defender groups are threatening to sue Gov. Andrew Cuomo if he does not allow prisoners to get the Covid-19 vaccine. The state has given the green light for correction officers to get the vaccine, but people locked up in state prisons and local jails are not eligible — even as the virus rages inside prisons.” Read the full…
January 29, 2021 Contact: Redmond Haskins The Legal Aid Society (929) 441-2384 rhaskins@legal-aid.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Defenders to Gov. Cuomo: Stop Blocking COVID-19 Vaccinations for Our Incarcerated Clients (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, New York County Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, The Bronx Defenders, Legal Aid Society…
“The two bills also differ on several matters of criminal law. While the MRTA has a provision that the odor of marijuana can’t be used as a basis to stop or search somebody, no similar provision exists in the Governor’s proposal. Eli Northrup, a public defender, said that this difference is significant: “Stop and frisk…
“The Bronx Defenders, a public legal defense organization representing 24 people alleging the New York Police Department (NYPD) committed abuses against them during protests last summer, are taking a different approach to achieving justice. Instead of suing the NYPD, as many other organizations and the New York State Attorney General have done, the Bronx Defenders asked the New York City Comptroller on Tuesday…
“Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, an attorney with the Bronx Defenders, which represents the 24-member collective and spearheaded the demand letter, said the reparations fund was conceived as “an answer to police violence that might actually get us to a place of healing, rather than turning to the police departments and asking them to fix their training…
“Under Cuomo’s plan, while people 21 or older would be able to purchase marijuana, sales to people under the age of 21 would be classified as a felony. It is currently a misdemeanor to sell a small amount of marijuana to a person between 18 and 21 years old. Eli Northrup, a public defender and policy…
“MOTT HAVEN, the Bronx — Lawyers representing protesters who were injured during a controversial police encounter between a group of Black Lives Matter demonstrators and the NYPD are calling for reparations. Human rights groups have called the confrontation a ‘planned assault.’” Read the full article here
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** 24 Protestors Assaulted by NYPD in The Bronx Ask City to Create Reparations Fund for Victims of Police Violence Demand Letter Sent By The Bronx Defenders to Mayor and Comptroller on Behalf of 24 Individuals Attacked Attacked by Police in the South Bronx Last Spring January 26, 2021 CONTACT Ryan Karerat, The…
January 26, 2021 Mayor Bill de Blasio City Hall New York, NY 10007 Comptroller Scott M. Stringer Office of the Comptroller of New York City One Centre Street New York, NY 10007 Re: Demand for Reparations on behalf of the Mott Haven Collective Dear Mayor de Blasio and Comptroller Stringer: We represent two dozen people…
“The pandemic has also revealed problems in the family law system, especially child protective services, said Erin Miles Cloud, a former family defense attorney with the Bronx Defenders who is now co-president of Movement for Family Power, an activist group seeking to shrink the child welfare system.” Read the full article here
“The proposal also doesn’t authorize delivery or point-of-sale marijuana consumption but will leave it to regulators to develop new categories of licenses later on. More bad news about Cuomo’s plan came from public defender Eli Northrup of The Bronx Defenders. He noticed that Cuomo’s plan actually increases the criminal penalty for anybody caught selling marijuana to somebody…
“In September, Human Rights Watch published a 99-page report focused on one of the dozens of incidents covered in the lawsuit: the NYPD’s June 4 planned assault on protesters in Mott Haven, a low-income, majority Black and brown neighborhood in the South Bronx that has long experienced police brutality and systemic racism. A video produced by Human…
“In September, Human Rights Watch published a 99-page report focused on one of the dozens of incidents covered in the lawsuit: the NYPD’s June 4 planned assault on protesters in Mott Haven, a low-income, majority Black and brown neighborhood in the South Bronx that has long experienced police brutality and systemic racism. A video produced by Human Rights Watch…
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Bronx Defenders Statement on Gov. Cuomo’s State of the State January 14, 2021 CONTACT Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (RKarerat@bronxdefenders.org) (NEW YORK, NY) – Governor Andrew Cuomo today delivered his 2021 State of the State Address, outlining his key priorities ahead of the new legislative session. Scott Levy, Chief Policy Counsel for…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 13, 2021 MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Ibarra – San Francisco Public Defender’s Office – (628)249-7946 – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org Lindsey Hortenstine – New Orleans Public Defender’s Office – (404)520-3087 – LHoretnstine@opdla.org **PRESS RELEASE** Public Defenders Nationwide Announce Plan for Immigration Justice; Provide Ten-Point Plan to Biden Administration Public Defenders Urge Federal Government to Take Bold Steps to…
The Bronx Defenders’ Policy Brief Outlining Executive Actions for the Biden Administration to Repair the Immigration Harms of the Trump Presidency.
January 8, 2020 Contacts: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, AILopez@legal-aid.org, 917-294-9348 Daniel Ball Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYIFUP Statement on Egregious Treatment of Immigrants on Hunger Strike in ICE Detention Attorneys Demand Transparency from Jail Officials and Release of All Immigrants in ICE Custody (New…
“Legisladores como Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nydia Velásquez y Ritchie Torres calificaron el ataque al Congreso de EEUU como indignante. Por su parte, Andrew Cuomo señaló que se trató de un “intento fallido de golpe de estado”, mientras que Bill de Blasio responsabilizó a Trump de lo ocurrido y de “atacar nuestra democracia”. Los neoyorquinos también han…
“Correctional Health Services said tests are offered following potential exposure, for disease surveillance or at a patient’s request. But Ann Matthews, managing director of the criminal defense practice at Bronx Defenders, said those in jail still do not have any control over their surroundings and “are at the mercy of others for basic PPE and…
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** January 6, 2021 CONTACT Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (RKarerat@bronxdefenders.org) (NEW YORK, NY) – Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced his proposal for marijuana legalization as a part of his 2021 State of the State address. Eli Northrup, Policy Counsel for the Criminal Defense Practice at The Bronx Defenders, issued the following reaction: …
“Parental designation is a legal option in New York that allows a parent to designate someone you trust to temporarily take care of your child, while maintaining your parental rights and without ACS becoming involved. Here, Jessica Prince, Policy Counsel for the Family Defense Practice at The Bronx Defenders explains how parental designation works and why you…
“It has taken months for the city to acknowledge what was clear to anyone paying attention this summer: the NYPD’s handling of the protests amounted to an unconscionable, calculated, and violent attack on the entire city. The report lays out a clear picture of a police department that does not see itself as accountable to…
“But a failure to appear in court is connected to poverty as well. People who can’t pay a traffic ticket may also not be able to take time off work to go to court, or may be unable to arrange child care. Those who can afford it can pay off their fines without the need to show…
Statement from Driven By Justice Coalition: Gov. Cuomo Signs Driver’s License Suspension Reform Act Compromise Reached With Gov. Cuomo to End License Suspensions for People Unable to Pay a Traffic Fine January 4, 2020 CONTACT Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org Jag Davies, Fines and Fees Justice Center, jdavies@ffjc.us NEW YORK – Governor Andrew Cuomo…
“Davis, then with the New York Jets, interned with the United Way in 2017. The following year, he led a rally for criminal justice reform and partnered with the Bronx Defenders — a nonprofit in New York that aims to transform how low-income people are represented in the justice system — and earned the Pursuit…
“New York’s coronavirus figures have created a nebulous view of when jury trials might return. That means criminal defendants who are locked up in pretrial detention do not have a clear view of when they will have their day in court, said Ann Mathews, managing director for the criminal defense practice at The Bronx Defenders. When…
(New York, NY) – This week, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, and The Legal Aid Society – New York City’s defender organizations providing free legal representation to detained immigrants through the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) – received multiple reports from people served by the program of an ongoing hunger strike in…
“Those three hospitals are Montefiore, Mount Sinai, and New York-Presbyterian. This is a probe to see if these practices are discriminatory against Black and LatinX parents and their newborns. Policy Council to the Family Defense Practice at the Bronx Defenders has seen countless cases over the years of families needing legal representation–due to positive drug…
“Attorneys from the New York Civil Liberties Union and Bronx Defenders have alleged that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are violating a federal court order by continuing a “no-release” policy of detaining undocumented immigrants arrested over the last three years.” Read the full article here
“We have seen the extreme health risk and crises that are posed by continuing to keep individuals in ICE detention. There’s no ability to socially distance and engage in hygiene practices that would otherwise be intended to prevent the spread of [COVID-19],” said Sarah Deri Oshiro, the managing director of the immigration practice at Bronx Defenders,…
NEW YORK – In papers filed Friday evening, the New York Civil Liberties Union and The Bronx Defenders requested court enforcement in Velesaca v. Wolf, their case challenging the ICE New York Field Office’s use of a secret policy to jail virtually all of the thousands of people they have arrested over the last three…
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** December 18, 2020 CONTACT Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (RKarerat@bronxdefenders.org) (NEW YORK, NY) – The New York City Department of Investigation today released its report on the NYPD’s conduct during the summer’s protests against the killing of George Floyd and the endemic police violence against the Black community. Justine Olderman, Executive Director…
“New York City public defenders will be pushing for a new slate of criminal justice reforms when state lawmakers meet in the new year. The Legal Aid Society, Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, New York County Defender Services, and Queens Defenders will release a legislative agenda Thursday that calls for…
“But upon reentry into the community, Ferguson was unable to get the critical heart medication he needed. Although Correctional Health Services provided him with a prescription, his Medicaid stopped covering him for outpatient treatment while in jail, so he had no insurance to pay for it. Without any money to pay out of pocket, the pharmacist…
“Last week, the NYPD hosted a “Police Reform and Reinvention Multi-Language Listening Session” in response to Gov. Cuomo’s Executive Order, issued in August, requiring that all other police departments statewide to come up with plans to reinvent policing. If done in good faith, this initiative is an opportunity for the city to finally live up to…
“There are, of course, instances of terrible child abuse, and it’s the mission of ACS and child welfare agencies across the country to intervene. But often the child is not in danger and the caseworker has made a judgment call based only on the way the family is living. “With the vast majority of parents who…
“A few weeks or months of sitting in inhumane ICE detention facilities can be dangerous and devastating for individuals and their families,” said Niji Jain, an attorney at The Bronx Defenders. “The Court’s ruling recognizes that prompt access to an immigration judge is a fundamental right — one that is all the more important when…
“Orayne came to the U.S. from Jamaica as a young teenager, and struggled with homelessness while still in high school in Bed-Stuy. Despite living in a homeless shelter, he persevered and went on to become Valedictorian and to obtain his B.A. and M.S.W. degrees. Upon graduating, Orayne joined The Bronx Defenders who provide comprehensive legal…
“Niji Jain, an attorney at The Bronx Defenders said, “A few weeks or months of sitting in inhumane ICE detention facilities can be dangerous and devastating for individuals and their families. The Court’s ruling recognizes that prompt access to an immigration judge is a fundamental right — one that is all the more important when detention…
“A few weeks or months of sitting in inhumane ICE detention facilities can be dangerous and devastating for individuals and their families,” said Niji Jain, an attorney at The Bronx Defenders. “The Court’s ruling recognizes that prompt access to an immigration judge is a fundamental right — one that is all the more important when…
FEDERAL COURT RULES THAT DETAINED IMMIGRANTS MUST RECEIVE TIMELY ACCESS TO JUDGES Ruling Creates 10-Day Requirement, is First in the Nation to Establish Presentment Standards In Immigration Court FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 30, 2020 MEDIA CONTACT: Peter Markowitz, Cardozo Immigration Justice Clinic, peter.markowitz@yu.edu, 718-877-8817 Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, media@bronxdefenders.org, 917-635-4326 Ben Schaefer, NYCLU, media@nyclu.org,…
“A few weeks or months of sitting in inhumane ICE detention facilities can be dangerous and devastating for individuals and their families,” said Niji Jain, an attorney at The Bronx Defenders. “The Court’s ruling recognizes that prompt access to an immigration judge is a fundamental right – one that is all the more important when…
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** November 30, 2020 CONTACT Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (RKarerat@bronxdefenders.org) (NEW YORK, NY) – Today, The Bronx Defenders, along with partner advocacy organizations, announced the launch of the ‘Health is Justice’ Litigation Hub, a powerful tool that will allow lawyers, journalists, academics, and advocates to access vital information about the impact of…
“This is the reality of Hudson County’s collaboration with ICE. It is why 61 immigrant-justice organizations just issued a statement calling for the end of the contract, in a coalition led in part by Freedom for Immigrants, which has been instrumental in ending similar contracts in California and elsewhere. It is why the legal service providers of…
November 23, 2020 Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (Dball@bds.org) Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (RKarerat@bronxdefenders.org) Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (RHaskins@legal-aid.org) Sam McCann, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYC Defenders Renew Call for Urgent Reforms of the Criminal Legal System Following…
“When COVID-19 first surged, ACS scrambled to protect both staff and children as virus cases started to pop up in detention facilities. To date, seven kids have tested positive between Crossroads and Horizon, the city’s two largest facilities, according to ACS. No teachers were initially “actually teaching classes” and education consisted “solely of worksheets and computerized packets,”…
“The New York City Bar Association today starting at 11:30 a.m. is hosting a discussion of proposals to address historic problems with the policing of Black and Hispanic communities in the city. Present will be representatives from the NYPD, the Mayor’s Office, Bronx Defenders and Communities United for Police Reform. The discussion will be in…
“Yet advocates say that a drug test is frequently and unfairly used as a kind of parenting test. “Often what we see when there is a positive toxicology with a parent — that is pathologized,” said Miriam Mack, policy counsel for the family defense practice at The Bronx Defenders. “It’s held up as an indictment…
November 17, 2020 NYIFUP Statement About Hudson County’s Contract with ICE The New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) provides free, high-quality representation to detained people facing deportation in New York City. Our clients are New Yorkers who are detained in county jails that include the Hudson County Jail in New Jersey. NYIFUP is run…
“Bronx Defenders, a pro bono attorney service, has sued the NYPD over its use of mug shots to build its facial recognition database, in violation of a 1976 law that keeps mug shots sealed. Facial recognition software was recently used to identify Derrick Ingram, a Black Lives Matter protester who quickly found himself besieged by dozens of NYPD officers….
“This is New York City I’m hearing everything. Everyone has an opinion and that’s the great thing… we’re hearing everything and that’s the most important thing, giving people a voice, hearing them,” Shea said. “Now we have to turn it into action in terms of what can we learn? This is just phase one. I…
“Teachers in schools are still calling ACS when our clients’ children failed to log on for remote learning,” said attorney Miriam Mack of The Bronx Defenders. “But we know and we’ve seen in the news media that white parents can and do opt out of remote learning without fear of ACS intervention.” Read the full…
“What are some of your proudest recent achievements? Creating a cross-practice, interdisciplinary policy team at The Bronx Defenders with advocates from the criminal defense, family defense, immigration, and civil action practices. This team coordinates with our communications and organizing divisions and has drafted legislation, testified at dozens of hearings, and held community education events. Getting…
“The city council says it will earmark $28.4 million toward immigration services — funds that will help provide free legal services navigating the citizenship application process, among other services. The funding comes on the heels of the Trump administration’s attempts to raise citizenship application fees from $640 to $1,160 — an increase intended to go…
“For decades, public defenders felt like they were yelling into the void. They raised issues, they fought for them, and they were proud of their victories. All the while, they knew that in order to deliver true, meaningful justice, they could not do it alone. They needed partners. The New York Giants became one of…
“Former wide receiver and Super Bowl champion Victor Cruz moderated a discussion between Giants players and The Bronx Defenders as part of the Team of Teams initiative.” Watch the full video here
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Bronx Defenders Urge City and State Officials to Assist Incarcerated People with Stimulus Check Applications Nationwide Injunction Issued Recently Found that Incarcerated People Are Entitled to Benefits October 5, 2020 Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (RKarerat@bronxdefenders.org) (NEW YORK, NY) – A federal court ruled that thousands of incarcerated people and their children…
“This year, the New York Giants are a team of teams. During an unprecedented offseason, players and coaches split themselves into nine groups, each one paired with an organization in a dedicated region within New York and New Jersey. These community partners have a focus on racial injustice, criminal justice reform, education and economic advancement,…
“Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, who heads a civil rights unit at Bronx Defenders, said she won’t celebrate “unless and until Bronx residents living in private buildings are free from police harassment.” “The NYPD has a history of dismantling a program only to redeploy the same practice in new packaging,” she said. “It will be important to…
“We represent dozens of protesters from that night on claims against the NYPD,” said Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, managing director of impact litigation at the Bronx Defenders. “Our clients were all trapped before the curfew,” Borchetta said. “They were trapped to such a degree that people reported that they couldn’t breathe. Then police descended on a…
“Bronx Defenders Chief of Staff Caines said he was working on decarceration for some time before bail reform. He said the early releases, in November and December, were frequent, favoring those who he said shouldn’t have been incarcerated anyway. In January, releases from Rikers made some fear an impending crime wave, but it didn’t happen,…
“Human Rights Watch analyzed 155 videos that were recorded during the protest, some of which were posted on social media and others that were shared directly with Human Rights Watch. We also reviewed social media posts related to the protest and police scanner recordings from the 40th and 41st precincts on the evening of June…
“A federal judge ordered ICE officials at a jail in New Jersey on Monday to release Ousman Darboe, a 26-year-old undocumented immigrant from Gambia who has been detained for more than three years, according to his lawyers at The Bronx Defenders. Darboe, a Black Muslim, was pardoned by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in February but has…
“Ousman Darboe arrived from Gambia at age 6. He was locked up by ICE more than three years ago — an extraordinary length of time even more notable because in February, Gov. Andrew Cuomo pardoned him for the alleged crime that landed him in detention: robbing gold chains, which he said he didn’t do. Sophia Gurulé,…
“The twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice that have ripped through this country the past six month have exposed and exacerbated long-standing inequities in our collective health, prosperity, and safety. Thousands of low-income people of color have died, millions of low-wage workers are out of a job, and Black people are experiencing violence, trauma,…
A broad coalition of civil rights organizations sent a demand letter to Airbnb today urging them to end a company policy that discriminates against individuals with arrest and conviction histories and allows users to be banned without explanation or a meaningful chance to appeal. New York, NY – A broad coalition of civil rights organizations, including…
“You’re codifying these structural inequalities into the tool,” said Scott Levy, chief policy counsel at the Bronx Defenders, a public-defender organization. “That is particularly pernicious because you are doing it under the guise of science.” Read the full article here
“The protests following George Floyd’s murder have amplified two different, yet intertwined demands: to hold police officers accountable and to defund the police. In New York City, the NYPD’s continued use of predatory “buy and bust” operations, which target poor people of color and are conducted by detectives with long misconduct histories, exemplifies the imperative…
“A group of legal service providers including Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) came together to write a letter demanding that certain city agencies provide clear and transparent COVID-19 protocols for local jails. The groups, which also include the Legal Aid Society, the Bronx Defenders, New York County Defenders, Queens Defenders and Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem…
“The program has improved the chances of people getting released from city jails and state prisons, said Julia Solomons, senior policy social workers for the Bronx Defenders. Prosecutors, judges and prison officials are more likely to agree to let people out when they know there’s a hotel bed available as opposed to a packed shelter, Solomons…
“We are setting up Black communities, and the Black immigrants who live in those communities like in the Bronx, to fail,” said Sophia Gurulé, Darboe’s attorney and a policy counsel at Bronx Defenders. “He was basically plagued by constant policing and criminalization since he was a teenager.” Now, Darboe faces the prospect of deportation back…
“This is a report about the role of official misconduct in the conviction of innocent people. We discuss cases that are listed in the National Registry of Exonerations, an ongoing online archive that includes all known exonerations in the United States since 1989, 2,663 as of this writing. This Report describes official misconduct in the…
“The Giants revealed this week that earlier this off-season, they split into nine smaller groups with each group collaborating with local community organizations such as the United Way of NYC, Far Rockaway Colts (NYPD), New York City Police Foundation, RISE, Bronx Defenders, Eva’s Village, East Orange Mayor’s Office, My Sisters’ Place, and Covenant House to…
“The Giants said the purpose of their community-outreach campaign — which breaks the team into nine groups involving nine local organizations — is “to unify and reinforce how togetherness will be collective and unwavering among Giants fans, players, coaches and the front office this season.” The nine partner organizations will be United Way of NYC,…
“When the anti-racism protests grew across the five boroughs, MINYC coordinated the donation of 1,626 units of masks, face shields, and hand sanitizer to those practicing their civil right to peacefully and safely assemble. Partnering with community-based groups like Equality 4 Flatbush and the Bronx Defenders, they worked to direct this PPE to communities most impacted by the…
“Michael Thomas, a staff attorney in the criminal defense practice for The Bronx Defenders, called the release “huge,” and predicted it would lead to major changes in how his cases will be tried, compared to the era in which 50-A shielded many records from discovery. “A lot of our cases that end up going to…
“We’re sick of talking about it,” McDougald added. “We’re sick of sharing our emotions about it. Like, we’re hurting. And then to have that type of deep conversation and then to have to snap right into football mode, it’s just crazy. But it’s the life we’re living, it’s the world we’re living in. It’s what’s…
“What Judge and the Giants have done is split their players and coaches into nine teams. Each team is paired with an organization in New York or New Jersey connected to an initiative or issue the players pinpointed as a priority. And the team dedicates time on Mondays and Wednesdays to these initiatives every week….
“A Manhattan federal judge said Tuesday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not complying well with his March injunction that ordered the agency to arrest fewer immigrants. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein had asked ICE to provide reports about its arrest activities in the New York City area after his injunction, and said since March…
“After graduation, Clemmer started her career as a public defender at the Bronx Defenders, representing low-income clients charged with misdemeanor and felony crimes. She then worked for the firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP, defending clients against security class actions and other complex financial matters, while continuing to develop her pro bono practice litigating matrimonial,…
“Over the last several months, our players and coaches have spent countless hours meeting with our community partners and identifying ways we can work together to inspire and create change,” said Giants Vice President of Community and Corporate Relations Allison Stangeby. “This player driven initiative will continue throughout the season and will be an impactful…
“Law360, New York (August 25, 2020, 5:06 PM EDT) — A Manhattan federal judge on Tuesday ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to provide more information about how decisions are made on detaining people for alleged civil immigration offenses, after immigrant…” Read the full article here
“The march was organized in partnership with the Bronx Defenders, a group which represents many families going through similar experiences. “It’s shown in data, it’s documented that folks across races use drugs at the same amount of rate,” says Bronx Defenders Attorney, Miriam Mack. “Yet we know that it’s Black and brown folks in hospitals…
“This interview with Emma Ketteringham, managing director of the family defense practice at the Bronx Defenders, was conducted and condensed by franknews. Part one of this conversation on the child welfare system can be found here. Emma | If you look at all of the systems that do harm, whether it’s to poor communities or Black and brown communities, they are…
“This interview with Emma Ketteringham, managing director of the family defense practice at the Bronx Defenders, was conducted and condensed by franknews. The second half of this conversation on the child welfare system can be found here. When I started, I began to talk to my clients about the impact contact with the criminal system had affected their families and I…
“As the social justice movement against racial discrimination continues in the wake of George Floyd’s death, The Bronx Defenders, one of the city’s largest nonprofit legal advocacies, and the New York Giants pro football team are pairing up “to combat inequities in the criminal, immigration, family, and civil legal systems,” according to a joint news…
“Justine Olderman was named executive director of Bronx Defenders in 2018, but she has been with the organization since its earliest days. As managing director of the organization’s criminal defense practice, she more than doubled the size of the department and its caseload. As executive director, Olderman sounded the alarm about COVID-19 on Rikers Island…
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** August 10, 2020 CONTACT Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (RKarerat@bronxdefenders.org) Jennifer Conley, New York Giants (Jennifer.Conley@giants.nfl.net) NEW YORK – The Bronx Defenders and the New York Giants are proud to announce they have partnered together in the fight to combat inequities in the criminal, immigration, family, and civil legal systems. 10 Giants players and 3 Giants coaches have partnered with…
“As thousands of Black people and their allies are protesting the systemic racism and police brutality that have been part of the fabric of this society for centuries, some white Americans appear ready to discuss the damage that oppression has done to Black and brown people. Books about anti-racism are flying off the shelves. There are…
“When I joined the NYPD in 2013, I was an unlikely candidate for law enforcement. Nearly a decade earlier, during the 2004 Republican National Convention, I was a passerby arrested at a protest in Union Square. At the invitation of the New York Civil Liberties Union, I joined a class action lawsuit against the City…
“In fact, since mid-March, courts in New York City have held nearly 19,000 arraignments,” said the letter. “By executive order, these individuals’ right to have their cases presented to a grand jury if they are charged with a felony is suspended, as is their right to a speedy trial and other due process protections. Police…
“The legal services groups, which include the Legal Aid Society, the Bronx Defenders and the Brooklyn Defender Services, argued in a statement that the state Office of Court Administration’s plan to reopen the courts “forces our clients to choose between their health and safety and their freedom, and violates the Americans with Disabilities Act in…
“Amid a summer of protest sparked by the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others, much has been said about the importance of “reforming” police departments. But what if those departments cannot be reformed? This week, a video went viral showing the arrest of a young trans woman during a protest. The 18-year-old woman was tackled in broad daylight…
“Particularly problematic is the fact that many courts have closed to all but those hearings determined to be emergencies. The deferment of so many legal proceedings raises its own set of dilemmas, particularly for people who are incarcerated while awaiting a trial. Child welfare cases have proved especially fraught for some parents. Many jurisdictions are…
“In a series of court decisions since the pardon, neither immigration nor federal judges have agreed to his release — even on bond. “Black immigrants are treated differently in these court proceedings,” said Sophia Gurulé, his attorney from Bronx Defenders. “For some reason they don’t value the community ties that he has, they don’t value…
“Attorneys for immigrants detained at the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack are demanding they be released amid the heat wave and reports of broken air conditioning at the Hackensack facility, and Eyewitness News took an exclusive tour of the jail to check on conditions. The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, and the Bronx Defenders…
“Put plainly: OCA’s plan puts our clients — mostly low-income New Yorkers of color — at enormous risk for no compelling reason,” said the statement. “We are disappointed that the Southern District of New York allowed OCA to continue down this reckless road.” The six legal aid groups involved in the lawsuit were The Legal…
“As surveillance technology evolves, New Yorkers will have to balance surveillance power with personal freedoms. In addition to license plate readers, x-ray vans, and stingrays, the NYPD now has a unit dedicated to operating face recognition systems—but it isn’t just being used in the fight against terrorism. “There’s been an explosion in face recognition in the…
“A group of New York City public defender organizations are opposing a federal judge’s ruling Tuesday to allow state courts to reopen for in-person proceedings, saying the decision put their clients at “enormous risk” during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Read the full article here
“NYPD officers can access those records via their smartphones, according to the outlet. Legally, the department is supposed to either get rid of arrest records or return them if a person’s case is “terminated in their favor,” the outlet reported. “The court already said the NYPD isn’t allowed to use these documents and share them…
“The Bergen County Sheriff’s Department reports that temperatures inside the Bergen County jail are currently between 70 and 73 degrees. A group of immigration attorneys say that’s a lie. As temperatures touch the mid-90s, the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project and their legal providers continue to call for the release of their clients held…
“It is no secret that the COVID crisis poses a risk to criminal defendants, particularly those who are incarcerated or come from at-risk groups. It is also no secret that the New York’s Office of Court Administration (the “OCA”) has been pushing hard to “return to normalcy,” in part to make sure that cases of…
“The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, Legal Aid Society, New York County Defender Services, Neighborhood Service of Harlem and Queens Defenders had argued the courts’ decision was “rushed” and has led to “chaotic” implementation of policies that violate federal civil rights protections including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. While Judge Carter denied…
“A group of attorneys are demanding the release of detained immigrants from the Bergen County jail due to the reports of broken air conditioning systems over the weekend, as the state is in the middle of heat wave and a coronavirus pandemic. The New York Immigrant Family Unity Project sent a letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after…
“In 2019, the Harvard Law Review published a quantitative study by researchers from the RAND Corporation and Penn Law’s Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice entitled “The Effects of Holistic Defense on Criminal Justice Outcomes.” They compared with the traditional model of public defense with the holistic model practiced by the Bronx Defenders…
July 27, 2020 CONTACTS: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, 917-294-9348, AILopez@legal-aid.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, 917-635-4326, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org Dan Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, 203-213-9303, dball@bds.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, and The Bronx Defenders – New York City’s defender organizations providing free legal representation to…
“According to the NYPD’s court filing, the DAS “can access a copy of each sealed arrest report that exists in the Crime Data Warehouse.” It’s a “horrifying” admission, said Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, an attorney from Bronx Defenders who represents the plaintiffs in the case. “The court already said the NYPD isn’t allowed to use these…
“NYPD’s “Crime Data Warehouse contained 6,908,699 sealed arrest reports containing the arrest information of 3,576,113 unique individuals, as of November 20, 2019,” the filing states. Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, an attorney from Bronx Defenders, is defending the plaintiffs in the case. Borchetta said the alleged activity was “horrifying,” and that the NYPD was failing to follow…
“Resuming in-person court appearances won’t accomplish much, New York City public defenders argue. Critical deadlines for criminal cases remain suspended. And while the logistics around virtual court at times can be frustrating, the resumption of non-essential, in-person appearances at this stage does little more than endanger communities, said Ann Mathews, managing director of the criminal…
“PlayCo is also collaborating with community partner Bronx Defenders and the team behind Sarah Einspanier‘s Lunch Bunch (a play inspired by the Bronx Defenders’ own lunch bunches) to create a podcast. Lunch Bunch was initially scheduled to be performed in March & April, in a production presented with Clubbed Thumb and directed by Tara Ahmadinejad, but has been postponed….
“We applaud Assembly Member Hunter for her leadership and the Assembly for passing the Driver’s License Suspension Reform Act and taking a major step forward to end the cruel and counterproductive criminalization of poverty,” said Ranit Patel, Equal Justice Works Fellow sponsored by the Venture Justice Fund at The Bronx Defenders. “Suspending driver’s licenses due…
Driven By Justice drivenbyjustice.org For Immediate Release: July 22 Contact: jdavies@ffjc.us rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org Legislation Would End Widespread Driver’s License Suspensions for Unpaid Traffic Debt Today, the New York Senate joined the Assembly in passing the Driver’s License Suspension Reform Act. The vast majority of New York driver’s license suspensions are for traffic tickets that residents…
July 22, 2020 CONTACT Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (RKarerat@bronxdefenders.org) (NEW YORK, NY) – Sarah Deri Oshiro, Managing Director of the Immigration Practice at The Bronx Defenders, issued the following statement in response to the passage in the New York State Senate today of the Protect Our Courts Act: “We applaud the New York State…
Nationwide, millions of people have been out of work due to the Covid-19 crisis. Unemployment Insurance Benefits are a critical option available-nearly 32 million people are currently supported by unemployment insurance benefits as they balance paying for food, rent, loans and other costs & bills with looking for a job. In New York City, close…
“The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, Legal Aid Society, New York County Defender Services, Neighborhood Service of Harlem, and Queens Defenders say the state courts’ decision was “rushed” and has led to “chaotic” implementation of policies that violate federal civil rights protections including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. While Judge Carter denied…
“By converting our request for temporary relief into a swift hearing on a more-permanent injunction, the order recognizes that the Criminal Court created an urgent problem when it suddenly decided to haul people in for needless appearances at great risk to the health and well-being of the public,” said Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, managing director of…
“The New York City defenders were outside the Brooklyn Supreme Court saying the opening of the courts still put people at risk. They say a majority of the people this affects are people of color, with many of the legal workers being Black and Latino, but also a majority of their clients are minorities as…
“Fixing the flaws in the U.S. legal system “will take a lot more than prosecutors,” Wesley Caines, chief of staff at The Bronx Defenders, told a webinar convened to discuss innovative prosecutorial responses to violence Thursday. “Maybe it’s time for a constitutional convention,” he said.” Read the full article here
“In this way, the Plan discriminates against people with disabilities who need sufficient notice to seek and receive accommodations or modifications prior to an appearance in order to obtain equal access to the court,” according to the lawsuit. In its filing, The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, New York County Defender…
“U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter Jr. of the Southern District of New York on Friday denied the temporary restraining order requested by a group of New York City public defender organizations who say the planned expansion of in-person state court proceedings discriminates against persons with disabilities.” Read the full article here
“Parents can be charged with so-called “derivative neglect” of a newborn if a previous child entered foster care. Here, Emma Ketteringham, managing director of The Bronx Defenders’ Family Defense Project, explains how pregnant parents can get support and protect their rights.” Read the full Q & A here
“The suit was filed by the Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, the Bronx Defenders, New York County Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem and Queens Defenders. The defendant is the New York State Office of Court Administration. Office of Court Administration spokesperson Lucian Chalfen told the Queens Daily Eagle that public defender groups…
Read the full article here
“Public defender organizations launched a lawsuit Tuesday against The New York state court system, saying a criminal court plan to start in-person appearances discriminates against people with disabilities.” Read the full article here
“Until Monday, arraignments, case conferences and other criminal court proceedings were handled remotely, with defendants appearing by video conference since March. The plaintiffs include The Legal Aid Society, Queens Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem and New York county Defender Service. The organizations, which represent low-income defendants in criminal…
“A civil rights lawyer with the legal aid group the Bronx Defenders, Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, said she saw violations of constitutional rights in nearly all the videos, including the rights to free speech and due process. “The primary question is whether the force is reasonable, but you have to remember, if they’re not arresting someone,…
“Jared Trujillo, president of ALAA, added Monday that he will not send his members to court until there has been a “meaningful” meeting between the court’s public health experts and outside experts hired by the unions. Hundreds of attorneys could potentially withhold their labor citywide, according to Trujillo, depending when other boroughs move to resume…
“The suit comes on the eve of a scheduled July 15 reopening of criminal courts in the city. OCA announced its plans in an administrative order last week, according to the complaint, which was filed in New York federal court. Legal Aid and the other groups — which include Brooklyn Defender Services, the Bronx Defenders, New…
July 14, 2020 Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (RHaskins@legal-aid.org) Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (dball@bds.org) Esther Kao, The Bronx Defenders (estherk@bronxdefenders.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) Sam McCann, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders, (hpowell@queensdefenders.org) NYC Public Defenders File Federal Lawsuit to Halt OCA’s Rushed and…
The Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, New York County Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem and Queens Defenders filed a lawsuit today in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against the New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA) to prevent the rushed, dangerous, and…
“The timing of this order will prevent people with disabilities — our offices’ clients and their attorneys — from requesting and receiving the reasonable accommodations they need to safely attend and participate in court proceedings and do so without fear of incarceration if they assert those needs and rights,” they write. Public defenders with disabilities…
“But that’s an unfair claim, said Eli Northrup, criminal defense policy counsel at the Bronx Defenders, a public defender nonprofit. “If anything, bail reform in the last month has been rolled back,” Northrup said. “I don’t think there’s any evidence that bail reform has anything to do with this. If you look, crime is actually…
“The attorneys’ group says NYPD property seizures have been a problem for years — made worse by the coronavirus pandemic and resulting shutdowns, and further exacerbated by the chaos surrounding the protests. “The police have an incredible responsibility for safeguarding and accounting for people’s property. It’s a constitutional right that you can’t be deprived of…
“We are unionized legal services unions and workers who represent tenants in New York City’s housing courts. Today, people of all walks of life are participating in a righteous uprising that demands an end to state-sanctioned violence against Black lives. In conjunction with this uprising, communities are renewing their demands for programs and policies that…
“The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, New York County Defender Services, Queens Defenders, and the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem issued a letter to New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA) Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks requesting that the Court continue remote appearances and abandon its proposal to recommence in-person appearances until…
“A group of public defender organizations in New York City objected Thursday to the planned return of in-person court proceedings for nonemergency matters, which was announced Tuesday by Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks. In the letter, The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, the Bronx Defenders, the New York County Defender Services, the Queens Defenders…
Sent Via Email July 8, 2020 Donovan J. Richards, Chair Committee on Public Safety New York City Council 250 Broadway New York, NY 10007 Re: NYPD Police Property Seizure During the Recent Black Lives Matter Protests and COVID-19 Dear Chairman Richards and Public Safety Committee Members: The protests ignited by the murder of George Floyd…
New York State Attorney General Letitia James Virtual Public Hearing on Police/General Public Interactions During Recent Protests Wednesday, June 17, 2020 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders The Bronx Defenders (“BxD”) is a public defender non-profit that is radically transforming how low-income people in the Bronx are represented in the legal system, and, in doing…
“Local running crews assemble at Poe Park in the Bronx for a Stronger Together running protest to motivate the community to help impact positive change and rally for social justice. Nova Church of Bronx Sole, running activist Power Malu, and the community of runners support one another, engage in dialogue and meet The Bronx Defenders,…
In the wake of protests and increased police violence and misconduct, as well as the ongoing difficulties and office/court closures due to COVID-19, we know that many have been harmed when police officers seize or even lose track of essential property such as phones, keys, wallets, medication, and transportation including bicycles, scooters and cars. If…
“Someone who commits a felony while on probation or parole can no longer be released automatically. The same goes for someone with at least two prior felony convictions who is arrested for a new felony. Scott Levy, chief policy counsel for Bronx Defenders, said that’s overly punitive. “What this really does is penalize and punish…
“Just six months ago, New York state eliminated cash bail for almost all offenses except violent felonies. But there was an immediate backlash after the NYPD claimed the crime rate was going up. There were also constant media reports about cases in which people were re-arrested after being released without bail, notably one involving a woman who punched Orthodox Jewish…
CONTACT Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (RKarerat@bronxdefenders.org) (NEW YORK, NY) – Justine Olderman, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders, released the following statement in response to the budget deal reached between Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Council: “As public defenders, the people and communities we serve have been plagued by…
“There are other just as nefarious, just as racially-biased practices that have filled the void. Unless you’re really going to start at the roots of the problem, you’re going to end up in the same place,” said Ann Mathews, managing director of the criminal defense practice for The Bronx Defenders, a city public defenders office….
“While the good news is that if arrests are down by roughly half in New York, then that means that only half as many African Americans are being arrested as well as for other racial groups, too.”But Ann Mathews of The Bronx Defenders said that while she welcomes police reform efforts, “what is clear is…
“Our Distinguished Leader awards recognize attorneys in leadership roles who achieved impressive results in the past year. Strong leaders are hard to come by, and we want to highlight lawyers who had great performances while demonstrating clear leadership skills leading to positive outcomes.” Read the full article here
“Host of OPEN BXRx, Sonyi Lopez, is joined by Deborah Lolai, member of LGBTQ Defense Project, Bronx Defenders, to discuss pride month & learn how the Bronx Defenders LGBTQ Defense Project is supporting the Bronx LGBTQ community.” Watch the full video here
“19 legal services organizations, including The Legal Aid Society and The Bronx Defenders, have expressed their opposition to reopening housing courts for public health and safety reasons. As for the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys – UAW Local 2325, Legal Services Staff Association, NOLSW/UAW 2320, and other legal services worker unions have all similarly expressed opposition…
June 26, 2020 Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (RHaskins@legal-aid.org) Jared Chausow, Brooklyn Defender Services (JChausow@bds.org) Esther Kao The Bronx Defenders (estherk@bronxdefenders.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) Sam McCann, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Lori Zeno, Queens Defenders (lzeno@queensdefenders.org) NYC Public Defenders Demand At Least $1 Billion Cut to NYPD…
June 26, 2020 Mayor Bill de Blasio City Hall New York, NY 10007 Via Email Speaker Corey Johnson City Hall New York, NY 10007 Via Email NYC Councilmembers 250 Broadway New York, NY 10007 Via Email Re: Cuts to NYPD Budget and Investing in Communities Dear Mayor de Blasio, Speaker Johnson, and City…
“The contemporary bail-fund movement is largely a product of the last decade, and got its start in New York City. In 2007, Robin Steinberg and David Feige, of the Bronx Defenders, a groundbreaking public-defenders’ office, launched the Bronx Freedom Fund, to pay low-level bails for Bronx residents. Two years later, a judge ruled that the fund was…
“Rikers Island inmates have also not been allowed in-person visits with their lawyers since late March because of the pandemic, Ann H. Mathews, the Bronx Defenders’ Managing Director of Criminal Defense Practice, told Gothamist. While they have been allowed video conferences via a digital Skype-like interface, those sometimes take weeks to schedule. Besides, she emphasized,…
“Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, low-income black and brown communities like the Bronx have been hit the hardest,” wrote Justine Olderman, Executive Director of Bronx Defenders, on a press release for the mixtape. “This is a community that depends heavily on public transportation, encompasses countless essential workers, and is over criminalized into a…
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Bronx Defenders Statement on DACA Decision June 18, 2020 CONTACT Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (RKarerat@bronxdefenders.org) (NEW YORK, NY) – Sarah Deri Oshiro, Managing Director of the Immigration Practice at The Bronx Defenders, issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision Thursday blocking the Trump Administration from ending the…
“Few and far between did you see white people being arraigned,” said Janie Williams, a criminal defense attorney with Bronx Defenders who offered aid to people as they left police custody in Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx. “White people didn’t have to see the judges that much. It was Black and brown people who were…
“The NBPA says it will “deepen its commitment to social justice” by continuing its work with organizations like the Legal Defense Fund, Chicago Votes, Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defenders and National Museum of African American History and Culture while identifying others with a similar goal.” Read the full article here
“Earlier this month, the Giants, in a team-issued statement, reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their alliances with organizations such as the Vera Institute of Justice, the Newark Bronze Shields, The Bronx Defenders, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, RISE and local law enforcement agencies.” Read the full article here
“The NBPA said in its release it will continue to match players’ philanthropic contributions to organizations focused on ending police brutality such as Legal Defense Fund, Chicago Votes, Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defenders, National Museum of African American History and Culture and more. “The NBPA will deepen its commitment to social justice by increasing our support for…
“We have always supported civil rights organizations like the Legal Defense Fund, Chicago Votes, Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defenders, National Museum of African American History and Culture and more. The NBPA will deepen its commitment to social justice by increasing our support for similar organizations that are focused on ending police brutality, addressing voter suppression and…
In the wake of protests and increased police violence and misconduct, we know that many have been harmed fighting for justice. If you have experienced abuse at the hands of the police, such as physical violence or the destruction of your property, filing a Notice of Claim is a step towards holding them accountable. What…
“We have a child welfare system that is particularly, extremely sensitive to the media, so we should be very sure of narratives before we put them out there,” said Emma Ketteringham, managing director of the family defense practice at the Bronx Defenders in New York City, an organization that provides free legal services for low-income…
“A virtual “town hall” meeting for Warwick parents and educators took place on Sun., June 7, via zoom conference, with over 30 attendees. Its purpose was to come together as an educational community to discuss implementing a culturally responsible and actively anti-racist culture in Warwick schools. Meant as a gateway to greater community engagement, the…
“Police should not be arresting individuals who are peacefully exercising their First Amendment right to protest, said Ann Mathews, managing director of the criminal defense practice at Bronx Defenders. And if cops do cuff peaceful protesters, district attorneys should decline to prosecute them, Mathews said.” Read the full article here
“Over the next four weeks, the city’s criminal courts began addressing the backlog. But then the NYPD issued its directives canceling court appearances. “You have individuals who have been in a kind of indefinite pre-inquiry-of-any-kind detention” because of the COVID-19 court shutdowns, said Ann Mathews, managing director of the criminal defense practice at the Bronx…
Lenora Easter, BxD’s Early Defense Team Leader, spoke with News12 Brooklyn about Bronx Defenders’ legal emergency hotline and everything that public defenders have been dealing with midst the George Floyd protests. Watch starting at 5:44 here
Contact: Justine Olderman | The Bronx Defenders | JustineO@BronxDefenders.org Alexi Shalom | ALAA | ashalom@alaa.org BRONX, NY – Today, The Bronx Defenders recognized the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys – UAW Local 2325 as the collective bargaining representative of its workers, pursuant to a card check. The Bronx Defenders management and staff now look forward…
“Tenant advocates also have many outstanding questions. A group of them are calling on OCA to postone all phases of the reopening of the city’s civil and housing courts amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and Black Lives Matter demonstrations, until there’s a thorough safety plan informed by health experts and stakeholders. “Reopening the courts prematurely…
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Bronx Defenders Statement on Passage of STAT Act and 50-A Repeal June 9, 2020 CONTACT Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (RKarerat@bronxdefenders.org) (NEW YORK, NY) – Justine Olderman, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders, released the following statement in response to the passage of criminal justice reforms in Albany, including the STAT Act…
“During the public testimony portion of the City Council hearing, New Yorkers expressed outrage over the behavior of the NYPD during citywide protests. “As public defenders in the South Bronx, none of this has come as a surprise. It’s the treatment we regularly see our clients, overwhelmingly black and brown people, subjected to,” said Zami…
The Bronx Defenders is organizing its second annual virtual race campaign, “Go the Distance for Families,” from Monday, June 7, 2021, to Tuesday, July 6, 2021, to benefit our Client Emergency Fund. COVID-19 pandemic has killed over 33,000 people in New York City and initiated the worst economic downturn in almost a century. As the…
“Public defenders from across the city stood in solidarity with the black community and the Black Lives Matter movement on Monday. Protesters walked from the Bronx Supreme Court and made their way to Foley Square to meet up with other protesters Many of them say that they became defense attorneys because of their own negative experiences with…
“Although courts ruled the program unfairly targeted minority communities, it was allowed to remain in the books. Mayor Bill de Blasio has reduced the number of stop-and-frisks allowed, while The Bronx Defenders have fought to keep records of those arrested under the program sealed.” Read the full article here
“Rivera said he was honored to have worked with Neighborhood Defender Services, Center for Community Alternatives, The Bronx Defenders, and the New York Civil Liberties Union in drafting the new bill, based on powerful testimony he heard at the joint legislative hearing held in May on the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on minority communities. “This…
“Public defense organizations such as the Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services and the Bronx Defenders called Vance’s request “outrageous” in a joint statement released Thursday. “Vance’s proposal would increase incarceration at a time when prisons and jails account for eight of the 10 largest COVID-19 outbreaks in the country and when the City’s own correctional…
“A joint statement by the city’s public defense agencies on Thursday slammed that move. “At a moment in which Black people and their allies are rightfully protesting state sanctioned racial violence while simultaneously bearing the brunt of a global pandemic – a crisis that makes brutal and dangerous city jails even more deadly – DA…
“Several legal defense groups called it an effort to circumvent the law and unlawfully detain protesters. “Already, there is a backlog of hundreds of New Yorkers who are being illegally held because the NYPD refuses to issue Desk Appearance Tickets in lieu of arrests or complete the paperwork necessary to arraign them, despite the fact…
June 4, 2020 ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, RKarerat@bronxdefenders.org Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society, RHaskins@legal-aid.org Sam McCann, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, SMccann@ndsny.org Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders, hpowell@queensdefenders.org Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services, LToddmedina@nycds.org (NEW YORK, NY) – Brooklyn Defender Services, The…
“ICE has already used the courthouse to trap immigrants during the current crisis. On March 13, as President Trump declared a National Emergency, Mr. RC, a client of The Bronx Defenders, appeared in state court in Poughkeepsie. Despite the mounting pandemic and the deployment of state and federal resources to try to contain the virus…
“Dawit Getachew, a public defender at the Bronx Defenders in New York, says he’s seen the racial disparity in arrests before and after the pandemic, because he represents clients from a South Bronx neighborhood that is primarily home to black and Hispanic residents. While Getachew said he is not surprised to learn about the widening…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 1, 2020 CONTACTS: Jared Chausow, Brooklyn Defender Services, JChausow@bds.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, RKarerat@bronxdefenders.org Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society, RHaskins@legal-aid.org Sam McCann, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, SMccann@ndsny.org Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders, hpowell@queensdefenders.org Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services, LToddmedina@nycds.org Joint NYC Defender Statement On NYPD Brutality…
“In particular, donating to bail funds allows organizations to do crucial work to provide justice to people who may be incarcerated because they cannot afford cash bail. Activists are also working to ensure that cash bail is not codified as part of the prison system. Other organizations to which you can donate: The Atlanta Solidarity Fund, the Bail Project, the Brooklyn Bail…
“When Trump promoted this drug in March, people all over the world rushed to take it. There was an immediate shortage of the drug. Now that he claims to be on hydroxychloroquine, it will likely spark a new run on the pills, which will directly jeopardize my own health by making it harder for me to…
“COVID-19 has upended every aspect of public life. It has also exposed and exacerbated the racial and economic disparities that have long existed in this city. Our legal systems are no different in that regard. Even as some court functions have slowed down, our legal systems continue to target and ensnare low-income New Yorkers. ‘Social…
“The situation is complicated when these organizations cannot pay for private simultaneous translation services and the lawyers are not bilingual. If a defendant is in custody, “you can’t talk to the person if you don’t know the language,” explains Alice Fontier, director of criminal practice at The Bronx Defenders. So for those who can’t make…
“I am the proud mother of four children.” When Tamanika was sent to prison, three of her four children were put in foster care, while her oldest child stayed with her family. “The court tried to terminate my parental rights but I fought hard and it didn’t happen,” she explains. “I had a wonderful team…
“At the Bronx Defenders, which is working with the Bronx mother, efforts to reunify families are sometimes cut short by an agency’s insistence that a parent have a longer track record of supervised visits with caseworkers and sessions with therapists and counselors. The pandemic has also had a significant impact on access to services —…
New York City Council Committee on Criminal Justice and Committee on the Justice System Re: COVID-19 in City Jails and Juvenile Detention Facilities May 19th, 2020 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Tahanee Dunn, Robyn Goldberg, Martha Grieco, Deborah Lolai & Julia Solomons Good afternoon Chair Powers, Chair Lancman, and committee members. My name…
La situación es complicada cuando las organizaciones no pueden pagar por servicios privados de traducción simultánea y además los abogados no son bilingües. Si un acusado está en custodia, “tú no puedes hablar con la persona si no sabes el idioma”, explica la directora de práctica criminal en The Bronx Defenders, Alice Fontier. Así que…
“In some states, like New York and California, there have been no official statewide orders cutting off all in-person visitation; instead agencies have been directed to make decisions on a case-by-case basis. But those on the ground say this is still leaving many parents without a voice in the decision-making process. Despite state-level guidance that…
“Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, low-income black and brown communities like the Bronx have been hit the hardest,” Bronx Defenders Executive Director Justine Olderman said in the release. “This is a community that depends heavily on public transportation, encompasses countless essential workers and is over criminalized into a legal system that crams people into jail…
“As COVID-19 continues to devastate the country, we have witnessed the failure of Immigration Customs & Enforcement (ICE) to prevent the transmission of the coronavirus in our local jails. It is hard to imagine a government agency less equipped to address the COVID-19 pandemic than ICE. Even under “normal” circumstances before the pandemic, ICE proved…
“I fell in love with the work, I fell in love with the people, I fell in love with being able to represent clients and work so closely with clients and really tell their stories, and I haven’t looked back.” Bennie works for The Bronx Defenders, a nonprofit that represents low-income residents in the New…
The COVID-19 crisis has forced us to rethink every aspect of American life, revealing that many structures damaging in normal times are now downright catastrophic. This is true in the criminal legal system, where policies that prop up mass incarceration have enabled disease and death to ravage our jails and prisons. It is also true…
“Transgender people continue to be moved from facility to facility because the Department of Correction often houses them incorrectly and then needs to move them to another housing area,” Deborah Lolai, supervising attorney of the Bronx Defenders’ LGBTQ Defense Practice, in a statement. “This means that transgender people are going to be exposed to many…
May 1, 2020 Contact: Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society, rhaskins@legal-aid.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org (NEW YORK, NY) – Public defender organizations, LGBTQ+ advocates, elected officials, and others, in a recent letter to New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, the New York State Department of Corrections…
“El peruano Carlos Usategui, quien estuvo detenido dos meses en el Orange County Correctional Facility, en Nueva York, asegura que en ese centro penitenciario no se están tomando en serio la crisis desatada por el coronavirus, pues no tienen mascarillas, guantes ni desinfectantes disponibles y los presos están expuestos peligrosamente al virus.” Watch the full…
“At this point, the coronavirus has infected hundreds of thousands of Americans and killed over 50,000. One of the CDC’s most basic guidelines for avoiding COVID-19 is, of course, frequently washing one’s hands. Robyn Barnard, an asylum attorney in Southern California, says that her client contacted her and asked her to put money in his…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 28, 2020 CONTACTS: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, ailopez@legal-aid.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org Hanna Johnson, ACLU, HJohnson@aclu.org Paloma Aguas, ACLU-NJ, paguas@aclu-nj.org Seven Medically Vulnerable Immigrants in ICE Detention Seek Release Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, Represented By Legal Aid, Bronx Defenders, Paul Weiss, ACLU-NJ (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal…
Case 2:20-cv-05061-JMV Case 2:20-cv-05053
“During testimony in Albany in November, Emma Ketteringham, managing attorney of Bronx Defenders’ Family Defense Practice said the problems include too few judges and a lack of evening and weekend courtroom hours. “As a result, families are separated needlessly and kept separated for longer than necessary,” she told lawmakers. Pandemic-related court closures have exacerbated those delays for the foreseeable…
“According to the Driven by Justice Coalition, New York issued nearly 1.7 million driver’s license suspensions for traffic debt during a 28-month period between 2016 and 2018. Nearly 75 percent of those with suspended licenses drive anyway, said Ranit Patel of The Bronx Defenders, a nonprofit public defender organization. The calls to suspend fines and…
“In states with shelter-in-place orders, most courts have been closed or able to hear only limited types of cases, with devastating consequences for some families. The lack of access to courts has delayed reunifications for families with children in foster care, and has caused difficulties for child custody arrangements in domestic violence cases. The outsized…
“Now, discovery laws have been extended to 20 calendar days and allowed some information to be non-discoverable. “The [amendments to] discovery provisions will also deny people facing criminal charges access to crucial and potentially exculpatory witness information. These are not small tweaks; they have bludgeoned reform just as it was taking root,” said the Bronx…
“Advocates held a rally outside Queensboro Correctional Facility demanding the release all state prisoners who are within one year of their release date. The protest, which included former inmates, prison health experts and advocacy organizations, is part of a larger call to release prisoners in order to save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Read the…
“$1,000,000 for equity and justice – In partnership with legal aid groups, such as Bronx Defenders, Legal Aid Society and others, ensures that 2,000 Bronxites are supported through their criminal, civil, child welfare and immigration cases during the New York stay-at-home order” Read the full article here
“Maar de New Yorkse media missen een nog veel sensationeler verhaal, zegt advocaat Eli Northrup, die regelmatig verdachten bijstaat bij hun eerste voorgeleiding na arrestatie. “Dat is het verhaal van iemand die geen borgtocht krijgt opgelegd die hij niet kan betalen, terug mag gaan naar zijn gezin, zijn baan niet verliest. In plaats van pas…
“En su decisión, la magistrada indicó que como no se aseguran los protocolos de higiene y salud en medio de la pandemia, los inmigrantes son expuestos a un alto riesgo de enfermarse gravemente o morir. Lo cual, dijo, equivale a una pena o castigo extremo bajo las normas del debido proceso. La demanda fue presentada…
“Many attorneys and legal offices continue demanding that all immigrants be released. Releasing people from immigration detention can protect their lives, the lives of staff, and public health. A growing number of courts around the country have ordered the immediate release of medically vulnerable individuals. Courts are recognizing both the enormous risk of harm that…
“U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo described the Bergen and Hudson County jails as “the epicenter of the [corona]virus in New Jersey” in her decision made on Easter Sunday. The ACLU, the Legal Aid Society, and the Bronx Defenders, represented the petitions in this matter. “We are thankful for the court’s clear message: that COVID-19 poses…
April 13, 2020 CONTACTS: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, ailopez@legal-aid.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org Hanna Johnson, ACLU, HJohnson@aclu.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Legal Aid, Bronx Defenders, ACLU Win Immediate Release of Five Medically-Vulnerable Immigrants in ICE Detention, Amid COVID-19 Pandemic (NEW YORK, NY) –The Legal Aid Society, The Bronx Defenders, and The…
“When this is over, I’ll go to Lupita’s Restaurant around the corner from The Bronx Defenders, order one of every taco, then bring it back to a conference room where I’ll brainstorm with my team and relish the banter that’s impossible on a screen.” Read the full article here
“After the reforms took effect, criminal justice experts found they were working well in keeping people out of jail. “People were going home to their families and their jobs and their kids, not spending time in a jail cell,” Scott Levy of the Bronx Defenders told Filter. “The sky was not falling. There was a ton…
“Reform advocates are also troubled by the timing of the changes, adopted during a pandemic that had spread to several local jails. The outbreaks in lockups have forced authorities to find ways to reduce jail populations; Cuomo, a Democrat, has promised to approve the release of 1,100 inmates held on technical parole violations. The bail…
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Bronx Defenders Wins Immediate Release of 3 Individuals Vulnerable to COVID-19 in NYC Jails April 8, 2020 CONTACT: Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, 917-635-4326, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org (NEW YORK, NY) – A judge today ordered the immediate release of three people detained in New York City jails who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 in…
“A court decision blocking the New York field office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from using its so-called “no release” policy for certain people detained before a hearing is being hailed by immigrant advocates as a key victory that could set an important standard for other parts of the country. U.S. District Judge Judge…
“The deal that passed the Senate on Thursday night and the Assembly on Friday morning makes crimes like second-degree burglary, promoting child pornography, vehicular manslaughter and several others bail-eligible once again. In a statement Friday, a coalition of New York City public defender groups that includes the Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn…
“Experts in immigration law say that this is one of the fundamental misunderstandings people in the U.S. have about ICE detention: Despite the administration’s rhetoric, ICE does not actually have the authority to detain people in the name of public safety. The agency can only detain people for allegedly violating immigration laws. “It’s something that…
April 3, 2020 Contact: Jared Chausow, Brooklyn Defender Services (JChausow@bds.org) Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (RKarerat@bronxdefenders.org ) Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (RHaskins@legal-aid.org) Sam McCann, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYC DEFENDERS STATEMENT ON LEGISLATIVE ROLLBACK OF BAIL AND DISCOVERY…
April 1, 2020 Contact: Jared Chausow, Brooklyn Defender Services (JChausow@bds.org) Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (RKarerat@bronxdefenders.org) Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (RHaskins@legal-aid.org) Sam McCann, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYC DEFENDERS CONDEMN EFFORT TO GUT PROGRESSIVE BAIL REFORMS IN EMERGENCY…
“The governor’s proposal also permits pretrial detention for a much wider range of offenses and allows judges to make guesses about the future “dangerousness” of a defendant (the likelihood that they will commit a new violent crime) based on the “weight of the evidence,” which flouts the presumption of innocence before a case goes to…
“Justine Olderman, executive director of Bronx Defenders, a public defender organization, recently described the conditions at Rikers to The Intercept: “You have a situation where all the protocols that are coming out of the Centers for Disease Control cannot be enacted: There are broken sinks, there’s no hand sanitizer, people don’t have access to soap, and at…
“But while the expansion of remotely-administered justice in New York’s criminal courts is seen by many as an important measure amid public health concerns, it is raising civil rights concerns as in-person appearances are crucial to the criminal justice process. “It creates this barrier to representation,” said Ilona Coleman, legal director of the Bronx Defenders’…
“Many immigration courts have closed. Lawyers are not visiting detainees. And the situation now is like being in a hurricane, when the rain stops the real impact will be known,” said Francisco Collazos, Immigrant Families Together co-founder. Organizations such as Immigrant Families Together are currently working to identify how many detainees may be at greatest…
“Law360, New York (March 30, 2020, 9:52 PM EDT) — A New York federal judge on Monday blocked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in New York from carrying out what immigrant advocates claim is a blanket no-release policy for certain detainees accused of civil immigration offenses. During an afternoon teleconference, U.S. District Judge Alvin…
“A federal judge on Thursday ordered the release of 10 immigrants held in county jails in New Jersey due to the coronavirus. All of them were at acute risk due to their underlying health conditions. The petition for the release was filed by the Brooklyn Defender Services. U.S. District Court Judge Analisa Torres agreed with…
NYCLU and Bronx Defenders Statement on Preliminary Injunction in No-Release Lawsuit Federal Court: ICE Must End Secret “No-Release Policy,” Many People in ICE Detention to be Promptly Evaluated for Release For Immediate Release: March 30, 2020 Media contact: Ben Schaefer, bschaefer@nyclu.org, (212) 607-3372 Ryan Karerat, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org, 917-635-4326 NEW YORK – A federal judge today issued…
“For weeks, immigrant advocates have pushed ICE to release certain immigrants with underlying medical issues from the facilities and to scale back arrests, saying detention facilities were ripe for mass infections and casualties. There are currently more than 38,000 immigrants in ICE custody within private and local jails. So far, the agency has not changed…
March 27, 2020 CONTACTS: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, 917-294-9348, ailopez@legal-aid.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, 917-635-4326, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Legal Aid and Bronx Defenders Win Immediate Release of 4 Immigrants in ICE Detention, Amid COVID-19 Pandemic Federal Judge Found “…no evidence that the government took any specific action to prevent the…
“In a similar effort, two New York legal groups, The Legal Aid Society and The Bronx Defenders, also filed action recently to free seven ICE detainees in New Jersey and New York jails who are at “imminent risk” of COVID-19 because of their age or underlying health conditions.” Read the full article here
“These recent events make me think of people like Ousman Darboe, a longtime Bronx, New York resident, husband, and father, currently jailed at Bergen County Jail, whom ICE has kept locked up in civil immigration confinement since 2017. ICE claims he’s a public safety risk, even after governor Andrew Cuomo granted a pardon of his sole criminal conviction,…
(NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, and The Bronx Defenders – New York City’s defender organizations providing free legal in representation to detained immigrants through the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) – today released the following statement in response to news of the first ICE detainee testing positive for…
March 24, 2020 CONTACTS: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, 917-294-9348, ailopez@legal-aid.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, 917-635-4326, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org Dan Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, 203-213-9303, dball@bds.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYIFUP Statement on First Immigrant Detainee Testing Positive For COVID-19 at Bergen County Jail NYC Public Defenders Demand ICE Release All Immigrants From Detention (NEW YORK,…
“On March 6, the Bronx Defenders, a public defender nonprofit, sent a letter to the Bergen County Jail pushing for more information on how clients with underlying medical issues would be treated and calling for the release of ICE detainees from the facility. The group represents more than two dozen ICE detainees currently at the…
“The Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies are intersecting with a highly contagious disease at a time when New York State leads the nation with at least 20,875 confirmed coronavirus cases. In New York on Friday, Attorney General Letitia James joined Bitta Mostofi, New York City’s commissioner of Immigrant Affairs, in calling for a shutdown of…
“It remains possible that the blooming epidemic on Rikers Island will not turn into a catastrophe of mass fatalities. Medical teams are working hard in city jails and, with any luck, they will be able to save lives. If people do die on Rikers, however, it won’t be because the public officials with the power…
“There is also attention on the plight of individuals in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which was already tied to poor living conditions before the coronavirus outbreak. The Bronx Defenders and the Legal Aid Society on March 23 filed for a temporary restraining order intended to bring about the release of ICE clients who…
“According to the groups – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services and The Bronx Defenders – the inmates are rallying against “egregious conditions” and inaction by ICE to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “Among reports of egregious conditions, we have heard that ICE is not responding to medical sick calls and that there are…
March 23, 2020 CONTACTS: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, 917-294-9348, ailopez@legal-aid.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, 917-635-4326, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Bronx Defenders, Legal Aid Request Temporary Restraining Order to Immediately Free Clients at High Risk of COVID-19 from Local Immigration Detention Centers (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society and The Bronx…
“As USCIS kept most of its offices open Monday, immigrants and their lawyers were left waiting for appointments in often crowded lobbies. While new decisions continued to be issued by the hour, the lack of aggressive action raisedthe prospect that the virus will gain a foothold in detention centers just as public health leaders are…
“News of Weinstein’s diagnosis comes as at least 38 people have tested positive for coronavirus inside New York City jails. Jacqueline Sherman, the interim chairwoman of the New York City Board of Correction, sent a letter to state and city officials on Saturday detailing that 21 inmates, 12 Department of Corrections employees, and five Central Health…
“The news comes amid reports of a growing number of COVID-19 cases inside correctional facilities in the New York City area. At least 38 people on Rikers Island — both inmates and employees — have tested positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. ICE detainees at the Hudson County jail and two other…
March 20, 2020 CONTACTS: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, 917-294-9348, ailopez@legal-aid.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, 917-635-4326, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Bronx Defenders and Legal Aid Sue for Immediate Release of Clients at High Risk of COVID-19 from Immigrant Detention (NEW YORK, NY) – The Bronx Defenders and The Legal Aid Society today filed…
The Bronx Defenders and The Legal Aid Society today filed a lawsuit in federal court against U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement (ICE) to seek the immediate release of seven individuals in immigrant detention who are at imminent risk of serious illness or death in the event of a COVID-19 infection because of their age or underlying health conditions….
March 20, 2020 CONTACTS: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, 917-294-9348, AILopez@legal-aid.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, 917-635-4326, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org Dan Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, 203-213-9303, dball@bds.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYIFUP Reports Immigrants Organize Second Hunger Strike in NJ Detention Center In Protest of Egregious Conditions Amid COVID-19 Pandemic As Immigrants Strike in Hudson…
“Public defenders and advocates for inmates have called for sending home all inmates with pre-existing medical conditions, those over 50 and anyone jailed for a parole violation. “It is a ticking time bomb,” said Justine Olderman, executive director of the Bronx Defenders. “We’re looking for bold action and leadership.” On Saturday, the Board of Correction,…
“Attorneys who represent detainees at the Hudson and Essex County facilities say inmates are reporting threats and intimidation by guards when they’re heard discussing conditions on the phone. Because detention centers across the country have already canceled in-person visits from family and attorneys as a precautionary measure, this means detainees are increasingly isolated and in…
Inmates there and around New York City have lodged complaints that the jails lack “basic sanitation measures,” according to the Legal Aid Society. “There are broken sinks, there’s no hand sanitizer, people don’t have access to soap,” Justine Olderman, executive director of Bronx Defenders, told The Intercept. “And at a time we’re all being asked to…
March 19, 2020 CONTACTS: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, 917-294-9348, AILopez@legal-aid.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, 917-635-4326, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org Dan Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, 203-213-9303, dball@bds.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYIFUP Statement on Bergen County Corrections Officer Testing Positive for COVID-19 and Continued ICE Enforcement During Pandemic NYC Public Defenders Blast ICE Response to COVID-19…
“The hunger strike just underlines how deeply problematic ICE’s management of the situation is,” the joint statement said. “We are in the midst of an unprecedented crisis. ICE has done nothing to rise to the occasion but instead continues to put the lives of hundreds of people at risk.” The statement says that attorneys from…
The organizers are attempting to spread the strike through the whole facility, including to workers at the jail. “We are asking our fellow brothers in ICE [custody] to join us. We are also asking the kitchen workers that work in the main kitchen downstairs to not go to work,” the strikers said. “There is power…
For Immediate Release: March 18, 2020 NEW YORK – Justine Olderman, Executive Director at The Bronx Defenders, issued the following statement in response to reports that an incarcerated person and corrections officer at Rikers Island tested positive for COVID-19: “This inevitable development only underscores what we have been saying all along: the people in our jails are particularly vulnerable…
For Immediate Release: March 18, 2020 NEW YORK – Justine Olderman, Executive Director at The Bronx Defenders, issued the following statement in response to reports that an incarcerated person and corrections officer at Rikers Island tested positive for COVID-19: “This inevitable development only underscores what we have been saying all along: the people in our…
The restricted ability of people locked on Rikers to protect themselves is a problem because many of them, due to age or underlying health conditions, are at higher risk of getting very sick or dying from the disease. It’s also a problem because the officials tasked with making sure incarcerated people are safe have so far refused…
March 18, 2020 CONTACTS: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, 917-294-9348, AILopez@legal-aid.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, 917-635-4326, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org Dan Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, 203-213-9303, dball@bds.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Immigrants in NJ Detention Center Organize Hunger Strike; NYIFUP Condemns Egregious Conditions in Local ICE Jails Amid COVID-19 Pandemic NYC Public Defenders Demand ICE Release Vulnerable…
“The only way we can possibly keep incarcerated people safe is to release them,” said Justine Olderman, executive director of the Bronx Defenders. “The next best thing is to drastically reduce the number of people being held. Neither of those things are being done right now. As public defenders, what we’re actually seeing happen is…
Thankfully, there are some courageous lawyers in New York City who are fighting to change this dangerous status quo. They join the ranks of prominent organizations like the ACLU who filed suit against ICE on Monday for the release of nine detainees held at a Washington state detention center who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. This current…
NYCLU and Bronx Defenders Seek Emergency Relief for People in ICE Detention Expedited decision sought for people in NYC facilities as threat of COVID-19 looms For Immediate Release: March 17, 2020 Media contact: Ben Schaefer, bschaefer@nyclu.org, 212-607-3372 Ryan Karerat, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org, 917-635-4326 NEW YORK – The New York Civil Liberties Union and The Bronx Defenders have…
The coronavirus outbreak has closed schools, businesses, and has forced many to remain at home. With so many precautions underway, several organizations allege that ICE is handling undocumented people as if it was business as usual. NSC learned ICE was transporting 6 minors from Dallas to NY during #COVIDー19 We went to the airport to witness their…
March 13, 2020 CONTACT: Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org Dan Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, AILopez@legal-aid.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYIFUP DEMANDS ICE RELEASE IMMIGRANTS IN LOCAL JAILS AND HALT ALL ARRESTS DUE TO THEIR FAILURE TO RESPOND ON CORONAVIRUS CRISIS NYC Public Defenders Also Calling for Postponement of…
March 16, 2020 Contact Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (RHaskins@legal-aid.org) Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (DBall@bds.org) Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (RKarerat@bronxdefenders.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) Sam McCann, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Joint Defender Statement Calling for Immediate Release of Vulnerable Incarcerated…
The New York Immigrant Family Unity Project ensures that everyone in ICE custody in New York City is guaranteed access to an attorney, regardless of their criminal legal status. “We never wanted to play into the rhetoric of the ‘good, deserving’ immigrant versus the less deserving person who may have had contact with the criminal legal system,”…
Josie Duffy Rice and guest co-host Zak Cheney-Rice talk with Emma Ketteringham, the managing director of the Bronx Defenders Family Defense Practice, about the relationship between the criminal justice system and family court, and how together they can wreak havoc on American families. Listen to the full podcast here
NYIFUP Demands Answers from ICE On How NYC-Area Detention Centers Will Respond to Coronavirus Crisis FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 9, 2020 CONTACT: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, 917-294-9348, AILopez@legal-aid.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org Dan Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, and The Bronx Defenders – New…
Momentarily put aside your positions on immigration policy, if you will, and consider this case of alleged algorithmic rigging. Whatever your feelings on people seeking legal status in the US, you may find cause for concern about humanity’s growing reliance on machines to determine liberty. Last week, the Bronx Defenders and New York Civil Liberties Union…
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is going to undergo legal proceedings for the improper processing of immigrants. The migrants were supposed to stay idle and wait for their court hearings without being locked up, but ICE did otherwise. ICE is facing a lawsuit that was filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU)…
March 6, 2020 Thomas Decker New York Field Office Director Immigration and Customs Enforcement 26 Federal Plaza, 9th Floor New York NY 10278 Warden Steven Ahrendt Bergen County Jail 160 S. River Street Hackensack, NJ 07601 Director Ronald P. Edwards Hudson County Correctional Facility 30-35 Hackensack Avenue Kearny, NJ 07032 Sheriff Carl E. DuBois Orange…
From 2013 to June 2017, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s New York Field Office determined that about 47 percent of detainees designated as “low risk” should be released while they waited for their immigration cases to be resolved, according to FOIA data obtained by the New York Civil Liberties Union. But something changed in the…
The NYCLU and Bronx Defenders sued the federal government this week, claiming ICE is unlawfully keeping thousands of New Yorkers jailed for non-criminal immigration offenses. Nearly everyone ICE apprehended over the last three years remains in lockup, the lawsuit alleges, despite a federal law mandating individualized custody determinations be made by ICE officials within 48 hours…
It is the job of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to determine — case by case — whether people arrested for immigration offenses ought to be detained, released on bond or just trusted to show up in court. For years, ICE has used an algorithm to help make this decision, one that weighs factors…
Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYPD reported a major spike in crime for the second straight month and doubled down on blaming the jump on bail reform — even as public defenders charged police may be manipulating the stats to push their agenda. Major crime jumped by 22.5 percent in February compared with the…
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began using an algorithm in 2013 that recommends or denies the release of those arrested for immigration violations –and a new lawsuit claims the technology is rigged. Filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and Bronx Defenders, the allegations say ICE officials in New York City tampered with…
The New York Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, claiming ICE rigged its software to migrants behind bars longer than ordinarily allowed. The class action, filed by the NYCLU alongside Bronx Defenders, centers on ICE’s Risk Classification Assessment system. The RCA software, writes Gizmodo, uses algorithms to determine…
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began using an algorithm in 2013 that recommends or denies the release of those arrested for immigration violations –and a new lawsuit claims the technology is rigged. Filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and Bronx Defenders, the allegations say ICE officials in New York City tampered with the software to eliminate the…
A lawsuit filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union and Bronx Defenders alleges that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses a rigged algorithm to detain virtually everyone ICEs New York Field Office brings in, even when the government itself believes they present a minimal threat to public safety. According to The Intercept the suit asks that ICE’s…
Marventz Sulfradin didn’t know his date had a gun until police began pulling them over after they bought chicken nuggets and fries from a Brooklyn McDonald’s drive-thru in November. When the cops flashed their lights, the date, who was driving, pulled the firearm from his jacket, plopped it in Sulfradin’s lap and told him to…
A decrease in the number of criminal cases city prosecutors are pursuing suggests that the crime spike recently reported by the NYPD could be a ruse to incite fear over criminal justice reforms, a coalition of public defenders said Tuesday. “Since the NYPD controls how, when, and where they arrest people and what they charge an arrested…
A new class-action lawsuit accuses U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of keeping nearly all arrested immigrants locked up instead of releasing them to wait for their court dates. Bronx Defenders and the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) partnered on the lawsuit against the agency. ICE is legally mandated to evaluate cases individually and release people…
A new lawsuit claims Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rigged software to create a “secret no-release policy” for people suspected of breaking immigration laws. ICE’s New York office uses a risk assessment algorithm to recommend that an arrestee be released or detained until a hearing. But the New York Civil Liberties Union and Bronx Defenders say the…
IN 2013, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement quietly began using a software tool to recommend whether people arrested over immigration violations should be let go after 48 hours or detained. The software’s algorithm supposedly pored over a variety of risk factors before outputting a decision. A new lawsuit, however, filed by the New York Civil Liberties…
This has had a massive effect in New York, the lawsuit alleges: In the four years prior to the algorithm change, about half of immigrants arrested in New York who were regarded as low risk were released until their trial. Now 96% of them are held in jail for as long as three months, the…
Lawsuit: ICE Office in NYC Has Secret No-Release Policy Exclusive Data Shows ICE’s New York Field Office Denies Release in Virtually All Cases FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 2, 2020 CONTACT: Ben Schaefer, bschaefer@nyclu.org, 212-607-3372; Ryan Karerat, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org, (347) 842-1251 NEW YORK – The New York Civil Liberties Union and The Bronx Defenders today announced a…
The New York Civil Liberties Union and The Bronx Defenders today announced a federal class-action lawsuit challenging a recently-enacted policy of New York City-area federal immigration officials of jailing virtually all of the thousands of people they have arrested over the last three years. Before this policy, nearly half of those arrested on civil immigration…
New York City Council Committee on Immigration and Committee on Hospitals Hearing re: Oversight – ICE’s Escalated Attacks on NYC Policies Protecting Immigrants February 28, 2020 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Sophia Gurulé, Policy Counsel, Immigration Practice Good afternoon Chairs Rivera and Menchaca, my name is Sophia Elena Gurulé and I am Policy…
Justine Olderman, of the Bronx Defenders, agreed. “One of the strongest lessons we’ve learned so far is just the fact of the backlash,” she said. “The drive to detain is so powerful, the drive to detain and punish mostly black and brown people from low-income communities is so strict, that it doesn’t matter how careful…
If Alvin Linton’s landlord gets her way, the ailing 67-year-old will soon be evicted from the northeast Bronx home he’s lived in for nearly 40 years. Situations like Linton’s — where a senior with limited income faces the threat of homelessness — aren’t novel in New York. Recent city data shows the number of senior citizens in homeless…
Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, another opponent of stop and frisk, said that internal police shifts were not convincing evidence Bloomberg had truly had an epiphany, especially given that he kept fighting Scheindlin’s ruling and impeding efforts at policy reform. (Some of Bloomberg’s criticism of Scheindlin was validated by an appeals court that removed her from the case,…
Eli Northrup, policy counsel to the criminal defense practice at Bronx Defenders, said marijuana convictions are keeping people from getting jobs, putting immigrants at risk of deportation and complicating child custody matters. “What people don’t feel is the urgency with this,” Northrup said. “White people, people in power, they don’t feel the effects of the…
Last week, in a culminating vote that took roughly one minute, Travis County Commissioners Court took the next major step toward establishing a public defender office: appointing University of Virginia Law School lecturer Adeola Ogunkeyede as the county’s first chief public defender. According to the official announcement, Ogunkeyede will provide “robust and client-centered representation to adults accused of misdemeanor and felony offenses ……
A comparable scenario took place just recently in the Bronx Sidney Thaxter, a Bronx Defenders lawyer as well as electronic forensics professional, was protecting a customer billed with burglary. Thaxter claimed the Bronx area lawyer’s workplace passed on a bundle of exploration from the NYPD that consisted of the exact same FIS search results page record:…
For wealthier white parents, the practice of smoking cannabis is becoming widely more accepted. But for poor families of color, a positive marijuana toxicology report can have life altering consequences. The New Jane Crow tells the story of two mothers who had neglect cases opened by the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) after their newborns…
A group of New York criminal defense organizations, including The Bronx Defenders, criticized the proposal and said it assumes that judges and prosecutors can predict a person’s behavior. “This will result in injustice for everyone in New York and will certainly end up exacerbating racially disparate outcomes,” they said in a statement. State Assembly Speaker Carl…
A Bronx man who’s been in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for two-and-a-half years may have a new chance at being reunited with his wife and toddler while he and his lawyers fight a deportation order against him. Ousman Darboe, a Fordham Heights resident who turns 26 this week, was pardoned for a third degree…
CONTACT Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, (347) 842-1251, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 7, 2019 NEW YORK- The Bronx Defenders today condemned smears from FOX News host Tucker Carlson and President Donald Trump in their efforts to demean immigrants and advocate against the the passage of the critical federal immigration reform bill, H.R. 5383 –…
The Legal Aid Society of Nassau County, the Legal Aid Society of New York, Brooklyn Defender Services, the Bronx Defenders, the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Innocence Project & Citizen Action of New York issued a joint statement Wednesday that read: “The tragic death of Mr. Maldonado (Rodriguez) is, unequivocally, not the…
A joint statement from Innocence Project, The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, the Bronx Defenders, the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and Citizen Action of New York called the incident an “extremely disturbing” move to exploit Rodriguez’s murder. “These statements by law enforcement are again another attempt to use lies and…
Are you a member of the Bronx community? Are you interested in advocating for laws and policies that will create a more fair, just, and equitable legal system? Do you want to ensure that policy reforms reflect the needs and wants of our community? Then we need you! Join The Bronx Defenders for our 2nd…
“The tragic death of Mr. Maldonado is, unequivocally, not the result of the new discovery laws. It is extremely disturbing that law enforcement officials are exploiting this murder to try to discredit the discovery laws, which after decades of wrongful convictions have finally been amended to match those of the rest of the country. Under…
There are, defense attorneys say, plenty of cases to illustrate the opposite point: folks who have gone home instead of languishing in jail for want of a few hundred bucks, showed up for court, kept their jobs, and gone on with their lives. And yet, nobody with such a story has come forward to share it….
“We know that people who have open cases are always hesitant to share stories with the press for fear that notoriety or attention to their case will somehow prejudice them in their case,” said Scott Levy, chief policy counsel at the Bronx Defenders. “And now those fears are heightened because we see that people who…
Eli Northrup of the Bronx Defenders, one of a small group of advocates who held signs supporting bail reform outside the mayor’s press conference, called it “kind of ridiculous” to argue “that a month of cherry-picked [stats] justifies a rollback of this needed reform.” “The mayor for some reason and the police commissioner seem hell-bent…
BxD is holding its annual Defenders’ Academy, a five-day intensive trial skills program for criminal and family defenders, from March 23-27, 2020. Participants are challenged to combine persuasive advocacy with a mastery of fundamental trial skills.
New York City Council Committee on Justice System Hearing re: The Technology Gap Between Public Defenders and DAs January 29, 2020 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Olivia Scheck, Forensic Practice Group, Criminal Defense Practice Chairman Lanceman, my name is Olivia Scheck, and I am an attorney in the Criminal Defense Practice of The…
“But bail has little effect on the likelihood of defendants returning to court. After the Bronx Defenders bailed out 150 people, 95% of their clients attended every court appearance, and almost 50% of the cases were dismissed entirely. The high return rate fundamentally undermines the supposed purpose of bail — incentivizing defendants to show up to their…
Join The Bronx Defenders (BxD) on February 12, 2020 as we head to Albany and advocate for reforms that create a more fair, just, and equitable legal system.
Bail, initially, was a way to ensure those accused of crimes would show up for their day in court. Over time, it has become a way to keep people contained while they wait for their trial date. “Bail is a mechanism for release,” said Scott Levy, chief policy counsel at the Bronx Defenders. “It’s not…
“Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie’s support for the cashless bail law amid a growing maelstrom may feel like a lonely stance in Albany these days. But on Friday, the speaker got some backing from a coalition of progressive organizations supporting his stance that the new law should not be scaled back. “We applaud Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie for…
“A coalition of 60 criminal justice reform groups are sending an open letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders demanding that they don’t change the state’s newly enacted law limiting the use of cash bail. “Make no mistake,” the letter reads, in part, “retreating from bail reform less than a week after it goes…
“We are seeing elected officials turn back because of fear-mongering,” said Akeem Browder, the brother of Kalief Browder, a Bronx teenager whose long incarceration on Rikers Island and subsequent suicide galvanized the push for reform. “That’s cowardice. It’s atrocious.” Read the full article here
January 1st was a historic day that ushered in pretrial reforms that will make New York fairer and more just. These reforms are a huge step forward towards eliminating the race- and wealth-based detention that has plagued New York for decades. The new laws will dramatically expand pretrial liberty and reduce jail populations and taxpayer…
Bail reform goes into effect in New York. Listen to this special episode to find out what it all means. Featuring Alice Fontier, The Bronx Defender’s Managing Director of the Criminal Defense Practice. Listen to the full podcast here
“Nearly five years ago, Jerome Murdough, an African-American Marine Corps veteran, died on Rikers Island due to a combination of injustice, inhumanity, and medical neglect. Afflicted by homelessness and mental illness, Murdough tragically passed away when temperatures in his cell reached 100 degrees – heat that was contraindicated with his medicine – and he baked…
“Alice Fontier, of the Bronx Defenders, also welcomes the change. “All of the evidence, the data from the years of the cash bail system demonstrates that what happens is that poor people stay in jail and people with money don’t,” Fontier says. As of Dec. 28, 50 to 60 pre-trial detainees were awaiting release on…
New York City Council Committee on Public Safety Re: Int 0487-2018: Creating Comprehensive Reporting and Oversight of NYPD Surveillance Technologies. December 18, 2019 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Alice Fontier, Managing Director, Criminal Defense Practice Over the course of a decade, the New York Police Department has adopted surveillance technologies as a central…
“The City Council has proposed giving parents meaningful access to legal representation during an ACS investigation; like a suspect facing arrest, parents being investigated would have the chance to access legal help. Opponents of the bills claim access will make investigations more “adversarial,” even implying that children will be endangered. The first problem with this narrative is…
“Public defenders and justice advocates are calling on new NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea to abolish a policing tool he’s strongly defended: the department’s gang database. The “Erase the Database” campaign, to be launched Thursday, marks the latest in a yearslong effort to end collection of names and monitoring of the estimated 17,500 to 42,000 New Yorkers believed to be in…
“A new report unveiled today details how much harm both of these operations have reaped on New York’s Black and Brown teenagers. “Gang Takedowns In The De Blasio Era: The Dangers of Precision Policing” details how, through large scale conspiracy cases, how thousands of juveniles and adults were arrested and placed in a secretive gang…
“Equal justice before the law is a cruel myth. In New York’s criminal courts it is better to be guilty and rich than poor and innocent. Under current law, guilty defendants who can afford bail are promptly set free while innocent poor people must sit in jail. This predicament is being remedied by criminal justice…
Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Ivan Bohorquez, Civil Legal Advocate, Civil Action Practice New York City Council Committee on Justice System Hearing Regarding T2019-5492, A Local Law to amend the NYC Charter, in relation to mandating a citywide audit of collateral consequences for drug arrests and convictions December 11, 2019 The Civil Action…
“Advocates and elected officials celebrated upcoming changes to the state’s bail and discovery rules during a rally on the steps of City Hall Tuesday for Human Rights Day… On Jan. 1, laws requiring prosecutors to turn over a wider range of evidence in faster fashion will go into effect, as well as reforms to the…
New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Codes and Standing Committee on Correction Hearing re: Sealing of criminal records and expansion of youthful offender status December 10, 2019 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Eli Northrup, Policy Counsel to the Criminal Defense Practice The sealing of criminal convictions is critical if New York wants…
An interview with The Bronx Defenders Here, Asia Piña and Crystal Baker-Burr, a social worker and an education attorney at The Bronx Defenders, warn parents that some schools may call in reports far more quickly than others. They suggest ways parents can navigate challenges and improve their relationship with their child’s school to avoid unnecessary…
New York City Council Committee on Justice System and Committee on Criminal Justice Oversight Hearing on Implementation and Expansion of RTA December 3, 2019 Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Stacey Kennard, Team Leader and Adolescent Defense Project Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice The Bronx Defenders forms relationships with hundreds of young clients every year. The…
“The city’s top legal defense organizations want state lawmakers and Gov. Cuomo to keep criminal justice reforms at the top of their to-do list as they prepare for next year’s legislative session. The Legal Aid Society, New York County Defender Services, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders and Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem issued a…
New York City Council Committee on Women and Gender Equity Oversight Hearing on the Gender Equity in NYC: Access, Resources, and Support for Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming New Yorkers. November 27, 2019 Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Deborah Lolai, Supervising Attorney of LGBTQ Defense Practice My name is Deborah Lolai and I am the…
This was an incredible year for The Bronx Defenders (BxD). Thanks to individuals like you, we defended over 20,000 Bronx residents with low-incomes in criminal, civil, child welfare, and immigration cases annually. As the year comes to a close, there are many ways to help us make 2020 even more successful. Consider the 6 unique…
“Some advocates who spoke to lawmakers last week rejected the notion that prevention programs were a panacea, and argued that lawmakers should focus instead on improving legal representation for parents. “We have to stop talking about preventive services,” testified Emma Ketteringham, a managing attorney for the legal aid group Bronx Defenders. “I’m not saying that’s…
“As New York City looks toward implementing historic criminal justice reforms, the addition of 500 cops to deal with what is clearly an economic and social justice issue is unnecessary, cruel and counterproductive,” said Scott Levy, Chief Policy Counsel at The Bronx Defenders. “Every day, The Bronx Defenders and other public defenders citywide witness the devastating…
“Two Bronx residents are working to help their own through the nonprofit group The Bronx Defenders. News 12 spoke with Noemi Cotto and Carol Larancuent about their legal advocacy in the community” Watch the full video here
Assembly Standing Committee on Children and Families Assembly Task Force on Women’s Issues November 21, 2019 Hearing on Family Involvement in the Child Welfare and Family Court Systems Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Emma S. Ketteringham, Managing Director, Family Defense Practice Muriel Bell, Policy Advocate, Family Defense Practice Miriam Mack, Policy Counsel, Family…
“The temperature in the city at the time was that the police were at war with Black and brown people on the streets,” Jenn Rolnick-Borchetta, the director of impact litigation at the Bronx Defenders, told the New York Times. “And that is how people experienced it.” Statistics show that Black and Latino people were nine times…
“However, based on recent data, the number of stops multiplied increasingly, in 2011 and ended up reaching more than 600,000 instances. In 2013 it reached 191,851. During his three terms as a mayor of New York City, the number of stops based on the records of the police reached an approximate 5,081,689. According to the…
John sought asylum in the United States after being kidnapped in Nigeria for being bisexual. Upon his arrival, he was detained by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). “I was imprisoned for seven months. I was facing a lot of challenges in there,” says John. Carletta lost everything due to a minor interaction with the legal system….
“Lenora Easter, team leader of the early defense team at the criminal defense practice of The Bronx Defenders, urged the Council to close a loophole that allows officers discretion to not turn on their cameras in exigent circumstances. She also pushed for increasing the “buffering period” on officer cameras – the two types of cameras…
New York City Council Committee on Public Safety Hearing re: Body Worn Cameras November 18, 2019 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Lenora Easter, Team Leader of the Early Defense Team, Criminal Defense Practice BxD expresses our qualified support for Int. No. 1136, which requires the NYPD to track and report important information about…
“After taking office in 2002, Mr. Bloomberg oversaw a dramatic expansion in the use of stop-and-frisk. The number of stops multiplied sevenfold, peaking with 685,724 in 2011 and then tumbling to 191,851 in 2013. During Mr. Bloomberg’s three terms, the police recorded 5,081,689 stops. “The temperature in the city at the time was that the…
“While recent statistics might seem to suggest that VTC has helped tackle the backlog of immigration cases, there are other factors that have likely contributed to the jump in completed cases, according to Sarah Deri Oshiro, managing director of the immigration practice at the Bronx Defenders, which was a plaintiff in the lawsuit over the…
The New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Codes and Standing Committee on Corrections Hearing on Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) and Pre-Trial Services November 14, 2019 Testimony of Kristen Anderson, Senior Criminal Defense Social Worker THE BRONX DEFENDERS I first want to thank the members of the Assembly Standing Committee on Codes and the members…
“If Larry Griffin II’s story typifies a best-case use of facial recognition for law enforcement, Kaitlin Jackson, a public defense attorney with the Bronx Defenders, tells me one that exposes its drawbacks. Jackson represented a man who’d been arrested for the theft of socks from a T.J. Maxx store in February 2018, supposedly after brandishing a…
TESTIMONY OF THE BRONX DEFENDERS FOR THE OFFICE OF CIVIL JUSTICE’S HEARING ON UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO LEGAL SERVICES FOR TENANTS FACING EVICTION November 12, 2019, 6:00 PM Within The Bronx Defenders’ Civil Action Practice, our work focuses on defending tenants from eviction, so we are proud to be one of the legal services providers participating…
“Some former members of the Close Rikers movement such as the Bronx Defenders and VOCAL-NY pulled out because they felt that the plan lacked any real investment in new community-based services such as affordable housing and community-based mental health programs. They also objected to spending money on building institutions that they view as fundamentally harmful.”…
“Justine Olderman has worked her way up at The Bronx Defenders since joining as a staff attorney in 2000. She served as managing attorney of the criminal defense practice – where she oversaw an expansion that more than doubled the practice’s caseload – before becoming the public defender nonprofit’s first managing director. Now as executive…
“Those neighborhoods have been targeted and have suffered in the war on marijuana,” said Eli Northrup, a policy counsel for Bronx Defenders, a non-profit that provides criminal defense from its base in Melrose. “If and when marijuana becomes legal, we need to repair those communities.” “Even small marijuana convictions can prevent people from getting public…
“Alice Fontier, head of criminal defense practice for The Bronx Defenders, said there is concern that law enforcement is seeking to perpetuate high incarceration rates of minorities and maintain the status quo, adding that the tactics being taught to prosecutors are “against the spirit of the law.” “All of these sort of fear-mongering tactics and…
“Despite the fact that a majority of New Yorkers and State elected officials support the new pretrial laws, prosecutors continue to engage in a coordinated strategy to subvert the pretrial reforms before they have even gone into effect by spreading fear and misinformation. The new bail, discovery and speedy trial laws were carefully and deliberately crafted over the course…
“The trio modeled themselves on the Bronx Defenders, a nonprofit firm in New York City that also offered social services to its clients. But it was in defending clients from a predatory patchwork of municipal courts that ArchCity found its mission — and, after the death of Michael Brown brought the news media to its…
“The Bronx Defenders want the Board of Corrections to stop waiting to initiate the rule-making process so New Yorkers can weigh in because it’s a crisis. “Hundreds of people are held in solitary confinement in our city’s jails every year,” read the Bronx Defenders’ statement. “The torturous conditions devastate the people we serve and the…
Joint Statement by New York Advocates and Public Defenders on Trump’s False and Inflammatory Dog-Whistle on People in Pre-Trial Detention (New York, NY) — Today, Citizen Action of New York, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, New York County Defender Services, The Legal Aid Society, and the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund released the following joint…
“A new state law goes into effect in January that will eliminate cash bail for misdemeanors and non-violent felonies. New York City has identified nearly 900 people who are currently behind bars awaiting trial that can apply to have their bail lifted and be freed.” Watch the full video here
“Avery McNeil, the alternatives to incarceration specialist at the Bronx Defenders, a nonprofit legal organization, praised OAR for setting up a pathway that allows people to get addiction treatment without first copping to a crime that could stay on their permanent record regardless of their recovery. “That’s really important for our clients who are facing employment,…
“The Bronx HOPE program is currently reserved for people charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh-degree. Avery McNeil, the alternatives to incarceration specialist at the Bronx Defenders, a nonprofit legal organization, would like to see HOPE expand so that the program reaches more people. “More of our clients being issues DATs…
New York City Council Committee on General Welfare October 31, 2019 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Emma S. Ketteringham, Managing Director, Family Defense Practice Jessica Prince, Policy Counsel, Family Defense Practice Thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of New York City Council’s Child Welfare Package. The stakes could not be…
Defender Organizations Demand an End to Solitary Confinement, Urge NYC Board of Correction to Take Action FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEW YORK — The Bronx Defenders, Neighborhood Defender Service, Brooklyn Defender Services, and New York County Defender Services call on the New York City Board of Correction (DOC) to take action to end the torture of solitary confinement. The Board will…
“New York City’s move to close the notorious prison Rikers Island could be an important step in making sure people suffering from mental illnesses, who make up half of America’s incarcerated population of 2.3 million, aren’t lost in the criminal justice system, according to speakers at an event on the problems of mass incarceration… Roberts…
The New York State Senate Standing Committee on Codes Hearing on Potential Legislative Changes to Section 50-a of the Civil Rights Law October 17, 2019 BxD expresses our strong support for S.3695 (Bailey) / A. 2513 (O’Donnell) to fully repeal New York Civil Right Law Section 50-a. Section 50-a maintains a shroud of secrecy over…
“Dinah Ortiz, a parent advocate supervisor at The Bronx Defenders and a Filter contributor, is concerned that Sesame Street’s focus on the disease model of addiction, and not drug use more generally—which ranges from from abstinence to chaotic and out of control—could add fuel to the fire of child-parent separations that target parents of color. “Sesame Street…
The Police Commissioner supports making such records public as long as disciplinary hearings are completed and wrongdoing is confirmed. “But we also know that the police officers who have a history of compliant continue to police these communities. They continue to patrol these streets. But, the public has been deprived from getting any information about…
Burns moderated a conversation following the preview among Congressman Bobby L. Rush; Novick; Max Kenner, executive director of the Bard Prison Initiative; DeAnna Hoskins, president of advocacy group JustLeadershipUSA; and Wesley Caines, an alum of the initiative and chief of staff at the Bronx Defenders. The conversation ranged from how the film was made, to…
“These elections will decide who implements the new laws, and who lobbies for or against future ones, in some of the state’s most populous upstate jurisdictions, as well as in Queens. “If district attorneys are actively resisting implementing the spirit of the reforms, they can really throw a huge wrench in the process and undermine…
“Beauty allows us to shape our individual stories and find ways to connect to others all at once. With The Top Shelf we discover personal narratives through beauty routines. In The Beauty Politic, Into The Gloss explores how beauty connects communities, and how it informs a sense of self for the people within them. Beauty can be used…
New York City Council Joint Hearing: Committee on Immigration and Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities, and Addiction Re: Oversight- Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Immigrants in NYC October 8th, 2019 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Violeta Rivera, LMSW, Immigration Social Worker Chairs Menchaca and Ayala, my name is Violeta Rivera and I…
“Wes Caines is the Chief of Staff for The Bronx Defenders, a public defender non-profit serving the people of the Bronx, New York. Wes, who recently addressed the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington D.C. on the work of The Bronx Defenders back in September, talks with us a bit about his work at The Bronx…
“Under Raise the Age, older adolescents in New York City have better access to age-appropriate services and programs designed to promote rehabilitation, positive behavior change and successful re-entry into the community all while preserving the safety and security of youth and staff and protecting public safety,” he said. But some advocates worried that the influx…
“Other members are joining the task force armed with legal experience representing trans clients in city jails. Deborah Lolai, a criminal defense attorney and LGBTQ crime specialist with the Bronx Defenders, a public defender nonprofit, will use her role on the task force to advocate for the rights of incarcerated trans folks to be housed…
“Advocated for the new bail reform law say it is going to make it fairer for defendants not yet convicted by letting them out on bail and informing them of the evidence and witnesses against them. But district attorneys and police say the new law could put victims and witnesses at risk. The I-Team’s Jonathan…
Ousman Darboe is a 25-year-old undocumented Muslim immigrant, raised in the Bronx since he was six years old. Unfortunately, his journey lays bare what a school to prison to deportation pipeline looks like. Sophia Gurule, his immigration attorney, walked alongside Darboe through his proceedings and said his experiences had “No empathy, compassion, no sense of…
The Bronx Defenders and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP represent a class of people in R.C. v. The City of New York. This case challenges the NYPD’s use and disclosure of sealed arrest records. This case alleges that the NYPD uses sealed arrest records for internal investigative purposes and shares sealed records externally with…
“As cannabis use is legalized in more and more jurisdictions across the country, child welfare systems aren’t always keeping pace. Allegations of drug use are still raised in family court, particularly against parents of color, and those who admit using cannabis are often subject to heightened surveillance. We are joined today by Miriam Mack and…
“In New York City, much needed-critical attention has been paid to the racial disproportionality and overreach of the city’s child welfare system, the Administration for Children’s Services (“ACS”), and its conflation of poverty with neglect. The vast majority of child protection cases brought in New York City allege child neglect rather than abuse. This article…
“Now courts are bracing for a large number of teens, as even more 17-year-olds than 16-year-olds funnel into State Supreme Courts’ new Youth Part for initial hearings on felony charges as well as Family Court, beginning Oct. 1. “My fear is that once they double the number of people… we are going to see even longer arrest-to-arraignment…
On September 15, 2019, the JCPA Criminal Justice Reform NY Conference convened 225+ people from the diverse Jewish community. The conference sought to engage in a meaningful way to end today’s modern civil rights crisis of mass incarceration. The conference was sponsored by Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), UJA-Federation of New York and JCRC…
“The opening of these new immigration courtrooms, which was effected with hardly any public notice or transparency, is emblematic of this Administration’s practice to speed the deportation of as many immigrants as possible, as quickly as possible,” said a joint statement from The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, and The Bronx Defenders, which represent…
“The New York City Council has pledged $16.6 million to the New York Family Immigrant Unity Project for fiscal year 2020. It’s the highest budget since the program’s inception in 2014, when it became the first free representation program for detained immigrants in the country. It encompasses the Legal Aid Society, the Bronx Defenders and Brooklyn Defenders Services, and…
“The City Council is dedicating $16.6 million of this year’s budget to fund and expand a program that provides free legal council to detained immigrants facing deportation. The New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) is the country’s first public defender system for detained immigrants facing deportation. The funding for the program’s providers — The…
“The City Council is dedicating $16.6 million of this year’s budget to fund and expand the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP), the nation’s first public defender system for detained immigrants facing deportation. The program is designed to provide free legal representation from providers such as The Legal Aid Society, the Bronx Defenders and…
“The problem is particularly troubling in Syracuse, a city with the nation’s highest rate of concentrated poverty among blacks and Hispanics, Hunter said. The rate of driver’s with suspended licenses for unpaid traffic tickets in one poor neighborhood in Syracuse is more than twice the statewide average, according to the Driven by Justice Coalition, a coalition of criminal…
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** September 9, 2019 JOINT STATEMENT FROM NYIFUP LEGAL PROVIDERS ON THE OPENING OF A NEW IMMIGRATION COURT (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, and The Bronx Defenders – New York City’s defender organizations providing free legal representation through the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) to detained immigrants with…
“According to the Driven by Justice Coalition, over 1.6 million suspensions due to traffic debt were issued to New Yorker’s over a 28-month span. Kennedy said the suspensions are not equitable and poor people are punished for being poor. “Driver’s license suspension rates are nearly nine times higher in the ten poorest communities across New…
“The New York City Council announced $16.6 million in funding for the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project for this coming fiscal year. The project received a boost of $5 million compared with last year, which will go toward increasing the project’s reach to provide free legal services to immigrants facing deportation. The Bronx Defenders, Legal Aid Society,…
“City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and Committee on Immigration Chair Carlos Menchaca announced today that the City Council is dedicating $16.6 million of this year’s budget to fund and expand the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP), the nation’s first public defender system for detained immigrants facing deportation. NYIFUP, funded by the City Council,…
“Con esta protesta afuera del edificio de las instalaciones de ICE, en el Bajo Manhattan, el Concejo Municipal confirmó que le dará mas fondos al Proyecto de Unidad de Familias Inmigrantes de Nueva York.” Lee el artículo completo aquí
Concejo Municipal aumenta fondos para proteger a migrantes. Mira el video completo aquí
“Los operativos de los agentes del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) siguen aumentando en todo el país, y la meta es cumplir con el objetivo de la Administración Trump, de arrestar y deportar el mayor número posible de indocumentados. Y a pesar de ser una ‘ciudad santuario’, la Gran Manzana no ha escapado a las acciones de ‘La Migra’, y…
“Ms. D, a mother of two living in the Bronx, smoked cannabis occasionally. She never smoked in front of her children, and her casual use never affected her ability to parent. So when a child protective investigator asked her if she smoked, Ms. D was forthcoming. After all, her children were healthy, happy, and well…
The New York State Senate Standing Committee on Codes Hearing on the Implementation of Pre-Trial Reform September 9, 2019 Testimony of Scott D. Levy, Chief Policy Counsel THE BRONX DEFENDERS This spring, New York passed historic comprehensive discovery reform. BxD applauds the New York State Assembly, Senate, and the Governor — Senator Bailey and Assembly…
“A New York judge has certified a class of individuals who contend the New York City Police Department has unlawfully used information contained in their sealed arrest records when investigating other cases. Justice Alexander M. Tisch of the New York Supreme Court for New York County determined Thursday that clients of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton…
“The effort has generated more than $10,000 in donations from fewer than 100 donors in less than a month, according to Kaminer, 52, who works in IT and lives in Hells Kitchen. The money has been used to free six transgender inmates so far, he said. “All of the discrimination the trans community faces in…
“A case challenging the NYPD’s access to sealed arrests is now a class action lawsuit that could involve millions of people, a judge ruled Thursday. The Bronx Defenders, which filed the suit, said the decision by Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Lyle Frank is a sign the NYPD should reform its rules regarding arrests that were…
Huge Class Certified in Case Against NYPD Sets Up Mass Reforms to Surveillance Databases Decision Means That NYPD will have to turn over information on how it uses millions of sealed arrest records FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 5, 2019 NEW YORK – A judge today certified a class in a lawsuit brought by The Bronx…
The Bronx Defenders strongly supports closing Rikers Island and the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center (“the Boat”). The conditions within these facilities are inhumane and there is no solution but to permanently close them. We, nevertheless, retract our original statement that supported replacing Rikers and the Boat with borough-based jails and have decided that we…
“The Daily Appeal spoke to Alice Fontier, the managing director of the criminal defense practice at The Bronx Defenders. I asked Fontier about how the slowdown has played out in criminal court in the Bronx, one of the most heavily policed counties in the country. Over the last few months, Fontier said, there had been at…
“In this episode, I talk with Asia Piña, who is an Early Defense Social Worker for the Family Defense Practice at Bronx Defenders, in the Bronx, New York. Asia explains how she works with a team of social workers, parent advocates, and attorneys to best defend parents who are being charged with abuse and neglect…
“Critics warn that the NYPD is not only violating privacy rights and civil liberties, but it is also not complying with a state law passed in 1976. The law says that when an investigation “is terminated in a person’s favor or results in a non-criminal violation,” all records are to be “sealed” and genetic material…
Federal agencies and high profile investigations are not the only places where facial recognition software (“FRS”) is being used. State and local law enforcement agencies employ FRS in investigations that range from serious to relatively mundane. FRS has been used to pinpoint suspects in cases as routine as drug sales, petty theft, robbery, and identity theft….
“In November 2018, Claire Mauksch, a lawyer with the public defenders’ organization Bronx Defenders, picked up a felony case that struck her as odd. The previous day, a suspect had been arrested on felony robbery charges for an incident that had taken place two years prior. There was little information in the file to show…
“When a child experiences a mild head injury and a parent seeks medical attention, what happens next in New York City seems to depend on the ZIP code and the color of the parent’s skin. In April, the actress Jenny Mollen, wife of the actor Jason Biggs and resident of Manhattan’s affluent West Village, announced on…
“And all of these players are buffeted simultaneously by external environmental factors: caseloads rise, budgets fall, treatment programs close, spasmodic media pressure ratchets up, options narrow. Sentences may be driven by prosecutors, but they are also influenced by defenders. For example, a recent study makes clear that the Bronx Defenders’ self-consciously “holistic” approach managed to significantly bend…
“The NYPD also claimed that it was exempt from disclosing information about its facial recognition technology because doing so could imperil future investigations. It argued that because the department is only a user—not the creator—of the software, any disclosure would violate state protections of its partner’s trade secrets. Alice Fontier, The Bronx Defenders’s Criminal Defense…
“The courts’ lack of preparedness for the new youth arraignments are on stark display at Bronx Supreme Court. Teens in The Bronx who do make it to arraignment at the youth part are publicly marched in, cuffed or shackled, right through the front doors, THE CITY found. “Any kid that’s walked in during the day…
“Spurred on by these findings, Judge Katzmann’s study group decided to create the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project in 2013, with the goal of creating a pilot program for universal representation that could eventually be expanded to represent every detained immigrant with a hearing at the Varick Street Immigration Court. The City Council funded the pilot…
The Bronx Defenders is a public defender nonprofit that is radically transforming how low-income people in the Bronx are represented in the legal system. Every year, we defend thousands of New Yorkers who come into contact with the criminal legal system, and we are committed to ending mass incarceration crisis in our communities and beyond. …
Our Elizabeth Williams and Robyn Goldberg are interviewed about our Adolescent Defense Project and their work in it defending minors. Watch the full interview starting at 11:45 here
“As public defenders representing more than 20,000 people a year in the criminal legal system, we understand the importance of closing Rikers,” said Justine Olderman, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders. “But closing Rikers will not, by itself, result in a fairer pre-trial system. With support from the New York Women’s Foundation, we are harnessing…
Over the last two decades, our advocates have radically transformed the landscape of public defense: from representing people facing criminal prosecution when we first opened our doors to standing with our clients in family court, in immigration court, in housing court, and beyond. And in the past few years, we have stepped up our demands…
“Holistic Defense is making a tangible difference in the lives of clients and changing the way they perceive the criminal justice system. These were some of the goals in mind when FSA and OPD applied for a funding grant in 2017 to launch the pilot program. The program is one of only a handful in…
Reporter Ashley Tiffaney visits The Bronx Defenders’ Annual Community Block Party in the Melrose section of the Bronx. A day of performances, music, pony rides and more in celebration of how low-income homes are represented in the justice system. See the full video here
“Interdisciplinary legal representation of parents facing child abuse or neglect child welfare cases, whose children entered foster care in New York City, resulted in 118 fewer days in foster care for the children affected. On average, a child who enters out-of-home care will spend 658 days in foster care through 48 months of petition filing…
“Deborah Lolai, a criminal defense attorney and LGBTQ crime specialist with the Bronx Defenders, said during a City Council hearing on May 1 that “the majority of trans women who I represent who have been incarcerated have been in a male facility. Contrary to what has been testified to, they are not there by choice.”…
“The Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society, and Brooklyn Defender Services are also speaking about the conditions at the Bergen County Jail. The organizations provide free legal representation through the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project to detained immigrants with pending cases at the Varick Street Immigration Court. In a joint statement the organizations said…
“Sophia Gurulé said that because they are experiencing their hearings through video, her clients often end up confused. She said she finds herself explaining important aspects of a hearing, such as whether her client was given the right to get out on bond, after the fact. “They’ll say, ‘I don’t even know what happened,’” Gurulé…
“The continued air conditioning issues at the facility, which houses federal immigration detainees for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, have sparked outcry from some attorneys and immigration activists. The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, and the Bronx Defenders, organizations that provide free legal representation through the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, said they have heard multiple…
From the courthouse, into the community, the Bronx Defenders held a big block party on Wednesday. Watch the full video here
“The lawsuit, which in the coming weeks may be ruled a class-action on behalf of potentially tens of thousands of New Yorkers, comes just as a nonprofit research organization releases a 50-state report revealing that in 25 states, police are allowed to access sealed or expunged arrests—and then profile you based on these past allegations that no…
“This week, Roqayah and Kumars are joined by immigration attorney Sophia Gurulé who works for the non-profit legal advocacy group, The Bronx Defenders. Sophia has also participated in the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project in Dilley, Texas for which she helped provide legal services to asylum-seeking women and children. Sophia describes how the Bronx Defenders, which represents over 30,000…
The Bronx Defenders hosted its annual summer block party on Wednesday, July 17 at Melrose and Courtlandt avenues. See full article here
“The criminalization of aid workers stems from the profound dehumanization of immigrants themselves. Sophia E. Gurulé, a staff attorney for the immigration practice of the Bronx Defenders, represents indigent people detained during their deportation proceedings. She tells In These Times that in September of 2018 she witnessed an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attorney refer to a person…
“Temperatures in Hackensack, where the jail is located, reached a high of 87 degrees on Tuesday The unbearable heat is the latest health issue at the jail. Last month, five cases of suspected mumps were reported inside the jail and the New Jersey Department of Health was notified.” Read full article here
“Born and raised in the Bronx, Carmen Piñeiro now works as a community organizer to uplift her community. Her block is the entire Bronx community. Through events from lobby days to block parties at Bronx Defenders she creates lasting change in both legislation and human impact.” Listen to the whole podcast here
“We are deeply concerned that the mumps outbreak at Bergen County Jail has spread and that the quarantine has been extended until the end of the month,” the Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services and The Bronx Defenders said in a joint statement. “Given the jail’s failure to adequately address this public health crisis, we continue…
“Amid deteriorating conditions at Bergen County Jail, we are appalled to learn about the indefinite extension of the mumps quarantine. We continue to be extremely concerned for the health and safety of our clients,” the New York Family Immigrant Unity Project said in a statement. The group provides public defenders to immigrants facing deportation.” Read…
July 10, 2019 ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYIFUP STATEMENT ON CONTINUED AIR CONDITIONING ISSUES AT BERGEN COUNTY JAIL AMID NYC AREA HEAT WAVE (NEW YORK, NY) – The Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society, and Brooklyn Defender Services – New York City’s defender organizations providing free legal representation through the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) to detained immigrants with…
July 8, 2019 ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYIFUP STATEMENT ON REPORTS THAT QUARANTINE FOR MUMPS AT ICE BERGEN COUNTY JAIL HAS BEEN EXTENDED (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, and The Bronx Defenders – New York City’s defender organizations providing free legal representation through the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) to…
“In 2017, 10 percent of children were removed for inadequate housing, a number comparable or exceeding removal rates for physical or sexual abuse respectively. In fact, since 2009, removals based on inadequate housing having been steadily increasing. According to Emma Ketteringham, managing director of the family defense practice at Bronx Defenders in New York, Child Protective Services…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 1, 2019 TULSA – Still She Rises, Tulsa announced today their official transition from its parent organization, the Bronx Defenders, to its new status as an independent nonprofit. Justine Olderman, Executive Director of the Bronx Defenders, and Aisha McWeay, Executive Director of Still She Rises, Tulsa, released the following joint statement: …
“While there’s celebration this Pride Month over how far LGBTQ rights have come, it has been a terrible year nationally for those most marginalized. The Trump administration has attacked health care access for trans folks, refused to protect queer youth, and comfortably rubbed shoulders with dictators who dehumanize LGBTQ people. Under this administration, one of the most urgent…
“Justice watchdogs said the youths at the facility don’t have time to waste in getting access to the full expanse of open space, which before the construction project included a garden and even chickens. Robyn Goldberg of the Bronx Defenders remembers her clients participating in the gardening program at Horizon before renovations began — and…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 18, 2019 CONTACT Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org, (347) 842-1251 Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org (347) 592 -2579 Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service, smccann@ndsny.org, (212) 316-7399 Anne Conroy, Center for Family Representation, aconroy@cfrny.org, (646) 276-5634 NEW YORK – The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem…
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** ON JUNETEENTH, NYC DEFENDERS CALL FOR LEGISLATURE TO DELIVER JUSTICE TO COMMUNITIES IMPACTED BY MARIJUANA LAWS, SAY RECENTLY PROPOSED LEGISLATION FALLS SHORT (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, New York County Defender Services, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, and Neighborhood Defender Service say that recently-introduced legislation would fail to deliver justice to…
“Activists opposed passage of the alternative marijuana bills on Wednesday, calling them half-measures that would not address years of harm to communities of color. A coalition of public defenders including The Legal Aid Society and the Bronx Defenders said in a statement that the decriminalization plan fell “disastrously short.” Read the full article here
“Defendants accused of murder in New York will no longer be able to plead those charges down to manslaughter by saying their actions were the result of an extreme emotional disturbance on discovering that someone is gay or transgender.” Read the full article here
“The Bronx Defenders’ LGBTQ Defense Project is a team of advocates who provide specialized representation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members of the community in legal matters. A man, who identified himself as John, says the project saved his life. He says he escaped from Nigeria and came to the U.S. because he faced…
June 17, 2019 Contact: Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (RHaskins@legal-aid.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (Lupe@effectivemediastrategies.com) Jared Chausow, Brooklyn Defender Services (jchausow@bds.org) Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org) Sam McCann, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (smccann@ndsny.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYC DEFENDERS DEMAND TRUE MARIJUANA JUSTICE, CALL RECENTLY INTRODUCED BILL ‘TOO LITTLE TOO LATE’ (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, New York County Defender…
New York City Council Joint Hearing: Committee on the Justice System and Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities, and Addiction Re: Oversight – Preventing Recidivism for Individuals with Mental Illness and Int 0903 – In relation to funds remaining in inmate accounts when inmates are released June 17, 2019 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Julia Solomons,…
“New York policymakers have failed to hold the NYPD accountable for its numerous transgressions, despite the many horrific instances of police misconduct that have made local and national headlines for years. Even in cases where officers have repeatedly engaged in misconduct, and even while district attorneys keep lists of “bad cops” whose credibility is questionable,…
“On June 11, New York City public defenders released data demonstrating that district attorneys are continuing to prosecute “low-level” marijuana offense cases—even though they have publicly declared that they will discontinue doing so. Nearly 1,200 cases were brought in the first five months of 2019, according to their analysis. A group of collaborating organizations—the Legal…
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYC DEFENDER CASELOAD ANALYSIS: HUNDREDS OF NEW YORKERS ARE STILL BEING TARGETED FOR MARIJUANA POSSESSION (NEW YORK, NY) – The Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society, New York County Defender Services, Brooklyn Defender Services, and Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem released caseload data today showing that despite efforts to scale back policing and prosecution of low-level…
“We don’t just address the case, we look at the client and address all the drivers of their involvement with the legal system and the devastating consequences of that involvement,” says Justine Olderman, our Executive Director. “No matter the entry point we will be there at every point. These systems are super-intertwined.” See BxD featured here
“The three NYIFUP providers in New York City — The Bronx Defenders, the Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn Defender Services — have requested additional funding from the city. They should get it; every additional dollar going to NYIFUP will ensure universal and effective representation for immigrants with a target on their back. Elected officials in…
“’There are a lot of cases where people were arrested or faced prosecution, and they were innocent,’ said Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, from the Bronx Defenders. “We need to protect them, and we need to protect our values that people should be presumed innocent, and they shouldn’t face the consequences [of an allegation], unless it’s been…
“Rosie Russo, MSW, a social worker with the criminal defense practice of the Bronx Defenders, advocates for clients to receive methadone through the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation, which provides healthcare at Rikers. But that doesn’t work for some clients, who get transported upstate where there is no treatment. ‘If we have a client who is…
“Violence comes in all forms, from other people who are incarcerated there to violence at the hands of corrections officers” – Alice Fontier, our Criminal Defense Managing Director. Watch the full video here
The Bronx Defenders often see our low-income clients forced to plead guilty when they cannot afford to pay cash bail. Karume James, our Criminal Defense attorney, shares the difficult decisions they need to make when our criminal legal system cares more about profits than lives. Watch the full video here
Weed. Marijuana. Grass. Pot. Whatever you prefer to call it, America’s relationship with cannabis is a complicated one. The Bronx Defenders invites you to Grass is Greener Film screening and panel discussion. Grass is Greener presents an unparalleled look at the racially biased history of the war on marijuana. As more and more states join…
“The Trump Administration has again brought the border crisis to the New York City area. As a sanctuary city, New York has an obligation to ensure that these individuals have access to robust counsel, and NYIFUP stands ready to provide that representation. We will work with our partners at City Hall during this influx to…
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** May 28, 2019 NYIFUP STATEMENT ON REPORTING THAT OVER 200 INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE ARRESTED CROSSING SOUTHERN BORDER ARE NOW DETAINED AT LOCAL ICE FACILITIES (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, and The Bronx Defenders – New York City’s defender organizations providing free legal representation through the New York Immigrant Family…
May 28, 2019 ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYC DEFENDERS CALL ON ALBANY TO ENACT REVISED MARIJUANA REGULATION AND TAXATION ACT (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, New York County Defender Services, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, and Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem called on New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and Legislature leaders to enact…
Our Fallon Speaker, Family Defense attorney, and Erin Cloud co-wrote an op-ed advocating for rethinking prevention and childcare advocacy. “Change must happen now. We can start by rejecting the notion that maternal “risk” can be predicted by poverty or Child Protective Services data. In both the child protective and criminal legal systems, there is a…
“The court system in these cases is really trying to extract money from these clients. It doesn’t serve any public safety function,” says Scott Levy, our Special Counsel. Read the full article here
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 30, 2019 NEW YORK – A judge ruled today in a putative class action lawsuit filed by The Bronx Defenders and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP that the plain language of New York law prohibits the NYPD from using sealed arrest information in its possession for law enforcement purposes without…
Join us for a day of fun activities at our BxD Annual Block Party. Meet us and let’s celebrate our community together. We’ll have food, beverages, games, music, performances, face painting, pony rides, resource tables with information for the community, and loads of festive activities. The block party will be held on Wednesday, July 17, 2019…
New York City Council Committee on Immigration Jointly with the Committee on Justice System Hearing re: Oversight – ICE out of New York Courts April 10, 2019 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Rosa Cohen-Cruz Good afternoon, my name is Rosa Cohen-Cruz and I am a Padilla Supervisor in the Immigration Practice at The…
New York City Council Committee on General Welfare jointly with the Committee on Hospitals Oversight – Impact of Marijuana Policies on Child Welfare April 10, 2019 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Emma S. Ketteringham, Managing Director, Family Defense Practice Anne Venhuizen, Supervising Attorney, Family Defense Practice Jessica Prince, Attorney, Family Defense Practice My…
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** April 5, 2019 NYC DEFENDERS CALL ON JUDGES, DISTRICT ATTORNEYS TO IMPLEMENT CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORMS IMMEDIATELY INSTEAD OF WAITING UNTIL 2020 (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, New York County Defender Services, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, and Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem released a joint statement today calling…
The Bronx Defenders Applauds Landmark Criminal Justice Reforms Statement of Justine Olderman, Executive Director FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 1, 2019 Contact: Esther Kao, estherk@bronxdefenders.org, (718) 508-3404 (NEW YORK) The Bronx Defenders welcomes the historic passage of a state budget that includes provisions to eliminate cash bail for the vast majority of…
“In whatever form it might take, we orient our future work toward the commitment that data must be used to measure systems, not people.” Rebecca Widom, our Chief Data Scientist, presented at the University of California Irvine’s two-day workshop “Datafication and Community Activism: Redrawing the Boundaries of Research” on how the important work of data…
Testimony Before the New York City Council’s Committee on Immigration Regarding Council Budget March 20, 2019 Good afternoon, my name is Zoe Levine and I am the Legal Director of the Immigration Practice at The Bronx Defenders. I would like to thank the New York City Council for its consistent and generous support of immigration…
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** March 20, 2019 NEW YORK’S IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENDERS CALL ON CITY FOR MORE SUPPORT TO FIGHT INCREASED ICE DETENTION AND DEPORTATION (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, and The Bronx Defenders – New York City’s defender organizations providing free legal representation through the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP)…
The Bronx Defenders, Legal Aid Society, and Brooklyn Defender Services came together in this op-ed to speak against extending preventative detention to accused New Yorkers based on perceptions of “dangerousness,” which could mean an increase in the number of people in pretrial detention as well as sanction further racial discrimination and bias. “We will not…
“There have been at least two dozen clients who, only through checking the portal have we learned that their individual hearings, scheduled mostly for June, have just been unilaterally rescheduled for dates as early as next week, and there has been no notice, no phone call,” says Sarah Deri Oshiro, our Managing Director of the…
The Bronx Defenders, Legal Aid Society, and Brooklyn Defender Services asked City Council for an increased budget in order to represent immigrants facing deportation at Varick Street. “The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services and Bronx Defenders will ask during a budget hearing for $16.6 million for the next fiscal year–an increase of $6.6 million.”…
New York City Council Committee on Justice System Preliminary Budget Hearing March 19, 2019 Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Justine Olderman, Executive Director The Bronx Defenders provides innovative, holistic, and client-centered services to low-income people of the Bronx- these services include criminal defense, family defense, immigration representation, civil legal services, social work support and…
“The failed war on drugs has shown us that we cannot arrest and punish our way out of the opioid crisis. Safe injection sites are a common sense and practical way to meet people where they are, connect them to the services they need, and hopefully prevent deaths.” Avery McNeil, our Alternatives to Incarceration specialist,…
“Even if the police are giving Miranda warnings right after they hit play, it doesn’t mean they haven’t already talked to our clients about the content of the interrogation before that. And that obviously raises questions about whether pre-interrogation conversations with the police undermine the force of the Miranda rights in the first place.” Emily…
“According to immigration attorneys, the DOJ’s decision to unilaterally move up hearing dates fits a pattern and practice by federal authorities set on undermining legal representation for immigrants. They point to a similar set of decisions to implement video conferencing for detainees during hearings last year, which is now the subject of a federal lawsuit….
“NYIFUP demonstrated the importance of publicly-funded deportation defense, raising the level of practice in the court and strengthening both fairness and efficiency. The Vera Institute of Justice evaluated NYIFUP, finding that 48% of immigrants succeeded in their cases, while unrepresented immigrants in the same court were successful only 4% of the time. NYIFUP also produced other benefits…
Crystal Baker-Burr, our Education Attorney, spoke at a City Hall press conference with Organizing For Equity on the school-to-prison pipeline and how students of color are marginalized within the education system. Her speech is transcribed below. Our School Discipline System is Broken At the Bronx Defenders, I work with young people at the end of the…
The Bronx Defenders is part of a coalition with the Fines and Fees Justice Center and National Center for Law and Economic Justice to advocate for the end of suspensions over unpaid traffic fines. Traffic enforcement is disproportionately concentrated in low-income black and Latino neighborhoods, where residents often have difficulty paying tickets. New York is one of at least…
“We can no longer accept a bail system that creates and entrenches wealth and race-based disparities and feeds mass incarceration; a speedy trial law that allows cases to languish without a realistic opportunity to have one’s day in court; or a discovery law that deprives the accused of access to the most basic information about…
“The suit alleges violations of class members’ First Amendment rights to access the courts and Fifth Amendment due process rights as well as violations of provisions of the INA guaranteeing fair hearings and access to counsel during removal proceedings and the Rehabilitation Act, which requires reasonable accommodations for those with disabilities.” Read the full article…
“The advocates, including The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, the Legal Aid Society, the New York Civil Liberties Union and Citizen Action of New York, said in a statement on Monday that they are looking for ‘meaningful bail reform that protects the presumption of innocence and maximizes pretrial liberty.” Read more here
“DA Clark has rightly acknowledged the inevitability of discovery, bail, and speedy trial reform in New York. But acknowledgement of inevitability is not enough. The time for delay and foot-dragging is over,” The Bronx Defenders said in a statement. “Bronx-residents–particularly those from communities of color–have waited long enough for a criminal legal system that respects…
“The whole existence of ACS lets us pretend that we’re protecting children.” Emma Ketteringham, our managing director of the Family Defense Practice, comments on how parents of color living in poverty are more likely to be overpoliced and criminalized just for parenting. Statistics show that parents living in poverty are unfairly scrutinized by the Administration…
New York City Council Committee on Public Safety Jointly with the Committee on Justice System Hearing re: Family Separation in Criminal Cases February 25, 2019 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Fallon Speaker, Eli Northrup, and Caitlin Becker As practitioners, we see firsthand the impact an arrest can have on families, especially when a…
James Anderson, a senior behavioral and social scientist at the RAND Corporation, and one of the authors of “The Effects of Holistic Defense on Criminal Justice Outcomes,” which The Bronx Defenders is featured in, talks about a better method of providing criminal defense services through holistic defense. Hear the full podcast here
On February 12, 2019, seven immigrants, representing a class of all detained immigrants in the New York City area, and the three New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) providers—Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS), The Legal Aid Society (LAS), and The Bronx Defenders (BxD)—filed a federal lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern…
*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE *** Detained Immigrants and New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) Providers Sue U.S. Government over Refusal to Produce Detained Immigrants In-Person for Deportation Hearings Lawsuit Seeks to Restore the Constitutional and Statutory Rights of Hundreds of Detained Immigrants by Ending ICE’s Blanket Use of Video Teleconferencing at Varick Street Immigration Court (NEW…
New York City Council Committee on Public Safety and Committee on Justice System Joint Hearing re: Oversight – Police Discipline February 7, 2019 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Jenn Rolnick Borchetta & Oded Oren Chairman Richards, Chairman Lancman, and members of the Committees, my name is Jenn Rolnick Borchetta and I am Deputy…
“Every aspect of my role from mentoring and fostering interest in public defense careers in students early on to extending offers…to saying goodbye to my colleagues who no longer found this career to be sustainable for them…I am hearing the same question over and over. While I am incredibly committed to supporting my clients and…
February 1, 2019 Dear Mayor de Blasio, We, a diverse group of human service providers, faith-based leaders, and advocates call on the leadership of New York City to immediately adopt a city-wide policy to safeguard children at the time of a parent’s arrest and provide all arresting officers with substantive training to minimize trauma to…
“ICE arrests inside and around New York courthouses increased by 1700 percent between 2016 and 2018, according to a report by the Immigrant Defense Project. Queens and Brooklyn account for the highest number of courthouse ICE arrests in the state, the report reveals.” Read more here.
In New York City, supervised release is an alternative to jail and bail. “It reinforces this notion that people charged with violent offenses are somehow less deserving of the presumption of innocence than others.” Scott Levy, our special counsel, on how excluding certain statutes in supervised release hinder reform. Read more here.
“His murder was in the context of a stop. It was a horrible example of the officers thinking black people pose a threat, even for movements that are innocuous and benign.” Our Deputy Director of Impact Litigation, Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, spoke to New York Magazine’s The City for the anniversary of Amadou Diallo. Read more…
“There’s another way that New Yorkers can push for police accountability–and it involves their elected district attorneys. This form of accountability comes from ‘suppression’ hearings.” Oded Oren, our criminal defense attorney, wrote an op-ed on how New Yorkers can push for police accountability through holding elected district attorneys responsible for their inactions. Suppression hearings held…
“Public defenders have demanded the Department of Correction disable all surveillance cameras filming their first encounters with clients amid an ongoing case over whether the recordings violate the constitutional right to an attorney.” Read more here.
“They claim that there was a gun in the bag. When they tested the bag for fingerprints there were thirteen fingerprints on the bag, none of which matched my clients’. We ultimately won this trial but my client was this close to going to prison. Had we gotten this evidence before, we might have been…
This Article offers the first large-scale, rigorous evaluation of the impact of holistic defense on criminal justice outcomes. In the Bronx, New York City, a holistic defense provider (The Bronx Defenders) and a traditional defender (the Legal Aid Society) operate side-by-side within the same court system, with case assignment determined quasi-randomly based on court shift…
“People say, ‘Take my liberty but I want to keep my children,” says Emma Ketteringham, our Managing Director of the Family Defense Practice. Legal counsel is critical for parents undergoing investigation or in family court, especially when a child is at stake. Stella B. said she never had the opportunity to be properly investigated because…
***Joint Statement*** New York, NY – Today, a broad cross-section of criminal justice advocates and legal service providers issued the following joint statement condemning comments made by Mayor de Blasio on bail and parole reform during a media availability with the NYPD on Thursday, January 3rd. The letter states: We are appalled by New…
“There needs to be automatic expungement of criminal records because the racial disparity will continue to haunt people.” Eli Northrup, our Associate Special Counsel to Criminal Defense, talks about how it’s imperative to be intentional about equity for minorities as marijuana legalization becomes likely in 2019. Simply making it legal to possess and smoke marijuana…
Our Emma Ketteringham and Erin Cloud spoke to The New York Times on how pregnant women with a history of drug use are mistreated, abused and criminalized for larger structural issues. “According to National Advocates for Pregnant Women, an advocacy and legal group, in just about every state, expectant mothers with a history or suspicion…
The New York Giants visited The Bronx Defenders’ office to discuss everything from mass incarceration to what sports’ role is in working toward justice. “We are well aware that there is a strong history of social activism in sports, but I will say as public defenders, this is the first time that we have seen…
“There are some excellent 18-B attorneys and there are some people who aren’t as committed to handling their clients as they should be,” says Alice Fontier, Managing Director of the Criminal Defense Practice. “The Bronx sees an average of about 100 homicide cases annually. Fontier said that defense providers such as The Bronx Defenders can bring more…
Our Mary Anne Mendenhall and her client Tina have a conversation on Audible’s “New Family Values” podcast. Hear them in Chapter 7: Protecting the Child, here.
It has been five months since Immigration and Customs Enforcement has transported any immigrants to appear in person at the Varick Street immigration courts. This is taking a toll on our clients, their ability to fight their cases, and their right to due process. Our Sarah Deri Oshiro explains how some immigrants appear before a…
“While indigent defense is chronically underfunded, hard-working public defenders stand shoulder to shoulder with their clients every day in the fight for justice. Rather than see defender as contributing to a system of racism and oppression, we should look to defenders as a critical part of the new future Mr. Mill calls on us to…
Alice Fontier, managing director of the Criminal Defense practice, welcomed the DA’s decision to not ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Suazo case in hopes of changing the law so that all defendants accused of class B misdemeanors, not just immigrants, can get jury trials. She said citizens also face harsh punishments if…
In any given day, 16,000 New Yorkers are held in on bail because they cannot afford the price of their freedom. We are proud to stand with a coalition of 136 advocate groups calling for meaningful, comprehensive, and true bail reform. We must no longer accept a bail system that creates and reinforces wealth- and…
“If the District Attorney’s office believes every gun possession case is ‘extraordinary,’ they misunderstand the nature of Raise the Age. A blanket position that every firearm possession amounts to ‘extraordinary circumstances’ would be an attempt to get around the intent of Raise the Age and to continue using the adult criminal justice system against children.”…
Scott Levy, Special counsel of the Criminal Defense Practice, presented testimony at City Council Oversight Hearing: Why Does the City Make It So Hard to Post Bail? Written Comments of The Bronx Defenders New York City Council Committee on Criminal Justice & Committee on Justice System Oversight Hearing: Why Does the City Make It So Hard to…
Between Oct 2016-May 2018, ACS reported a 30% increase in “emergency removals,” removing a child before the case has appeared before a judge. Our Managing Director of the Family Defense Practice Emma Ketteringham testified before the New York City Council on the impact of this alarming trend. “Parent advocates like Coles and Emma Ketteringham of the legal…
New York City Council Justice System Committee New York City Council, General Welfare Hearing on Family Separation in New York City November 27, 2018 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders, By Emma Ketteringham Our Family Defense Practice has been in place since 2005 and represents parents in child protection and all of the related Family…
The New York Court of Appeals has ruled that immigrants are entitled to a jury trial, even when they’re accused of misdemeanors that carry sentences of six months or less. This is a groundbreaking decision that will provide people a meaningful day in court to fight charges that could lead to deportation. “Jury trials are…
“What lead me to work with the marginalized community is my own personal experience of having child welfare in my life. In the beginning of 1999, I had that infamous knock on the door in the middle of the night that we [parents] fear so much.” Our Dinah Ortiz-Adames, parent advocate, talks about about how…
“Due process requires that the government give you a hearing within a few days of seizing your car,” says Niji Jain, Impact Litigation attorney at The Bronx Defenders. “And if that’s what’s required for when your car is seized, then due process certainly requires at least the same promptness when a person is themselves locked…
On November 15, 2018, The Bronx Defenders, Cardozo Law Immigration Justice Clinic, and New York Civil Liberties Union filed a putative class action lawsuit against the U.S. government — including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The suit challenges the unconstitutional practice of jailing immigrant New Yorkers for months…
Cardozo Law Immigration Justice Clinic, The New York Civil Liberties Union, and The Bronx Defenders file suit challenging detention of immigrants without prompt access to judges *** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE *** New York, N.Y. — Cardozo Law Immigration Justice Clinic, The New York Civil Liberties Union, and The Bronx Defenders filed a putative class action lawsuit…
Immigrants who are detained by ICE in New York are forced to languish behind bars for weeks and months, waiting for their first appearance before a judge. The Bronx Defenders, Cardozo School of Law, and New York Civil Liberties Union – NYCLU have filed a lawsuit against ICE and the Department of Justice challenging these egregious delays in…
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, New York County Defender Services, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders and Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem issued a joint letter following the midterm elections to New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York State Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie…
A new study released today by RAND and the University of Pennsylvania Law School finds that The Bronx Defenders’ unique model of holistic defense significantly reduces incarceration rates, sentence length, and pre-trial detention, saving taxpayer dollars, without harming public safety. In total, the study estimates that The Bronx Defenders has saved its clients 1.1 million…
New York witnessed a historic election, and it is time for it to yield historic change. We joined with our fellow New York City defender offices to call upon political leaders in Albany to pass urgent and critical criminal justice reform. In a joint letter, we joined with The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service…
“I believe voting is a right. I recognize that there’s a perpetual punishment system that exists. And for me, voting is fundamental to attacking that and addressing that and dismantling that.” Our Wesley Caines, Re-Entry and Community Outreach Coordinator, on voting while out on parole. Read more here
“Pay disparity in public defense disproportionately affects aspiring defenders from the communities that we serve…As we are all aware, low-income Black, Latinx, and Indigenous people are overwhelmingly overrepresented in the court systems as defendants, and incredibly underrepresented as defenders. ” Our Shannon Cumberbatch, Director of Hiring and Diversity, testified before the New York City Council on…
“Families and lawyers and their community are here. And the separation from those resources is critical to enabling detainees to actually win their cases and remain permanently in the United States or obtain release on bond,” says Ryan Brewer, our Supervising Attorney for Immigration. Read the entire transcript here
“When you are powerless in a system that is tearing your family apart, you hold on to any little ray of hope. My hope and strength came from my boys and the deep and instinctual knowledge that I, as their mother, could not and would not allow strangers to obliterate the years of nurture and…
New York City Council Committee on Justice System Oversight Hearing on Cost of Justice September 27, 2018 Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Dawit Getachew Chairman Lancman and members of the Committee, my name is Dawit Getachew, and I am a criminal defense attorney and Associate Special Counsel at The Bronx Defenders. I am grateful…
“I frequently recall one child who was asked to draw himself as a superhero. I asked him what his power would be. ‘When I grow up, my superpower is going to be to keep families together,’ he said. ‘So no kid has to go through what I am going through right now.’” As an attorney…
Our lawsuit against the NYPD states that the department is routinely accessing the sealed records of thousands of people and targeting people of color with low-level charges. Under New York’s sealing statutes, arrest records on file with the NYPD that do not result in criminal convictions must be sealed and not disclosed to anyone….
This Monday, the first of five public forums was held to inform new legislation being drafted by Governor Cuomo’s marijuana legalization work group. The goal is to introduce a bill for state lawmakers to consider in the upcoming legislative session. Our Criminal Defense Practice Attorney Eli Northrup attended that forum. “Law enforcement needs to be prevented from using…
The Bronx Defenders strongly oppose the NYPD’s claim that they have the right to use information from sealed cases to conduct investigations. Keeping files on individuals with sealed cases has serious ramifications for millions. Our deputy director of impact litigation, Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, says “Half of all NYPD arrests do not result in criminal convictions, yet…
*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE *** SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 CONTACT Jared Chausow, Brooklyn Defender Services, (650) 814-0565, jchausow@bds.org Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society, 929-441-2384, rhaskins@legal-aid.org Anna Kim, The Bronx Defenders, 646-504-2977, annakim@bronxdefenders.org New York, N.Y — Attorneys from Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, and Legal Aid Society – New York City’s public defender organizations providing…
Sept. 6, 2018 – (New York, NY) Today, Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise announced a plan to exit a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to provide immigration detention in the county jail. Brooklyn Defender Services and Bronx Defenders released the following statement in opposition to this plan: “As attorneys representing detained immigrants…
New York City Council Committee on Criminal Justice, Committee on Justice System & Committee on Women Joint Oversight Hearing on Sexual Abuse and Harassment in City Jails September 6, 2018 Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Deborah Lolai Good morning, Chair Lancman, Chair Powers, Chair Rosenthal and committee members. My name is Deborah Lolai and…
Settlement will ensure Bronx Courts uphold people’s constitutional rights to due process and speedy trials. ** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ** CONTACT: Anna Kim (annakim@bronxdefenders.org) 646-504-2977 AUGUST 9, 2018 NEW YORK, N.Y. — The Bronx Defenders, Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP, and Morrison & Foerster, LLP announced a settlement with the defendants in Trowbridge v….
“‘Families Belong Together’ has become the battle cry of those denouncing the Trump administration’s now-ended — but not yet rectified — policy of forcibly separating children from their parents at the border. But the truth is that, in my 10 years of experience defending people from deportation, the tactic of separating families is nothing new….
Three years ago, New York City banned solitary confinement for youth under 22. Despite these rules, eight young people are being held in solitary confinement, having been transferred upstate to a correctional facility in Albany County. Shortly after BxD client Steven Espinal, 19, arrived in the Albany County Correctional Facility, he was kicked so badly…
What does a young man persecuted in Nigeria for being gay, a Dominican woman on her honeymoon, and a South Korean pastor have in common? They all are undocumented immigrants living in New York. Every day, we hear the stories of New Yorkers who are grappling with the fear and consequences of immigration enforcement. The…
For many asylum seekers in New York, Trump’s immigration policies take away their futures in the US and force them back into dangerous situations. In this collaboration between New York Magazine and The Marshall Project, undocumented immigrants share their experiences with both tragedy and resilience under this administration. Attorneys from The Bronx Defenders helped contribute…
In 2017, the Bronx had more than 30% of all child removals in NYC and double the amount of emergency removals — which refers to removing children without court order, the most extreme choice a child protective agency can make — than the next highest borough. “We represent parents who are being charged with being…
Court Orders NYPD to Electronically Record All Citizen Encounters Order Calls for Pilot Program to Study Effectiveness of Documenting All Encounters Anna Kim, The Bronx Defenders, 646-504-2977, annakim@bronxdefenders.org Jen Nessel, CCR, 212-614-6449, jnessel@ccrjustice.org David Jacobs, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, 212-965-2255, djacobs@naacpldf.org July 17, 2018, New York —Today, a federal court ordered the NYPD to begin recording all…
Judge orders NYPD to enact pilot program on low-level stops By Brendan Cheney A federal judge overseeing stop-and-frisk-related cases has ordered the New York Police Department to conduct a pilot program to record lower-level encounters that don’t rise to a full police stop. The plaintiffs in the case, community advocates, and a facilitator appointed by…
“[Emergency removals] are the most traumatic for children,” says Emma Ketteringham, Managing Director of our Family Defense Practice. “They’re often done in the middle of the night, without preparation. You find out five minutes before that your child is going to be removed.” Administration for Children’s Services data shows a sharp increase in what are…
A court had ordered NYPD to begin documenting low-level investigative police-citizen encounters as part of a pilot program. We cannot ensure stop and frisk ends without turning a spotlight on NYPD activity that has long been in the darkness. “Very often, officers are responding to instances where things are not so clear,” said Jenn Rolnick…
JOINT STATEMENT FROM NAACP, LAS AND NYCLU ON NYPD’S OBJECTIONS TO STOP-AND-FRISK REFORMS The NYPD opposed many community-based recommendations for stop-and-frisk reform, arguing that they should not be ordered to implement any of them. This reform–the Joint Remedial Process–collected input from thousands of people from communities impacted by the NYPD’s practices, involving 64 focus groups…
When Miguel Almonte was finally released from ICE detention and had emergency surgery to remove his gallstones, his doctor told him he was lucky to be alive. “If I would have stayed a little longer there, I don’t know what would have happened.” Miguel Almonte technically never lost his green card, was on disability, and…
Erin Cloud, the supervising attorney for our Family Defense Practice, shares her talk from the Woodhull Sexual Freedom Summit about how the womb to fostercare pipeline separates babies from their mothers. The womb to fostercare pipeline makes it more likely for low-income, women of color to lose their children at childbirth due to prior involvement…
Every day, The Bronx Defenders represents people who are veterans, active service members, or interested in future military service. The Bronx is home to approximately 40,000 veterans, who often face unique challenges in all aspects of the justice system, whether in Criminal Court, Family Court, Housing Court, or in administrative proceedings. Many our clients come…
The Bronx Defenders recently joined the National Association for Public Defense. Our Executive Director, Justine Olderman, speaks with the NAPD on The Bronx Defenders’ holistic defense model, passionate staff, and working closely with the Bronx community. “One of the pillars of our model of holistic defense is ‘a deep connection to and understanding of the…
Wesley Caines, The Bronx Defenders’ re-entry and community outreach coordinator, spoke with the New York Times about the challenges in making sure people know about, and take advantage, of the new sealing law. A recent law in New York, which went into effect in October, allows people who have been convicted over 10 years ago…
Luis Mancheno, our immigration attorney, speaks with NY1Noticias on ICE replacing in-person court appearances with video conferences, abolishing ICE, and the new standby guardianship law. “Nosotros como defensores publicos queremos que se ponga un pare a esta agencia (ICE) y que se determine una mejor forma de mantener nuestras leyes de migracion en los Estados…
Dinah Ortiz-Adames is the Senior Parent Advocate at The Bronx Defenders, an activist and advocate, and a mother who has been through the separation from her children due to child welfare authorities. In an interview with Socialist Worker, she emphasizes how her past is now passion for her clients who are going through the same…
“Immigration detention, or caging parents and families is not the solution. The question for Americans is, is it fair to make people fleeing terrible violence choose between death and jail?” Our immigration attorney Luis Mancheno sits down with CBS News to speak about the crisis at the border and why family detention and family separation…
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** JOINT STATEMENT FROM NYIFUP LEGAL PROVIDERS ON ICE’S REFUSAL TO BRING PEOPLE TO IMMIGRATION COURT FOR HEARINGS DENYING IN-PERSON APPEARANCES WILL IMPACT DUE PROCESS, ACCESS TO COUNSEL, AND EXACERBATE SEPARATION FROM FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES Andrea Nieves, Brooklyn Defender Services, 718-483-1312, anieves@bds.org Anna Kim, The Bronx Defenders, 646-504-2977, annakim@bronxdefenders.org Redmond Haskins, The…
“The fact that someone is not physically in the courtroom really hinders a lot of the less tangible aspects of our successful representation. A judge is less able to assess a person’s credibility if they are not sitting in the room.” Sarah Deri Oshiro, Managing Director of our Immigration Practice illustrates the harmful repercussions of ICE’s refusal…
“Samuel is the father of four US-born children whose favorite place for family outings was Applebee’s. He was also a green card-holder who was facing deportation. He had come to the United States in his teens fleeing from gang violence and a life marked by severe neglect, parental abandonment, and chronic community violence. After a…
Jenny Semmel, Supervising Mental Health Attorney in our Criminal Defense Practice speaks with The Appeal about how people with mental illness can spend years trapped in the justice system because they have been found “unfit for trial” and must undergo a competency evaluation to be deemed “competent” for trial. New York’s Article 730 directly links the amount…
It’s time for The Bronx Defenders’ Annual Community Block Party! Join us for a day of music, dance, free food, pony rides, carnival games, health & legal info, voter registration, community advocacy groups, and much more. When: July 11th, 12pm – 4pm Where: 160th Street between Melrose & Courtlandt Ave *Admission is FREE* We can’t…
“It’s not really clear what they’re trying to accomplish with this policy—either marijuana should be something that brings people through the criminal process, or it shouldn’t be.” Mayor Bill de Blasio’s new marijuana arrest policy will issue a criminal court summonses—$100 for a first offense—to those caught smoking marijuana, rather than making a misdemeanor arrest….
ICE employs an arsenal of ruses to trap immigrants every day, which often includes pretending to be local law enforcement. Our clients have shared stories of ICE officers yelling “police” as they knock on their doors, lying that family members may have been victims of a crime, or even pretending to be looking for someone…
In this era of big data, law enforcement agencies have tools to conduct mass surveillance and collect an enormous amount of information about the public in daily investigative activities. Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, Deputy Director of our Impact Litigation Practice, describes in this Boston University Law Review article how sealing laws can be used to protect…
In response to Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ announcement of a policy to tighten restrictions on people seeking asylum from domestic battery and gang violence, our immigration attorney Luis Mancheno notes that the reach of this unilateral and unchecked decision cannot be understated. “In his decision today, the Attorney General has singularly precluded victims of horrific forms of violence…
“Seeking asylum is not a privilege, it’s a right. Every single human being in the world has that right. People think it’s a gift. It’s not. It’s an obligation.” In a powerful documentary by CBS News, our immigration attorney Luis Mancheno sheds light on the arduous process he and other asylum seekers have faced in…
Organizations that successfully challenged stop and frisk request reforms based on three years of community input CONTACT Anna Kim, The Bronx Defenders, 646-504-2977, annakim@bronxdefenders.org Jen Nessel, CCR, 212-614-6449, jnessel@ccrjustice.org David Jacobs, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, 212-965-2255, djacobs@naacpldf.org Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society, 929-441-2384, rhaskins@legal-aid.org Naomi Dann, New York Civil Liberties Union, 212-607-3372, ndann@nyclu.org June…
There has been a 1,200% increase of ICE enforcement in our courthouses from 2016 to 2017, having a chilling effect on the ability of people to seek justice in our courts. In order to ensure that all New Yorkers have the right to seek justice and enjoy the protections of our judicial system, advocates gathered…
A carveout under NYC’s administration excludes immigrants with certain criminal convictions from receiving city-funded immigrant legal services, including representation in deportation proceedings. As a public defender office and provider of universal defense for immigrants in removal proceedings, we are guided by a fundamental belief in due process and liberty not for some, but for all….
“If we do what we’ve always done — over criminalizing, over incarcerating, carving people into those who are worthy of our compassion and those who are not, those who are worthy of treatment and those who are not — we are going to repeat the mistakes of the past. What is clear is that we…
In order to truly protect immigrant New Yorkers from ICE and keep our families and communities whole, we must recognize how deeply intertwined all of the various justice systems are. Justine Olderman, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders along with Tina Luongo, Attorney-in-charge of the Criminal Practice at The Legal Aid Society and Lisa Schreibersdorf,…
“Termination of parental rights is a mechanism by which families are turned into strangers, all contact and personal identity is erased, and families are destroyed forever.” In states across the country, including Arizona and Kentucky, legislation is being passed that would make it easier to terminate the rights of mothers who use controlled substances while…
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** Wednesday, May 16, 2018 CONTACT: NAACP Legal Defense Fund: David Jacobs, DJacobs@naacpldf.org, 212-965-2255 Bronx Defenders: Anna Kim, annakim@bronxdefenders.org, 718-838-7890 Center for Constitutional Rights: Jen Nessel, jnessel@ccrjustice.org, 212-614-6449 Legal Aid Society: Redmond Haskins, rhaskins@legal-aid.org, 929-441-2384 WASHINGTON – Today, a court-appointed facilitator, Ariel Belen, issued a report on community-generated reforms to New York City…
“The NYPD initially denied a 2014 public records request from the Bronx Defenders for detailed records on seized assets. The group sued the department in 2016 under the New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). As part of the lawsuit settlement filed in state court Monday, the NYPD is agreeing to give records for one…
No matter what reforms have been implemented or heralded, the racial disparities in marijuana arrests have persisted. Though black and white people use marijuana at roughly the same rate, black people were arrested on low-level marijuana charges at eight times the rate of white people across New York City over the past three years. Hispanic…
*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE *** MAY 14, 2018 CONTACT: media@bronxdefenders.org; 718-838-7890 The Bronx Defenders and Davis Wright Tremaine LLP secured a settlement today that requires the NYPD to turn over detailed information — for the first time — about the millions of dollars of property it seizes during arrests. The NYPD has never provided a…
Lauren Migliaccio, attorney in our Immigration Practice, sits down with Telemundo to shed light on ICE’s use of call-in letters as a way to trap immigrants and how this practice has devastating repercussions for our clients and their families. Watch the interview here.
“You find examples like this in every corner of the criminal justice system. Nothing ever works quite the right way.” Scott Levy, Special Counsel to the Criminal Defense Practice, speaks with The New York Times about the lack of accessible ATMs in the Bronx courthouses. Read the piece here.
Sarah Deri Oshiro, Managing Director of the Immigration Practice, and immigration attorney Lauren Migliaccio speak with The Intercept on ICE’s recent adoption of call-in letters as a way to trap immigrants. We have witnessed firsthand how ICE is further exploiting the deep fear felt in immigrant communities by sending letters to people after they have…
The Bronx Defenders filed a lawsuit against the City of New York and the NYPD for illegally using and sharing information from sealed arrest records in defiance of long-standing privacy laws. The class action was announced in a press release and covered by the publications: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New…
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** CONTACT media@bronxdefenders.org; 718-838-7890 BRONX, N.Y. — Three New Yorkers represented by The Bronx Defenders and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP filed a class action today against the City of New York and the NYPD for illegally using and sharing information from sealed arrest records in defiance of long-standing privacy laws. The…
“The reality is that when a problem has a white face, the government and law enforcement agencies are more likely to react sensibly to that problem. As white people make money from marijuana, black people languish in jail for smoking it.” The Bronx has one of the country’s highest rates of marijuana arrests. Every day,…
“There was no psychological divider between the communities the organization was serving and the people who worked for the institution. And everything I discovered about The Bronx Defenders was consistent with that messaging to clients—we are here for you and with you.” Justine Olderman, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders speaks with her Alma Mater,…
“I’ve seen too many black mothers separated from their babies at birth. What’s even more concerning is that these calls largely revolve around issues of economic insecurity, such as lack of food and stable housing, rather than abuse.” Mandated reporting by health providers can disrupt the health and well being of black families, ultimately causing…
“Most people think we won the stop-and-frisk case in 2013, when a federal court ruled the New York City Police Department’s use of the practice was unconstitutional. But ultimate victory depends on whether we reform the police practices that drove unlawful stops and arrests.” Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, Deputy Director of our Impact Litigation Practice, along…
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** APRIL 9, 2018 (BRONX, N.Y.) – The Bronx Defenders and The Legal Aid Society issued the following joint statement this afternoon after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested and detained a client of The Legal Aid Society once his criminal case was dismissed, prompting a walkout and protest by public defenders of…
NEW YORK, N.Y. — The Bronx Defenders Civil Action Practice filed an amicus brief on behalf of itself and six amici curiae including the Community Service Society of New York, Legal Action Center, Neighborhood Defender Services of Harlem, Youth Represent, Urban Justice Center Mental Health Project, and Brooklyn Defender Services in the 2nd Circuit Court…
“The time for meaningful reform has come. Impacted communities and the greater public – your constituents – now recognize the profound injustices that Albany has permitted to exist for decades, while other states have taken action to fix the problems. We need genuine change, and we need it this year.” The Bronx Defenders joined with…
The Bronx Defenders are proud to announce today that Candice Carnage, an experienced executive with over 20 years of non-profit experience, will serve as the organization’s new Chief Operating Officer. Carnage is a versatile, high-energy executive who leads organizations through change and challenge to support their mission. She is a hands-on leader with an extensive…
Join us Friday, June 22nd for our Annual Celebration of Families! The American Bar Association designated June as National Reunification Month to celebrate the accomplishments of parents in getting their children home. To commemorate this special month and the importance it holds for our clients who are parents, The Bronx Defenders hosts an Annual Celebration of Families event each…
“When we listen to reporting in the media that tends to be pro-removal of children, parents are bad, black mothers are bad…you’re reading that more than you think. Pay attention and listen to it, and recognize the historical origins of that in this country. The quickness with which white women have told black and brown…
NEW YORK, N.Y. — The Bronx Defenders, The Center for Constitutional Rights, The NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund Inc., and The New York Civil Liberties Union filed an amicus brief in the New York State Court of Appeals in The People v. Nicholas Hill (APL-2017-00182). In the case, a split First Department panel ruled…
“What we’re trying to do is redefine public defense and in doing so, transform the way that people are treated in our justice system…we go wherever the client goes and we defend that client by whatever means necessary.” Justine Olderman, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders sits down with BronxNet Community Television’s “Today’s Verdict” with…
“As a public defender, I have seen innocent people’s lives devastated by charges resulting from lies by police…But police do not go straight from the street to the witness stand.” In this USA Today op-ed, Supervising Criminal Defense attorney Michael Bloch calls for prosecutors, the gatekeepers who usher police through the criminal justice system, to…
“Simply put, Spanish-speaking Americans rarely receive their constitutional right to a fair and speedy trial. ‘If we’re trying to have a fair justice system, then we need to make the justice system accessible to the constituents and make it reflect the community,’ Morales says.” In this interview with Quartz, Jodi Morales-Vargas, an attorney in our…
Sarah Deri Oshiro, managing director of our Immigration Practice speaks with NY1 Noticias about the urgent need for ICE to stop targeting New Yorkers who are seeking due process and for the New York State court system to prohibit ICE from entering our courthouses. Watch the interview here.
“The settlement has far-reaching reforms that will require the NYPD and the Bronx DA to make significant changes to the way they handle these processes. When someone is arrested, they’re supposed to get a voucher indicating what property has been taken. That wasn’t happening on a regular basis, and now as part of this settlement,…
“The proposed change is ill-informed, overly bureaucratic, and further punishes and stigmatizes low-income children, young people, and families who rely on this crucial nutrition assistance. Working with thousands in the Bronx community every year, we know how difficult it already is to qualify for and maintain SNAP benefits, due to highly restrictive eligibility requirements. These…
“The New York City government has reached a settlement with plaintiffs attorneys in a suit challenging the police department’s retention of seized cash and property in criminal cases in which the city has agreed to implement a set of reforms.” The New York Law Journal covers our recent settlement in Encarnacion v. City of New…
“This dysfunctional and unconstitutional practice disproportionately harms the low-income communities that are targeted by broken windows policing and least able to afford these costly consequences.” Niji Jain, an attorney in our Impact Litigation Practice discusses how our settlement in Encarnacion v. City of New York will ensure that New Yorkers who have been arrested will no longer…
Niji Jain, our Impact Litigation Attorney, on The Bronx Defenders’ settlement of a federal lawsuit claiming the NYPD unconstitutionally keeps money and other property long after a case is resolved. The lawsuit was initially filed to challenge the NYPD’s unconstitutional retention of property after a case is closed. The terms of this settlement, however, extend…
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** Reforms will remove often insurmountable barriers for New Yorkers seeking return of their property BRONX, N.Y. – As the result of a settlement approved today, New York City will implement a series of reforms to ensure that the NYPD ceases its unconstitutional practice of indefinitely holding personal property from the hundreds of thousands of…
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** BRONX DEFENDERS, LEGAL AID JOINT STATEMENT ON BRONX ICE COURTHOUSE ARREST BRONX, NY –The Bronx Defenders and The Legal Aid Society issued the following joint statement this afternoon after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a Legal Aid Society client outside of Bronx Criminal Court which prompted the subsequent walkout and protest…
On May 16, 2018, The Bronx Defenders is hosting a community forum about commonplace forms of police brutality, including physical violence, harassment, and abuse. We want to hear directly from New Yorkers who have experienced or witnessed these problems in their communities. WHEN: 5:30PM – 8:00PM, Wednesday, May 16, 2018 WHERE: 360 161st St, Bronx, New York The event…
“Our entire model is designed around the intersection of people’s involvement in various justice systems. Let’s say you were held in on bail. What are the implications in terms of your housing, your employment, your custody of your children, your immigration status? We do all of it. We follow the client wherever the client goes.”…
“We know that these [marijuana] arrests are really harmful and destructive to our clients, their families and their communities,” said Scott Levy, Special Counsel to BxD’s Criminal Defense Practice, noting that most of his clients are black and Latino males. “A single arrest for this can disrupt a job, a living situation, child care arrangements….
On January 25, the White House released its Framework on Immigration Reform & Border Security. The Bronx Defenders’ Managing Director of Immigration, Sarah Deri Oshiro, responded with the following statement: “The immigration proposal put forth by the Administration offers questionable relief for Dreamers in return for draconian policies that will harm immigrant communities. Problematic aspects of…
“Holistic lawyers and social workers don’t intimidate child witnesses, but work collaboratively with parents to strengthen and stabilize their families. They help inform the child welfare investigative process, not impede it.” Emma Ketteringham, Managing Director of the Family Defense Practice, wrote a joint letter to the editor of The Daily Record responding to Monroe County’s…
“There’s no way justice is going to be served at sentencing because the only justice is for him to be granted a new trial.” Karen Smolar, BxD’s Trial Chief speaks with The New York Daily News about her client Gregory (Grego) Ferguson, who will finally be sentenced after almost 7 years on Rikers Island. Read…
“The end of DACA and TPS violates the trust that about one million people placed in our Government and principles of fundamental fairness. TPS and DACA holders have lived, many of them with legal authorization, in our country for decades, some of them since they were months old. They have opened businesses, paid taxes, formed…
“I’m 74. I want to live in peace in my place.” Aida Reyes is a client of The Bronx Defenders who is being threatened with eviction by NYCHA. Ms. Reyes moved in with her mother in 2011 to take care of her and after she passed away, Aida was told by NYCHA she needed to…
“Children harmed by their parents should of course be protected. But any proposed approach to the opioid crisis that defaults to sending children to foster care once the specter of drug use is raised, and that excludes their parents, is deeply flawed.” Emma Ketteringham, Managing Director of BxD’s Family Defense Practice, responds to an editorial…
The New York Law Journal covers The Bronx Defenders’ exciting announcement that Justine Olderman, an experienced attorney with 17 years at the organization and a leader in the field of public defense, has been selected to take the helm as our Executive Director. “From staff attorney to managing director, I have been privileged to work…
New York, NY — On January 3, 2017, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo delivered the annual State of the State address in Albany and unveiled a package of criminal justice reform proposals. Justine Olderman, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders, responded: “The Governor’s package of criminal justice proposals represents an important acknowledgement that we cannot have…
NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Bronx Defenders announced today that Justine Olderman, an experienced attorney with 17 years at the organization, was selected to take the helm from Robin Steinberg as Executive Director. Olderman is leader in the field of public defense who has held various positions at The Bronx Defenders, including her most recent…
The Bronx Defenders joined fellow New York City public defenders to release a statement urging the New York City Council to withdraw or vote against Intro 182, which undermines the necessary police transparency and accountability at the core of the Right to Know Act. It read: “As Chief Public Defenders, we are grateful for the…
“The questions confronting the Committee and Council are simple: Should civilians be informed of their right to privacy when there is no legal basis to search them? And should civilians who have routine interactions with the police, whether pulled over while driving or questioned as victims or witnesses, be entitled to know who they are…
Scott Levy, Special Counsel to the Criminal Defense Practice and Sarah Deri Oshiro, Managing Director of the Immigration Practice sit down and speak with BronxTalk. Scott Levy discusses how to bring meaningful change to New York’s bail system: “The issue is that our bail statute is not used properly right now…If we started actually using…
Defenders’ Academy: Spring Training is a six-day intensive trial skills program for all defenders (criminal, civil and family) hosted at CUNY Law School. Students participate in small group sessions where they receive expert coaching and individual video review. Impeachment, foundation and objection skills are reinforced with drills. Our program challenges litigators to conceptualize classic trial…
Powerful HuffPost op-ed by Luis Mancheno, an immigration defense attorney at The Bronx Defenders about ICE’s intrusive presence in the courts depriving people access to due process: “ICE needs to be stopped and it needs to be stopped today…It is imperative that Chief Judge Janet DiFiore takes all the necessary steps to stop federal immigration…
The Bronx Defenders joins New York City’s public defense organizations in calling on the Office of Court Administration and Chief Judge Janet DiFiore to issue rules that would limit federal immigration enforcement’s ability to arrest our clients in or around courthouses. Read the story here.
On December 4, 2017, Alice Fontier, Managing Director of The Bronx Defenders’ Criminal Defense Practice presented written and oral testimony before the New York City Council Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services at the Hearing on Progress in Closing Rikers Island. In her testimony, Alice highlighted the Administration’s misguided focus on technocratic fixes to…
On November 15, 2017, The Bronx Defenders joined over 100 community groups and advocacy organizations in sending a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo calling for meaningful and effective bail reform. Governor Cuomo has made clear his interest in bringing change to New York State’s pretrial detention system but has yet to take action. Advocates urge…
Erin Cloud, the supervising attorney for our Family Defense Practice, and Dinah Adames-Ortiz, our parent advocate, talk about how poverty is an incriminating factor against parents just trying to raise their children. “Every aspect of poor families’ lives is subject to supervision. Shelters have mandated reporters. HRA workers are mandated reporters. Public hospitals report overwhelmingly…
Luis Mancheno, an immigration defense attorney at The Bronx Defenders speaks with NY1 Noticias’ Pura Política about the harmful impacts of ending Temporary Protected Status for Nicaraguans and Hondurans as well as the Diversity Visa Lottery. To watch the interview, click here.
In this investigation, Vox highlights the profound impact the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) has on preventing immigrants facing deportation from being separated from their families and community. The Bronx Defenders proudly serves as one of three institutional providers of free representation to detained immigrants in removal proceedings at the Varick Street Immigration…
“The fact is that there are people dealing with these kinds of medical crises who simply should not be in jail, but rather be receiving meaningful treatment.” Anisha Gupta, criminal defense attorney at The Bronx Defenders speaks with Reuven Blau at The Daily News about the death of her client Selmin Feratovic, who during his…
On October 24, 2017, Runa Rajagopal, Managing Director of The Bronx Defenders’ Civil Action Practice, presented written and oral testimony before the New York City Council Committee on Public Housing jointly with the Committee on Aging Oversight Hearing regarding the permanent addition of family members to a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) household and…
“The lies officers tell to justify the unlawful stops, searches and questioning are a natural byproduct of this policing strategy. Once we see the root of the problem, the answer becomes obvious: The NYPD leadership needs to stop holding on to the myth that ‘broken windows’ policing is necessary to keep New York City safe…
“If there are racial disparities in pleas in misdemeanor cases that lead to worse punishment of black people, it means a significant proportion of our criminal justice system is meting out punishment in a racially-biased manner.” —BxD’s Jenn Rolnick Borchetta and Alice Fontier on the stark racial disparities in plea bargaining that have devastating impacts…
Powerful op-ed by BxD’s Anisha Gupta for The Marshall Project on the death of her client Selmin Feratovic, who had been incarcerated for almost seven months on Rikers Island but had not been convicted of a single crime: “Selmin was killed by a system that overcharged him, incarcerated him, ignored him, and ultimately failed to protect…
Courthouse News reports on the latest in BxD’s lawsuit challenging lack of transparency around NYPD property seizures and civil forfeitures. To read the full story, click here. To learn more about this litigation, visit our case page.
BxD’s Wesley Caines sits down with David Lesch of BronxNet TV’s “Today’s Verdict” to discuss New York’s new sealing law and our reentry work. Our comprehensive reentry legal services include reviews of criminal records, correction of criminal record errors, and collaboration with clients to obtain documentation (such as Certificates of Good Conduct) that can help reduce…
BxD’s Sarah Deri Oshiro, managing director of the Immigration Practice speaks with Telemundo about the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project and our work to keep immigrant families together. To watch the interview, click here.
October 3, 2017, New York – Justine Olderman, managing director of The Bronx Defenders, spoke at a panel entitled “Police Officer Testimony: A Quarter of a Century After the Mollen Commission.” The event was hosted by the New York City Bar Association. Participants included the police department’s deputy commissioner for legal matters, Lawrence Byrne, Harvard…
September 20, 2017, New York, NY —Bronx Defenders founder Robin Steinberg will step down as executive director at the end of this year, leaving the public defense office that she founded two decades ago. The announcement was made at the organization’s 20th anniversary gala last night, which was attended by over 300 supporters and hosted…
New York – In response to the Trump Administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, The Bronx Defenders issued the following statement: “The Bronx Defenders stands in solidarity with our immigrant clients, their families, and communities and condemns in the strongest terms the Trump administration’s decision to end DACA. This…
“All of our clients are indigent, many of them are trying to survive day by day. If they have five dollars on them, they need to choose between spending that five dollars on a meal, or a MetroCard, or food for their children, or diapers, or formula. So making a claim that just because people…
“What should you do if child-protective services comes to your house? You will hear a knock on the door, often late at night. You don’t have to open it, but if you don’t the caseworker outside may come back with the police. The caseworker will tell you you’re being investigated for abusing or neglecting your…
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark will host an amnesty event on Saturday, August 5th, 2017, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Eastchester Presbyterian Church in the Bronx to give New Yorkers an opportunity to clear up open warrants for low-level summonses without fear of arrest. Attorneys and advocates from The Bronx Defenders…
July 25, 2017, New York – In response to the introduction of S4841, a bill that would remove “turnstile jumping” from the NY penal code, The Bronx Defenders issued the following statement. The bill was introduced by Senator Jesse Hamilton at a press conference this morning. “Subway and bus transportation are basic needs to live…
“There has never been any vehicle for public accountability—the police department has vigorously resisted it. Finally, there will be some measure of accountability.”—Craig Levine, the policy director at The Bronx Defenders. Levine speaks with the Gothamist about the importance of the recent bill passed by the City Council that will require the NYPD to annually…
July 20, 2017, New York – In response to the passage of Intro 1000-B, a law requiring the NYPD to report on seized property data on an annual basis, The Bronx Defenders issued the following statement: “The passage of this bill marks an important victory for our clients and countless other New Yorkers disproportionately affected…
July 20, 2017, New York – In response to the passage of Intro 214b, a law providing free legal representation to low-income New Yorkers facing eviction, The Bronx Defenders issued the following statement: “After years of advocating for full funding to ensure this basic protection for low-income New Yorkers, we are thrilled to see that…
“When you have entire households in the South Bronx surviving on less than $10,000 a year, the real crime is to continue punishing people who can’t afford a MetroCard. Policies like this only compound poverty and structural inequalities in New York City.” —Alice Fontier, managing director of the criminal defense practice at The Bronx Defenders….
New Yorker writer Jonathan Blitzer visited BxD to speak with our client Christian Yarleque about his experience in immigration detention. Mr. Yarleque, a long-time New York resident with a green card, spent over a year and a half in ICE custody before being reunited with his wife and children. His story highlights the human cost…
“The court has rightly recognized that low-income people should not be held in immigration detention with no end in sight while their case is pending, simply because they cannot afford to pay an immigration bond. By ruling that ability to pay must be taken into consideration when determining a bond amount, the court is ensuring…
Last Friday, June 2, we hosted our annual Celebration of Families, welcoming 21 of our clients’ families to The Bronx Defenders’ Justice Campus for an evening of celebration. Every year we hold this intimate gathering to honor the families we have served through our Family Defense Practice and mark June as National Reunification Month. After…
WNYC reports on the recent compromise reached in Albany by the New York Senate Codes Committee regarding speedy trial reform. As Scott Levy, special counsel to the criminal defense practice at The Bronx Defenders, tells WNYC, the new bill “falls short of structural change” but is a “significant step” toward larger changes. We remain committed…
“As a former judge, I know firsthand the importance of having an attorney in court proceedings. Nonlawyers are rarely able to protect properly their own legal rights. Immigration proceedings are no less important or complicated than criminal ones. Yet immigrants who cannot afford an attorney are not provided one. New York City has sought to…
We are very excited to welcome our 2017 summer interns! The Bronx Defenders internship program gives students the opportunity to experience and learn client-centered, holistic advocacy through hands-on work with our interdisciplinary advocates. This summer BxD is hosting a total of 84 interns, including 61 law school students from 23 different schools who will undergo…
“New York’s court system is finally pushing back against the NYPD’s refusal to provide better accounting of its forfeiture programs.” Techdirt on the most recent development in our lawsuit challenging lack of transparency in NYPD property seizures. Read the article here. For more on the lawsuit, click here.
The Bronx Defenders is proud to congratulate Emma Ketteringham, managing director of our Family Defense Practice, for being selected to be a Wasserstein Public Interest Fellow at Harvard Law School for the 2017-2018 academic year. Emma is one of a select few from across the country and around the world to be awarded this honor…
“Displeased by the New York City Police Department’s ‘troublesome’ litigation tactics, a state judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit seeking information on what happens to millions of ‘unclaimed’ dollars seized in civil forfeitures.” Courthouse News Service on the latest development in our lawsuit challenging lack of transparency in NYPD property seizures. Read the article here….
In this investigation, ProPublica demonstrates the benefits and importance of having access to free legal representation during deportation proceedings. As our client Romniel shared with the reporter, being picked up by ICE “was like a nightmare.” He continued, “It’s very important to have a lawyer to defend yourself, because I didn’t know anything about immigration…
“Under Mayor de Blasio’s proposal someone like me would not deserve free immigration representation. I believe this is cruel and unfair. No one should be judged by a single mistake. Life is hard in the city and even the best people make mistakes. New York City is my home. It is where my children were…
May 4, 2017, New York – In response to the ongoing debate between Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito regarding City funding for the New York Immigrant Family Project (NYIFUP), The Bronx Defenders, one of three NYIFUP providers, issued the following statement: “At a time when we should be radically reimagining what it means to be…
On April 24, 2017, Runa Rajagopal, director of The Bronx Defenders’ Civil Action Practice, presented written and oral testimony before the New York City Council Committees on Public Housing and Oversight and Investigations regarding a new report by the New York City Department of Investigation’s (DOI) on the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) policy…
“Oklahoma is sending the highest recorded number of women to prison, but a new non-profit program based in north Tulsa is trying to buck that trend. The group, Still She Rises, is a team of attorneys that works specifically for low-income mothers in north Tulsa, representing them for free.” BxD’s latest project, Still She Rises,…
“What we knew initially was that we wanted to create a holistic law defender law office that could represent women in the criminal justice system, recognizing that Oklahoma is the No. 1 state for incarceration for women.” – BxD Executive Director Robin Steinberg speaking with Tulsa World about our new project, Still She Rises, Tulsa….
Is the City of New York doing everything it can to ensure safety and due process for immigrant communities? In this interview with The New Yorker, BxD Managing Director, Justine Olderman had a simple answer: “Unless we take immediate steps to protect immigrants who seek redress in our city’s courts, we should stop calling ourselves…
March 21, 2017, New York –The Bronx Defenders has asked the NY Supreme Court to compel the NYPD to appear at a hearing to explain its property seizure database and to produce internal records about policies and procedures involving millions of dollars in cash and property seized during arrests each year. The Bronx Defenders sued…
Erin Cloud, a supervising attorney of our Family Defense Practice, writes a Letter to the Editor to Stacy Patton to clarify the ways in which the disproportionate reporting of black families to the child protective services is reflective of economic injustice and racial inequality of low income families rather than about their actual parenting. “Increased…
“I have yet to speak with or to hear an employer who employs a formerly incarcerated person complain about the quality and the passion of the work that they have received.” Our Re-Entry and Community Outreach Coordinator Wesley Caines on life after prison. Read the entire interview here
Walter Rodriguez, Director of Community Organizing at The Bronx Defenders, sits with Daren Jaime of BronxNet TV to discuss our mission and the importance of defending the Bronx community. Check it out!
“All families have a constitutional right to be together, free from the unwarranted interference of third parties, particularly the state…This fundamental right recognizes the inherent value in family ties, which provide a connection to culture and identity, and serve as a protective social bond.” Erin Cloud published “Family Defense in the Age of Black Lives…
“We’re talking about stops and frisks and arrests in the sanctity of people’s homes that have had an incredible human toll on the relationship between the community and the police,” said Johanna Steinberg, director of the Impact Litigation Practice at The Bronx Defenders, which was also part of the lawsuit. “This will create accountability and…
New York – The Bronx Defenders released the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s orders this week regarding new immigration policies: “The president’s actions this week threaten the well-being, safety, and rights of immigrant families in the Bronx and across the country. As an organization committed to serving one of New York City’s…
“TULSA — A week into the job, Robin Steinberg and her staff are already paying house calls. It’s not typical for attorneys, but Steinberg’s team doesn’t practice a typical approach. Rather, the Still She Rises team is one of the only nonprofit law offices in the country — if not the only — that is…
New York – The Bronx Defenders submitted a friend-of-the court brief before the New York Court of Appeals, on behalf of itself and six other public defense providers in New York City, in a case involving the invocation of the right to counsel during police interrogations. The case, People v. Slocum, is headed to the…
“Since its launch in 2013, the project has provided lawyers for 2,000 immigrants through a partnership with three public defender organizations: Bronx Defenders, the Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn Defender Services.” WNYC story on the impact of the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP), the first public defender program in the country for people in…
“The Bronx Defenders won a partial victory in its suit challenging notoriously long delays for misdemeanor trials in the Bronx. But it will have to proceed with new plaintiffs. The public defender organization filed its federal lawsuit in the spring, claiming the delays violate the U.S. Constitution’s right to a speedy trial…” Listen to the…
New York City – In response to the fatal police shooting of a 66-year-old Bronx resident last night, The Bronx Defenders issued the following statement: “Last night’s police killing of Deborah Danner, a 66-year-old woman from the South Bronx, is the latest, tragic reminder that police officers are simply ill equipped to deescalate encounters with people…
New York – The Bronx Defenders mourns the death of Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson, who passed away last night after a battle with cancer. “We extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Thompson’s family, friends, and staff,” said Robin Steinberg, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders. “A staunch advocate for criminal justice reform, Ken Thompson…
Adam Shoop, Legal Director of the Civil Action Practice, presented testimony at the New York City Council Committee on Public Safety for a hearing regarding Int. 1000-2015, a local law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the police department to report seized property data on an…
“Whether through litigation or legislation, New Yorkers must have access to full information regarding these practices. It’s time for the NYPD to open its books.” Adam Shoop, attorney in the Civil Action Practice at The Bronx Defenders, writes for amNew York on the need for transparency regarding NYPD property seizure practices. Read his op-ed here. For more…
“A judge compared state lawyers’ arguments in a case on court delays to the pre-Civil Rights Era South, suggesting Wednesday their position against federal intervention might have been used by segregationists. The Bronx Defenders alleged in a May lawsuit that those in the borough facing misdemeanor charges suffer from “structural and systematic” delays in their…
WNYC features an incredible victory from our Prostitution Conviction Vacatur Project, a project we launched in 2013 with the aim of identifying all our clients who have criminal convictions as a result of having been a victim of sex trafficking and working with them to vacate the conviction. Listen to the story here.
“When officers categorize wallets or cellphones as evidence, getting them back can be nearly impossible—even if the owner isn’t charged with a crime…” Great piece in The Atlantic on the NYPD’s use of civil forfeiture and The Bronx Defenders’ legal challenges to this and other property seizure practices by police. Read the article here. To…
“Just how common, and exactly how much money the NYPD is currently taking from low-income New Yorkers, is the basis of a lawsuit filed last week against the NYPD by the Bronx Defenders…” Read the article here. For more on the lawsuit, see our case page.
As states across the country struggle to sufficiently defend the poor, why is our public-defender system in turmoil and can anything be done to reform it? Robin Steinberg, executive director of The Bronx Defenders, joins WNYC’s The Takeaway to discuss. Listen to the story here.
The NYPD regularly seizes cash, cellphones, cars, and other property during arrests. Property that is not contraband should be returned to its rightful owner when the case is dismissed or terminated unless the district attorney’s office can establish that the valuables are still needed as evidence for an appeal or another proceeding. In practice, something…
“The NYPD is illegally refusing to disclose information on civil forfeiture, according to a lawsuit to be filed Thursday. The Bronx Defenders plan to file a Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit that says the NYPD won’t provide requested information on policies and procedures involving cash and property seized during arrests — which could total “tens of…
On May 30, 2018, the court approved a settlement secured with the NYPD requiring it to turn over detailed information — for the first time — about the millions of dollars of property it seizes during arrests. The settlement resulted from a New York State Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) lawsuit filed by The Bronx…
“The Bronx District Attorney’s office has agreed to several procedures that could speed up the return of property confiscated during criminal investigations, according to new court documents… The proposed changes were spurred by a federal lawsuit filed in January by The Bronx Defenders.” Read the article here. For more on the lawsuit, see our case page.
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The essence of any police body-worn camera program should be the need for increased police accountability. Economically marginalized communities, particularly communities of color, have long been over-policed, subjecting their residents to degrees of state oversight and intervention that would never be tolerated in suburban communities. Examples of this have included so-called “broken windows policing,” recently discredited…
Filed on March 28, 2012, this federal class action lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of Operation Clean Halls, a part of the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk program that allows police officers to patrol thousands of private apartments buildings across New York City. As far back as the early 1990s, Operation Clean Halls has enabled police officers to patrol…
On August 9, 2018, The Bronx Defenders along with Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady, LLP and Morrison & Foerster, LLP secured a settlement in Trowbridge v. DiFiore on behalf of New Yorkers who are affected by systematic delays in the processing of misdemeanor cases in the Bronx. According to the terms of the agreement, the…
The NYPD routinely confiscates cash, cell phones, and other personal property from people arrested in New York—particularly impacting people in the low-income communities targeted by broken windows policing, who can least afford it. A City budget document states that NYPD retained $7 million in unclaimed cash and property auction proceeds as revenue in fiscal…
The Bronx Defenders is proud to congratulate Runa Rajagopal, director of our Civil Action Practice, for receiving a 2016 New York City Bar Association Legal Services Award! Runa was one of five honorees who received this distinguished award for her outstanding work and dedication as a public defender. The Legal Services Awards were established to recognize the efforts…
Karume James, a staff attorney in our Criminal Defense Practice, published the following piece in The Huffington Post about the need for reduced fare MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers and the impact such a program would have on our clients. “Among the many “broken windows” cases we get at The Bronx Defenders, I’ve always found arrests for…
“Court delays in the Bronx — so troublesome that state officials had to create special courts to clear a backlog of felony cases — remain unresolved and have “fatally undermined the right to trial” for tens of thousands of people charged each year with low-level offenses, according to a lawsuit filed on Tuesday.” Read the article…
On May 12, 2016, Annie Pineda, Director of Pro Bono at The Bronx Defenders, will speak at the 2016 Equal Justice Conference in a panel entitled “Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All about You: What Legal Services Organizations and Law Firms Should Know about Working Together.” From the organizers: “This session will offer insider…
Longreads profiles The Bronx Defenders. “The quality of the lawyering among public defenders in New York City is universally understood to be very high; that wasn’t Robin Steinberg’s concern. She saw inadequacy built into the very structure of public defense. In the nineties, she noticed that more of the clients she was defending were being…
Emily Galvin, an attorney in our Criminal Defense Practice, published the following piece in Slate about the need to rethink prison employment. Most people are at least intuitively aware of the connection between poverty and prison. As Bryan Stevenson, the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, has said, too often the opposite of poverty…
Runa Rajagopal, Director of Civil Action Practice at The Bronx Defenders, will join the following panel on Friday, May 6, 2016, as part of the Bridging the Divide Series at John Jay College in New York City. Panel: Nuisance Abatement And Broken Windows Eli B. Silverman, Professor Emeritus, author of NYPD Battles Crime: Innovative Strategies in Policing;…
Social workers and civil legal advocates from The Bronx Defenders will present the following two workshops at the 2016 National Organization of Forensic Social Work (NOFSW) Conference in New Orleans, LA, on June 17-19, 2016. Saturday, June 18 (3:15-4:45) Developing Written Advocacy Skills: Persuasion and Disruption This workshop will provide instruction on how to develop…
Robyn Mar, Deputy Director of the Criminal Defense Practice at The Bronx Defenders, will present at an event at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, entitled “Resetting Bail — The Price of Justice in New York City,” on Wednesday, May 11, 2016. The event is hosted by the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice and…
Christa Douaihy, supervising attorney in our Civil Action Practice, published the following piece in The Huffington Post about the NYPD’s use of obscure laws to facilitate the eviction of families from their homes without basic fairness or due process. The Movement for Black Lives has, among many things, created a renewed sense of urgency for policy makers to address our…
Last February, attorney Anisha Gupta represented a Latino man charged with two misdemeanors: trespassing and resisting arrest. At her client’s arraignment, the first appearance before a judge where a bail determination is made, Gupta thought her client would be quickly let out on his own recognizance — meaning a release without posting bail; the prosecution…
A 22-year-old black man stands with his hands clasped behind his back as the prosecution reads charges to the judge. Low-level assault, a class D felony. Recommended bail? $75,000. It’s 6:45 PM on a Saturday evening at Brooklyn Criminal Court, and the audience is comprised mostly of family members—some of whom will wait until one…
When Chidinma Ume, an assistant counsel in the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, visited Queens recently, district attorney staff showed her around the courthouse, taking care to point out unused areas. “We gave her a tour of the courthouse, and how many locked doors that we have in courtrooms because we have…
Too often in New York City, the maxim “justice delayed is justice denied” is no mere abstraction, but a reality that wears down defendants, dispirits victims and cheats taxpayers. This is particularly true in the city’s criminal court, where lower-level cases—misdemeanors and petty offenses—are adjudicated and where the gaze of policymakers and the press rarely…
For the past several years, police departments across America have been using a nifty new piece of technology to trace the location of suspects. IMSI-catchers—commonly known as “StingRays” after the most popular brand name—are small boxes that gather all cell signals in a given area by mimicking a cell phone tower. And they’ve grown increasingly…
Adrienne broke the law: Caught speeding on her way home from work in Memphis, Tennessee, she pled guilty to charges of reckless driving and reckless endangerment. Two years later, Adrienne had completed probation and paid her court fees. But the charges still appeared on background checks, so she could find only temporary work. The barrier…
A new program on the Flathead Reservation is helping people who are released from tribal jail or the state prison adjust to life after incarceration. There are many “collateral consequences” people deal with upon their release — inability to find a place to live, struggling to get a job and issues getting drivers licenses reinstated,…
Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, says that she prefers to be called Sonia from the Bronx. Chances are nobody who meets her ever dreams of calling her anything so informal. When she came back to her native borough last week for an Evening of Conversation at the Bronx Defenders, a nonprofit…
On Monday, January 25th, The Bronx Defenders hosted U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor for an evening of conversation at its justice campus in the South Bronx. Local community members, staff members and supporters of The Bronx Defenders were present. The conversation between Robin Steinberg, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders, and Justice Sotomayor…
In his recently-released policy agenda for 2016, Gov. Andrew Cuomo included a plan to reform the state’s bail system. While it has not been fully fleshed out yet, Cuomo’s proposal dictates that judges would use a scientific assessment tool to determine an individual’s “risk to public safety” while setting bail, a proposal similar to one…
The Center for Holistic Defense provides in-depth, hands-on support or technical assistance to individual offices and defender systems seeking concrete guidance in realizing the vision of holistic defense. Each year, The Center for Holistic Defense releases a Request for Proposals (RFP), soliciting applications from defender offices nationwide to receive six months of in-depth technical assistance….
The Bronx Defenders is thrilled to announce that Craig Levine has joined the organization as Managing Director of our Civil Action Practice and External Affairs. In this role, Craig will oversee a critical component of The Bronx Defenders’ groundbreaking holistic defense practice, which provides our clients with the civil legal services they need to address…
In the recent police shooting death of teenager in Chicago, a court ordered the public release of the dashboard camera video. But why are police in control of this type of footage? Sarah Lustbader, staff attorney at the Bronx Defenders, a public defender office, discusses the circumstances surrounding a court order for the release of…
A Chicago police officer shot and killed a teenager named Laquan McDonald in October of last year, but most of us learned about Mr. McDonald only last week, after a judge ordered the release of police video footage of his death. That is also when prosecutors finally brought first-degree murder charges against the officer. Clearly,…
The Bronx Defenders is thrilled to launch the Robert P. Patterson, Jr. Mentoring Program, which will provide adult mentors to at-risk youth in the South Bronx. Using The Bronx Defenders’ collaborative team-based model, the program will broaden the mentee’s positive social network beyond a single mentor to include a team of dedicated advocates. Each mentee will…
An arcane 134-year-old process few New Yorkers have even heard of means the NYPD can take the possessions — cars, cash, computers — of anyone who gets stopped, even if it’s for jaywalking and even if that person never gets convicted or even charged. And because those so-called civil forfeiture proceedings are civil, New Yorkers…
On Monday and Tuesday, October 26 and 27, we were visited by a delegation of criminal defense attorneys from Japan. The Japanese criminal justice system will soon be instituting a system of plea bargaining for the first time, and the delegation came to learn from The Bronx Defenders – among others – about how our system works. They…
Thursday night, NY1 reported that Darcel Clark, the leading candidate for Bronx District Attorney, played a previously undisclosed role in the case of Kalief Browder, the young man who committed suicide earlier this year after he was held at Rikers Island for three years without trial. However, as NY1’s Bobby Cuza reported, just how much…
Legal service providers on Wednesday denounced the terms of a proposed settlement of a class action suit in which the state has agreed to hire a monitor to review New York City’s foster care system. The class action, Elisa W. v. City of New York, 15-cv-5273, was brought by New York City Public Advocate Letitia…
Criminal Defense Attorney Jodi Morales and Immigration Supervising Attorney Sarah Deri Oshiro presented testimony at City Council Oversight Hearing: Evaluating Attorney Compliance with Padilla V. Kentucky and Court Obstacles for Immigrants in Criminal and Summons Court. Written Comments of The Bronx Defenders New York City Council Committee on Immigration Jointly with the Committee on Courts…
This is the third in a series of interviews with attorneys who are pursuing social change through their work. This conversation is between Social Change editor Meghna Philip and Runa Rajagopal, a Team Leader and Supervising Attorney with the Bronx Defenders’ Civil Action Practice. Meghna Philip: You are the Supervising Attorney of the Civil Action…
Public defenders applauded Judge Lippman’s plans. Robin Steinberg, executive director of the Bronx Defenders, said the automatic reviews of bail decisions would hold arraignment judges accountable for their decisions and give defense lawyers more time to make a case for lower bail. Justine M. Luongo, who oversees criminal practice for the Legal Aid Society, agreed,…
Court-mandated substance-abuse treatment programs can keep people out of prison and save tax-payer dollars, so why aren’t they being utilized? When I first met my client, he was sitting on the other side of a metal grate (The client’s name has been withheld because of attorney-client confidentiality). We were in the cells behind the arraignment…
Bronx Defenders Criminal Defense Attorney and Coordinator for the Human Traffic Intervention Court Avery McNeil presented testimony before the New York City Council Joint Hearing of the Committee on Courts and Legal Services and the Committee on Women’s Issues on September 18th, 2015 to discuss the effectiveness of the intervention court in the Bronx and make recommendations for…
So much for that tough talk about holding Wall Street accountable for its crimes. With the blessing of the White House and the Justice Department, the Department of Housing and Urban Development is attempting to sneak through a major policy change that would enable big banks convicted of felonies to continue lending through a federal…
On Tuesday, August 4th, 2015, The Bronx Freedom Fund received the award from the National Criminal Justice Association for “outstanding criminal justice program” in the Northeast Region. Alyssa Work, Project Director of The Bronx Freedom Fund, Robin Steinberg, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders and co-founder of The Bronx Freedom Fund, and David Feige, co-founder…
The Big Apple is fixing one of the biggest problems with the criminal justice system. Kalief Browder spent three years in jail despite never being convicted of a crime. He was arrested for a stealing a backpack in the Bronx — a crime the then 16-year-old maintained he didn’t commit. His mother was unable to…
On July 24-25, 2015, The Bronx Defenders’ Attorneys present at the 16th National Conference on Children and the Law in Washington, DC. This conference offers targeted trial skills training for attorneys representing parents in child abuse and neglect cases through demonstrations, mock trial exercises, and ‘ask the experts’ discussions. Bronx Defenders presenting at the conference include Family Defense Attorneys Shlomit Cohen and Kate…
On July 22-23, 2015, The Bronx Defenders’ Attorneys and Social Workers presented on three panels at the 4th National Parent Attorney Conference: Achieving Justice Against the Odds in Washington, DC. Bronx Defenders presenting at the conference include Managing Director of the Family Defense Practice Emma Ketteringham, Family Defense Attorney Jessica Horan-Block, Family Defense Social Worker Caitlin Becker, and Family…
The Courts & Legal Services Committee and the Fire & Criminal Justice Services Committee recently held a joint hearing, ‘Examining the New York Bail System and the Need for Reform.’ The hearing, chaired by Council Member Rory Lancman and Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, looked at how to reform our dysfunctional bail system. “Our bail system…
The Bronx Defenders held their 2015 Community Block Party on Wednesday, July 8 at the organization’s headquarters of 360 E. 161st Street. The block party included a barbecue, performances from local musicians, face painting, basketball tournaments, balloon animals, pony rides, carnival games, and other activities. By Steven Goodstein To see photos click here.
In a move heralded as a reform to the city’s criminal justice system, Mayor de Blasio recently unveiled a $17.8 million plan to replace bail with “supervised release” for some defendants accused of misdemeanors or nonviolent felonies. Once the program rolls out next year, officials anticipate that judges will be able to order community supervision…
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): The Courts & Legal Services Committee and the Fire & Criminal Justice Services Committee recently held a joint hearing, ‘Examining the New York Bail System and the Need for Reform.’ The hearing, chaired by Council Member Lancman and Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, looked at how to reform our dysfunctional bail system….
BxD’s Managing Director of Social Worker, Elizabeth Keeney, presented at the NLADA’s Community Oriented Defender Network Annual Conference on Wednesday, July 15th, 2015. She participated on the panel “Mandatory Reporting for Social Workers in Defender Offices.” A description of the panel: All 50 states and the District of Columbia have enacted some permutation of mandatory…
On August 21-23, 2015, four of The Bronx Defenders’ Social Workers and Civil Legal Advocates will be presenting on two panels at the 2015 National Organization of Forensic Social Work (NOFSW) Conference in Arlington, VA. The 32nd Annual NOFSW Conference, entitled “Forensic Practice: Promoting Social Justice for All Through Policy and Practice Reform,” is committed to advancing a new…
Criminal justice reform advocates reacted with guarded optimism to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s proposed bail reform package, designed to keep more low-level, nonviolent offenders out of the troubled Rikers Island jail facility. From police reform activists to the public defender community, those who work with some of the most vulnerable defendants say the program —…
Our Executive Director, Robin Steinberg, published the following piece in The Marshall Project about the city’s proposal to reform the bail system: “Yesterday, the city unveiled a plan to largely eliminate cash bail for New Yorkers charged with low-level or nonviolent crimes. This long overdue step has the potential to reshape pretrial detention in New York City…
“The law is not the problem. The fact that judges routinely disregard the law and the options provided for under the law is the issue.” — Robyn Mar, Director of Early Advocacy New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to end bail for low-level offenders, allowing them to await trial under home supervision. We…
Thousands of people accused of misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies will stay out of Rikers Island under a $17.8 million pretrial supervision program, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday. The program comes as local officials try to reduce violence at the Rikers Island jails and while they grapple with concerns the criminal justice system discriminates against…
A nationwide movement for bail reform scored a significant victory on Wednesday, as America’s largest city announced a new initiative to reduce the number of people it forces to await trial behind bars. Starting next year, New York City will spend $17.8 million to supervise an estimated 3,000 low-risk defendants, instead of requiring them to…
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is set to announce an overhaul of the city’s bail system on Wednesday that is designed to keep low-level offenders out of Rikers Island. The plan, which offers 3,000 offenders supervised release in lieu of bail, will help “reduce both the financial and human costs of needless incarceration,”…
Nearly a decade later, Angelo Clement vividly remembers the phone call that changed his life. The then 14-year-old high school freshman was home alone on a school night in his small one-bedroom apartment in midtown Manhattan, where both he and his mother lived, when a teacher called looking to speak with his mother. Clement told…
Next Monday, June 29, 2015, The Bronx Defenders, together with the office of New York City Council Member Andy King, Power of Faith Ministry, and Gunhill Civic Group, will be hosting a free legal clinic for community members. The legal clinic will address criminal record errors on rap sheets (i.e. when things come up on a criminal background…
Earlier this week, Justine Olderman, Managing Director of the Criminal Defense Practice, Robyn Mar, Director of Early Advocacy, and Noelle Turtur, Project Associate, submitted testimony on behalf of The Bronx Defenders before the New York City Council Committees on Courts and Legal Services and Fire and Criminal Justice on the dire need for reform of the New York…
The death of a 22-year-old man who hanged himself after spending three years as a teen jailed without trial should spur New Yorkers to push for bail reform, City Council members said at a hearing Wednesday. City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said Kalief Browder’s death “has been a wake-up call for many in our city…
Last Friday, June 12, we welcomed over 30 of our clients’ families to The Bronx Defenders’ Justice Campus for an evening of festivities at the Celebration of Families! With musical performances by B.E.A.T. NYC, arts and crafts, a large meal with food donated by local establishments and staff, a raffle with all donated prizes, and inspiring client…
In a country where criminal defendants are innocent until proven guilty, Kalief Browder spent three years in jail awaiting trial on charges of stealing a backpack when he was 16, because he couldn’t afford bail. The charges were eventually dismissed and Browder, who was never convicted of anything but had served a lengthy sentence, was…
Former Bronx Defenders Trial Chief David Feige writes in Slate about the problem with the bail system and one simple way to fix it: On Sunday, John Oliver devoted the majority of his HBO show to America’s broken bail system. “Bail” is the cash or property equivalent demanded of arrestees as surety—an assurance that they…
In his short eulogy of Kalief Browder, The Atlantic’s Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote that the teenager’s death — he hanged himself with an air-conditioner cord in his home in the Bronx, after three years of torment by the legal system — “must necessarily be laid at the feet of the citizens of New York, because it…
The Bronx Defenders applauds the New York City Council for passing the Fair Chance Act, a bill that will give New Yorkers with criminal records a fair chance to compete for jobs. The Fair Chance Act will prohibit all public and private employers in New York City from asking about an applicant’s criminal history until…
A move to restrict visiting rights on Rikers Island—billed by the Department of Correction as a necessary step to control violence—that faced opposition from legal rights groups went nowhere Tuesday at a meeting of jail regulators. The Board of Correction decided to hold off on the proposal pending further study. The Board is considering whether…
City Council leaders want to create a $1.4 million, first-of-its-kind city-financed bail fund to spare indigent defendants charged with low-level crimes from unfair and costly stretches of confinement at Rikers Island before their day in court. But criminal justice experts are divided on how effective a reform that would be, while one of the city’s…
Bronx Defenders Client Advocate Deborah Lolai was recently spoke with the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth (NCFY) about how LGBTQ homeless youth can petition for child support. Read the Q&A below: Deborah Lolai knows firsthand what it’s like to be forced onto the street because your family rejects your sexual orientation. Homeless for a…
Yesterday, June 3, 2015, four Bronx Defenders advocates presented at the National Association of Social Workers, New York City Chapter (NASW-NYC) 47th Annual Addictions Institute conference, “Marijuana and Emerging Drugs: Evolving Perceptions in Addictions.” Bronx Defenders Parent Advocate Dinah Ortiz and Social Worker Sarah Cremer presented on the presumptions and prejudice surrounding drug use by pregnant…
The Bronx Defenders wrapped up another session of our nationally renowned Defenders’ Academy Spring Training yesterday. Over six days, 74 participants from over a dozen different organizations – ranging from public defender offices to private firms to the U.S. military – came together at The Bronx Defenders Justice Campus to partake in an intensive trial skills program…
The Bronx Defenders is proud to congratulate Mohamed Sheriff, our Senior Legal Advocate, who will receive a 2015 New York City Bar Association Legal Services Award! Sheriff is one of five honorees who will receive the Legal Services Award for his outstanding work and dedication in providing free civil legal assistance to indigent New Yorkers. The…
Managing Director of the Criminal Defense Practice Justine Olderman presented oral testimony before the New York City Council Committee on Courts and Legal Services earlier this month, on May 12. While commending the efforts that the Mayor and City Council have made thus far to address the over-incarceration of the mentally ill, Justine’s testimony called attention…
We are very excited to welcome our 2015 summer interns! The Bronx Defenders internship program gives students the opportunity to experience and learn client-centered, holistic advocacy through hands-on work with our interdisciplinary advocates. This summer BxD is hosting a total of 70 interns, including 48 law school students from 20 different schools who will undergo comprehensive,…
New York City is one step closer to having a new Office of Civil Justice. On Tuesday, the City Council’s Committee on Courts and Legal Services unanimously passed a bill that would create the office, to be tasked with assessing, coordinating, and helping reform the civil legal services available to low-income New Yorkers. Among the…
This week, The Bronx Defenders hosted its Third Annual Youth Justice Summit. Over two days at The Bronx Defenders Justice Campus, we brought together 104 youth from three schools and one youth program: Truman High School, Bronx School of Law, Government, and Justice, Bronx Lighthouse Academy, and the BronxConnect Program. The Bronx Defenders was joined by three of…
The Bronx Freedom Fund has been selected as the recipient of the 2015 National Criminal Justice Association Outstanding Criminal Justice Program Award for the Northeast Region. Each year, NCJA honors five outstanding criminal justice programs at the National Forum on Criminal Justice. Award winners are selected by a panel of criminal justice experts to recognize innovative…
A recent Daily News editorial titled “City Council: Do not pass go on bad-idea bail fund” erroneously asserted that the city-wide bail fund being considered by the City Council was unnecessary, a waste of taxpayer dollars, and would undermine the authority of judges. With all due respect to The Daily News, I could not disagree…
“The type of offenses that I see everyday in the courthouse in the South Bronx are not the type of offenses that are being policed in rich, affluent, white neighborhoods.” – Justine Olderman Bronx Defenders Managing Director of the Criminal Defense Practice Justine Olderman appeared on Al Jazeera America last night to discuss the negative…
Next Wednesday, May 13, Bronx Defenders Executive Director Robin Steinberg, on behalf of The Bronx Defenders, will accept the honor of “Courageous Social Activist” from the Child Welfare Organizing Project (CWOP). As CWOP celebrates 20 Years of Activism next week, they will be honoring Dr. Terry Mizrahi, professor at Hunter School of Social Work and…
Bronx Defenders Criminal Defense Social Worker Cheyne Castroni presented testimony before the New York City Council Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services earlier this week in support of Intro Number 770, which would require that the Department of Correction (DOC) establish a crisis intervention program. Cheyne shared his experiences employing his crisis intervention training…
Bronx Defenders Criminal Defense Attorney Emily Galvin will be presenting at Bennington College’s second conference in its Incarceration in America series: Effecting Change, on May 15–16, 2015. The conference is part of Bennington’s growing Incarceration in America initiative, which includes curriculum, visiting speakers, theatrical events, think tanks, and retreats to develop public policy and political action in…
The Bronx Defenders’ annual Youth Justice Summit brings together students from the Bronx to participate in youth-specific workshops facilitated by several of our organizational allies in New York City. The third annual Youth Justice Summit will take place at The Bronx Defenders’ Justice Campus over two days, May 19 – 20, 2015. This year’s partner organizations for…
In a New York Daily News Exclusive released May 5, 2015, Mayor de Blasio unveiled his proposal for sweeping reforms to enhance rent laws that protect hardworking New York families living in the city’s one million rent-regulated apartments. The Mayor, together with housing advocates, intends to promote these reforms over the next six weeks in order to get…
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI), Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP, and The Bronx Defenders, all leading civil rights advocacy groups and law firms, announced that the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York has approved their request to equally distribute nearly $165,000 in remaining class-action settlement funds…
Earlier this week, Bronx Defenders Trial Chief Karen Smolar accepted the “Community Organization Award” on behalf of The Bronx Defenders from the Brooklyn Law School National Lawyer’s Guild Chapter and the Brooklyn Law School Public Service Office. The Community Organization Award is given to an institution or group which is dedicated to social justice and has…
The Bronx Defenders works with a number of pro bono law firms on a range of matters, from isolated client case issues to ongoing projects. This support plays a crucial role in advancing our mission to combat the systemic challenges driving indigent people into the justice system, and to redefine public defense. To highlight just…
Bronx Defenders Social Work Intern Chun Rosenkranz published this moving op-ed in The Guardian on the real life consequences of living in a country whose criminal justice process is not color blind: My friend Hanuman was cremated two weeks ago, his ashes now sit in a wooden box on his parent’s alter. The cause of his death is…
The Bronx Defenders Managing Director of the Civil Action Practice Kate Rubin presented written and oral testimony to the New York City Council Committee on Courts and Legal Services yesterday, April 15, in support of Intro 736, a local law to establish the Office of Civil Justice. The Bronx Defenders supports Intro 736 because an…
Two years before Ferguson attracted national attention for racial tension and questionable court practices, a group of volunteer lawyers calling itself the ArchCity Defenders was already concluding that something was off about the city. Today the group is at the forefront of a legal movement to overhaul municipal courts regionally — one that has already…
Three Bronx Defenders advocates — Social Worker Sarah Knight, Parent Advocate Keston Jones, and Civil Legal Advocate Maria Monica Andia — will be presenting at the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), New York City Chapter conference “Social Work in the City: Dreams and Realities of Life in New York” on April 8, 2015. The conference aims…
On behalf of 15 organizations supporting the rights, interests, and health of parents and pregnant women, The Bronx Defenders Family Defense Practice, along with attorneys at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, sought leave to file an amicus brief in the New York Appellate Division, First Department, last week. Our brief argues that the New York…
Bronx Defenders Social Worker Lindsay Ferguson and Criminal Defense Attorney Jenny Semmel will join a panel discussion at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, entitled “Mass Incarceration and Its Mental Health Implications,” on Thursday, March 19, 2015. The panel will be chaired by Professor George Adreopoulous, Director of the Center for International Human Rights. Jenny and…
Bronx Defenders Managing Director of the Civil Action Practice Kate Rubin, together with Fundamental Fairness Project Director Scott Levy, submitted written comments on behalf of The Bronx Defenders to New York City Council’s Committee on Public Safety on March 3, 2015, discussing key issues to consider in community policing. The testimony describes two critical lenses through which…
Bronx Defenders Managing Director of the Family Defense Practice Emma Ketteringham will be presenting on a panel at Cardozo School of Law’s “Policing, Conflict, and Change” Conference next Thursday, March 12, 2015. The conference will be an all-day event with four panel discussions surrounding the state of policing today, the development of Fourth Amendment jurisprudence,…
Melissa wasn’t aiming terribly high: She wanted to be a substitute teacher in New York City’s school system, a job that would combine her passion for education with a decent paycheck. Yet her modest goal had to go on hold thanks to the inability of an upstate court to verify that her almost 20-year-old shoplifting…
On Thursday, March 5, 2015, John Jay College of Criminal Justice will be hosting the fifth installment of the 2014-15 PRI Occasional Series on Reentry Research, highlighting issues raised by the National Academy of Sciences’ groundbreaking report, “The Growth of Incarceration in the United States: Causes and Consequences.” Bronx Defenders Managing Director of the Civil…
Bronx Defenders Civil Action Supervising Attorney and Team Leader Runa Rajagopal will be leading a panel on Friday, February 27th at the First National Summit on Collateral Consequences in Washington, DC, presented by the ABA Criminal Justice Section in collaboration with the National Institute of Justice. Runa’s panel, entitled “Real Life Collateral Consequence: Stories from the Field,” will…
But in truth, traditional metrics fail to adequately measure effective representation…We cannot talk about caseloads, qualifications, training, or supervision without taking into account the radical change in our responsibility to our clients. We must first recognize that no matter how well organized, staffed, trained, supervised, and evaluated we are, we are not meeting minimum standards…
Members of the state Assembly and advocates want to expand a public defender program for immigrant New Yorkers who are facing deportation. The New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) aims to decrease the rate of deportations of New Yorkers who, for the most part, have been living lawful, productive lives despite their unresolved legal…
Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito used her first State of the City address to advocate major reforms to the city’s criminal justice system designed to keep low-level offenders out of jail. Along with a call to issue more tickets rather than arrest people for misdemeanors, in her speech earlier this month the speaker proposed a city-wide…
When John Orlando was released from prison last year, he wanted to get his life back. He’d worked for decades as a funeral director, and he wanted to keep doing that. He loved the work, he needed the money, and he wanted the dignity of paying back the money he stole. “I was guilty. I…
Bronx Defenders Parent Advocate and Focus on Fathers Project Coordinator Keston Jones will be joining a panel discussion at Penn State Law, organized by the Black Law Students Association, on Tuesday, February 3, 2015. Penn State Law is hosting this program as part of Black History Month to address how Black families are treated throughout the…
New York City officials are testing a number of methods to assess the quality of indigent criminal defense, which, they say, is part of a broader attempt to make for a fairer criminal justice system. Though the city now tracks conviction rates, incarceration rates, case duration, charge reduction and disposition at arraignments, officials in Mayor…
The New York City Board of Correction (BOC) is the oversight body tasked with ensuring Minimum Standards for conditions of confinement in New York City’s jails. On January 13th, the BOC approved a series of changes to the Minimum Standards. Much attention has been focused on the BOC’s conditional pledge to end the use of…
As the judge read out the sentence, Jose Santiago and the public defense attorney he’d just met that day listened in an almost empty courtroom. It was 2009, and Santiago spent the next year and a half in prison. Santiago was arrested one month after his 16th birthday for running past a pedestrian and snatching…
The Bronx Defenders truly regrets having been involved with the “Hands Up” video. Our organization does not condone violence against the police. The video was released without The Bronx Defenders authorization or approval. Since the video’s release, we have made numerous attempts through our attorneys to have the video taken down. We will continue in our efforts…
When jury selection began this week in the trial of James Holmes — the man accused of killing 12 people in a Colorado movie theater — he looked different than he had in prior court hearings. He traded his jail garb for khakis and a sport coat. Instead of wearing shackles and chains, he was…
Bronx Defenders Criminal Defense Attorney and Forensic Practice Supervisor Mark Loudon-Brown will be leading a National Association for Public Defense (NAPD) webinar on Thursday, February 5, 2015 at 1:00 pm EST. The webinar, entitled “Cross Examining the DNA Analyst: Themes, Chapters, and Examples” will build on the elements of DNA evidence that were discussed in the previous webinar led…
“We know that young white men, for example, smoke marijuana at rates at least on par or at higher rates than young black or Latino men, and yet 87% of the people arrested for marijuana possession in New York City are black and Latino, and in the Bronx that number is 95%.” The Bronx Defenders’…
The Bronx Defenders Immigration Attorney Conor Gleason joined Abraham Paolos of Families for Freedom to discuss the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) and the impact on families of deportations post-Executive Action Orders on WBAI’s “On the Count” with guest host Khalil Cumberbatch last Saturday, January 10, 2015. Listen to the segment here:
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of our supporters, friends, and partners who contributed to The Bronx Defenders Annual Holiday Gift Drive, which allows our clients to give holiday gifts to their families when they otherwise would not be able to afford them. Thanks to the many contributions to our Amazon Wish List,…
As the winter gears up and temperatures drop, many of our clients lack sufficient winter coats to stay warm. In response, The Bronx Defenders carries out a coat drive each winter to make sure that clients or their family members have access to warm winter coats for free. Please consider donating a coat today! For…
Bronx Defenders Fundamental Fairness Project Director Scott Levy appeared on HuffPost Live, hosted by Josh Zepps, earlier today together with Alberto Willmore, a New York teacher who lost his position after a marijuana arrest, to discuss the costs of marijuana arrests in New York City and The Bronx Defenders’ new report “The Hidden Tax: Economic Costs…
“Once they get you, they are always going to get you,” Love* told me this November at a greasy spoon in the Bronx. “The sad thing is that nobody ever stands up there and fights them.” Love is a 48-year-old black woman. She has high cheekbones, and her full lips smirk easily, especially when she…
The Bronx Defenders unequivocally denounces the senseless murders of police officers Ramos and Liu. Violence is never the solution to problems in our city. During this time of anguish and reflection, our hearts go out to the Ramos and Liu families.
Serial, the popular podcast that ends this week, is about a real-life teenage murder mystery. Reporter Sarah Koenig explores lingering doubts about the case of Adnan Syed, who, as a high-school senior, was convicted of the murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. The prosecutors in the case collected a raft of evidence from the…
The decision by the Department of Justice to move forward with a lawsuit against New York City over the treatment of adolescents at Rikers Island sends a clear signal to the City that it has failed to propose or implement meaningful reforms. The timing of the announcement, which comes a day before the upcoming Board…
In the first two months of 2014, news broke in the city of the deaths of 4-year-old Myls Dobson and 2-year-old Kevasia Edwards, one allegedly tortured and killed by a caretaker after her father went to jail, the other allegedly killed by her mother. Both children’s families had already had extensive contact with the child…
In response to the New York City Police Department’s change in approach to low-level marijuana possession offenses, defense attorneys who have worked in the Summons Courts warned that the system is already strained enough. During a New York City Council hearing on Monday, attorneys in several legal service organizations discussed multiple flaws in the summons…
Last week, The Bronx Defenders Director of Pro Bono, Annie Pineda, participated in a New York City Bar panel discussion about best practices in pro bono when collaborating with law firms, corporations, and law students. The panel, entitled “Pro Bono Basics in a Changing Landscape,” focused on recent changes in the pro bono landscape, including…
The true lessons of the Civil Rights Act for contemporary lawyers and law students may lie in the citizen engagement that pushed it to the fore, said Kumar Rao, Director of Strategic Initiatives at The Bronx Defenders. “I like to think that we are part of the legacy of American activists who move to make…
The Bronx Freedom Fund released its first annual report this week, showing the Fund’s impact since opening in October 2013. As the first licensed charitable bail organization in New York State, the Bronx Freedom Fund helps eligible clients of The Bronx Defenders post bail in misdemeanor cases where they and their families are unable to afford…
This October, The Bronx Defenders won its first ever civil jury trial. Our Civil Action Practice Attorneys Karen Maxim and Graham Dumas litigated the case of their client, Ms. Lopez (not her real name), who faced eviction when the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) brought a housing case against her and accused her of using…
In the last two weeks, grand juries failed to indict the white police officers who killed Michael Brown and Eric Garner. These decisions have exposed deep-seated issues of race, class, and power that still pervade our society. We should keep protesting injustice where we see it, as thousands have done across the country. At the…
Maurice Alexander was 61 when he was convicted on a misdemeanor charge. He only served ten days in jail, but six years later it would cost him a chance at affordable housing and leave him homeless for nearly seven months. Federal, state, and local laws impose a convoluted network of barriers on anyone with a…
On November 18th, Skylar Albertson spoke at a NYC Board of Correction (BOC) meeting concerning the use of solitary confinement and the Department of Correction’s (DOC) proposal to create Enhanced Supervision Housing (ESH) units at Rikers Island. The BOC, an independent oversight agency responsible for setting guidelines for the DOC, has been engaged in a…
Bronx Defenders Executive Director Robin Steinberg and Fundamental Fairness Project Director Scott Levy are both panelists at Cardozo Law School’s symposium “The Underbelly of the Beast: Misdemeanor Practice in the Era of Broken Windows and Saturation Policing,” taking place December 3rd and 4th, 2014. The symposium is presented by Cardozo Law Review and by Cardozo’s Criminal Defense Clinic…
Yesterday The Bronx Defenders’ Legal Director of the Civil Action Practice, Molly Kovel, presented written and oral testimony before the New York City Council Committee on Civil Rights regarding The Bronx Defenders’ enthusiastic support for the proposed Fair Chance Act, which would protect the thousands of people with criminal records in New York City against some of the…
The Bronx Defenders is extremely disappointed by the decision of a Staten Island grand jury to not indict the NYPD officer who killed Eric Garner with an illegal chokehold. Given the video evidence in this case, it is particularly upsetting that the NYPD will once again evade accountability for what is indisputably an unacceptable use…
The Bronx Defenders commends Mayor de Blasio for taking a major step toward addressing one of New York City’s most troubling criminal justice issues: the criminalization of individuals with mental health issues and substance use disorders. In announcing a $130 million initiative to divert these New Yorkers away from incarceration and into treatment, the City…
The Bronx Defenders today reiterates its support for the families and communities of Mike Brown, Akai Gurley, Eric Garner, Ramarley Graham, and the countless number of young men of color who have been victims of police brutality. The announcement last night of a No True Bill against Officer Darren Wilson exposed long-standing feelings of injustice…
Mayor de Blasio wants to include ethnic and racial data on the NYPD’s new marijuana summonses — and allow people to pay fines by mail. The convenience would be similar to a system already in place for drivers who can get rid of parking tickets with a check and a stamp. “That’s a choice that…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jennifer Friedman, The Bronx Defenders, 718-508-3408 or JenniferF@bronxdefenders.org Last night, families around the Bronx held their breath as the President announced sweeping changes that will expand work authorization and protect millions of immigrants from deportation. At The Bronx Defenders—and for the families we represent—the announcement was met with a mix of…
Last month, Bronx Defenders Civil Legal Advocate Zoni Rockoff was recognized by Empire Justice Center in its Fair Hearing of the Month announcement regarding the case of a Bronx Defenders client facing termination of her public benefits. Zoni advocated in the fair hearing on behalf of Ms. Sanders (not her real name), a Bronx Defenders client who was…
The New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) was honored last Friday, November 14, 2014 by Families For Freedom at their 12th Annual Fundraiser. NYIFUP, which is implemented by The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, and the Legal Aid Society, is the first institutionally-provided public defender program in the country for immigrants facing deportation. NYIFUP…
“The much larger issue is racial disparity in arrests: Citywide 86% of the people being arrested [for marijuana possession] are black and latino.” – Scott Levy, The Bronx Defenders The Bronx Defenders Fundamental Fairness Project Director Scott Levy, together with Gabriel Sayegh of the Drug Policy Alliance and Shapriece Townsend of Vocal NY discuss…
On Thanksgiving Day, next Thursday, November 27th, The Bronx Defenders will host its annual Thanksgiving Feast. The meal is free for clients, their families, and guests. Join us for turkey, sides, and delicious pies! Thursday, November 27, 2014 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm The Bronx Defenders Justice Campus Community Reception Area 360 E. 161st Street…
Scott Levy, Project Director of The Fundamental Fairness Project at The Bronx Defenders, took part in a dynamic conversation surrounding the NYPD’s new marijuana policy on “Hot 97 Street Soldiers with Lisa Evers.” The radio program brought together drug policy experts, legal experts, law enforcement officials, and individuals with previous criminal justice involvement to discuss and debate…
La posesión de pequeñas cantidades de marihuana ya no desembocará en arresto, sino en multa o citación judicial. El concejal de Brooklyn y Queens Antonio Reynoso, Priscilla González, de Comunidades Unidas por una Reforma Policial y Walter Rodríguez, de Bronx Defenders, analizan las políticas policiales del alcalde Bill de Blasio y las relaciones entre la…
In an I-Team exclusive report on NBC 4 New York investigating NYPD officers involved in a ticket-fixing scandal where they were caught asking for illegal favors, Bronx Defenders Managing Director of the Criminal Defense Practice Justine Olderman and Criminal Defense Attorney Phil Hamilton talk about the unfair lack of transparency when police officers conduct is…
Read our Executive Director Robin Steinberg’s op-ed on New York City’s new marijuana enforcement policy in New York Daily News: New York City cannot solve the problem of discriminatory and overly-harsh marijuana policing by cramming more people into the overburdened summons court system. This week, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new policy aimed at…
Anthony Welfare closely followed this week’s news that New York City no longer will bring criminal charges against people who are seen with small amounts of marijuana, as long as they are not smoking it in public. “I find that funny,” Mr. Welfare, 28, said. But not hah-hah funny. Not LOL funny. After seven years…
In August people filled the streets in Ferguson, Missouri, following black teenager Michael Brown’s death by police shooting in the city. Hundreds of protestors in New York and across the country gathered to show solidarity with protesters in St. Louis and to demand justice for Brown. There is no footage of Brown’s murder, and many…
This Wednesday, November 12, 2014 at 6:00 pm at CUNY School of Law, Bronx Defenders Executive Director Robin Steinberg will join a panel of fellow experts and advocates to discuss economic inequality and practical solutions. “The Long Crisis” will reflect the theme of CUNY Law Review’s 18th volume: the role that economic inequality and injustice…
NEW YORK—Public defender Josh Saunders has seen over and over again how his clients go to jail and suffer major life-altering consequences, when just $500 for bail would have prevented it. Because they could not afford to post bail, clients who hold jobs as fast-food workers, security guards, and home health aides have gotten fired…
When I describe the need for treatment instead of punishment for the mentally ill and substance dependent, I split into two Loxleys. One inhabits the real world and lists reasons why he belongs in treatment facilities as opposed to correctional ones; another is trapped in a time-warp, re-experiencing the days and weeks he went missing,…
Next Wednesday, November 19th, Kate Rubin, Managing Director of the Civil Action Practice at The Bronx Defenders, will be speaking at the New York Reentry Roundtable discussion about the harms to communities of Broken Windows policing and the policy changes The Bronx Defenders is fighting for to mitigate those harms. To learn more about the…
Law360, New York (November 03, 2014, 2:56 PM ET) — The Second Circuit on Friday affirmed a district court decision denying a bid by New York City police unions to intervene in two class actions challenging the city’s stop-and-frisk policy, saying the motions were untimely and that the unions’ interests were too remote to warrant…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Molly Kovel, The Bronx Defenders, 718-508-3421 or MollyK@bronxdefenders.org The Bronx Defenders is pleased to announce that the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has cleared the way for immediate implementation of crucial reforms of the New York Police Department’s “Stop and Frisk” program as ordered by Judge Shira…
Next Monday, November 3, 2014, Robin Steinberg, Bronx Defenders Executive Director, will be speaking at UCLA School of Law. Her talk, “Perspectives on Holistic Criminal Defense – The Bronx Defenders and the Growing Community Defender Movement,” is presented by the The David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy and co-sponsored by the Critical Race Studies…
The ArchCity Defenders, a holistic legal services office in St. Louis, released a white paper earlier this year detailing the injustices of the St. Louis County Municipal Courts. The report has received extensive coverage in both local and national media organizations, including The New York Times, National Public Radio, The Huffington Post, FiveThirtyEight, and the…
NEW YORK — Prisoners’ rights advocates and lawmakers on Tuesday welcomed the news that the top uniformed official at New York City’s Department of Correction, who has been accused of turning a blind eye to rampant violence in a Rikers Island juvenile detention facility, is stepping down. Chief of Department William Clemons, who climbed to…
The Bronx Defenders’ Holistic Defense model was recently highlighted in an extensive report commissioned by the Department of Justice Canada. The report, Maximizing the Federal Investment in Criminal Legal Aid, was prepared by Prairie Research Associates and documents innovations, best practices, and efficiencies in criminal legal aid in Canada and abroad. This report, one of…
The county’s Director of the Office of Assigned Counsel and a handful of staff members traveled to New York City last week thanks to a technical assistance grant from the Center for Holistic Defense. Thurston County’s Office of Assigned Counsel is one of only four teams in the nation to win a 2014-2015 technical assistance…
NEW YORK—Anthony Cruz is a different man now that he has been locked up several times. Before serving his 10-year sentence in New York state prisons for manslaughter in the first degree he was diagnosed with adjustment disorder and depression, among other mental health conditions. Cruz spent a total of three years in solitary confinement,…
Last Friday, October 17th, Bronx Defenders Civil Action Attorney Christa Douaihy, Criminal Defense Attorney Amalea Smirniotopoulos, and Family Defense Defense Attorney Lauren Teichner all presented at the New York State Defenders Association “Representing Veterans in New York Courts” conference in Albany. Their presentation, “Holistic Defense: Representing Veterans in Family Court and Beyond,” covered a range of topics…
“Several were younger than me, I can’t imagine myself in their places. These youths are completely dehumanized, they are called ‘bing monsters.’ It’s terrible to see that it is considered normal to brutalize youths this young.” – Skylar Albertson, Assistant to the Director, The Bronx Defenders “We have paid bail for 140 people, who were…
This Thursday, October 23rd, Emma Ketteringam, Managing Director of the Family Defense Practice, and Elizabeth Keeney, Managing Director of Social Work will be presenting at the 10th National Harm Reduction Conference in Baltimore, MD. The biannual conference, sponsored and organized by the Harm Reduction Coalition, is the only multidisciplinary gathering dedicated to improving the health and well-being of…
This week, Senator Charles Schumer proposed making trespassing on “critical infrastructure” — bridges, buildings, and the like — a federal offense, punishable by up to five years in prison. He pointed to the pair of German artists who this summer allegedly scaled the Brooklyn Bridge and replaced its American flags with white flags; a Russian…
“Every day, advocates at our office witness firsthand how the promise of due process held out by the 5th Amendment is unrealized by our non-citizen clients solely because of immigration status. Whenever ICE has lodged a detainer against a non-citizen client and the client’s criminal case carries potential immigration consequences, that client is unable to…
Written Comments of The Bronx Defenders New York City Council Joint Meeting of the Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services and the Committee on Juvenile Justice Good afternoon. My name is Dave Casellas, and I work as a client coordinator at The Bronx Defenders. In this role, I help Bronx Defenders clients and their families…
The multitude of black men killed by police led Maryam Monalisa Gharavi to call these last months “the Summer of Death” in her New Inquiry essay “The Killing Class.” In New York, police strangled grandfather Eric Garner. In Ohio, police gunned down John Crawford III in a Walmart while he was checking out an air…
It has been a very exciting year for the The Bronx Defenders’ Center for Holistic Defense! In May, we hosted the first annual Holistic Defense Symposium, which brought together representatives from 24 different organizations that are working to adopt holistic practices. In the coming weeks, we will begin meeting with our latest group of technical assistance sites. Since 2010,…
“Thanks to the City Council’s groundbreaking leadership on this issue, dozens of the Bronx residents we have represented are home with their families, supporting their children, and contributing to their communities” said Robin Steinberg, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders. “The proposed expansion will mean fairness and justice for more immigrant families in the Bronx.”…
The disturbing use of civil forfeiture by many cities and states to line their coffers has been on the rise, and Last Week Tonight took up the topic and framed it the only way most of us can understand: In the guise of a Law & Order episode. As The New Yorker put it in…
The Bronx Defenders Criminal Defense Attorney Porsha Shaf’on Venable was featured in a piece by NY City Lens, a news website produced by students at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, talking about her passion for being a public defender and serving the Bronx community: Public defender Shaf’on Venable wants to make a difference in her…
In this week’s New Yorker, I wrote about a sixteen-year-old boy from the Bronx named Kalief Browder, who was accused of robbery and confined on Rikers Island. He stayed there for three years, waiting for a trial that never happened. For the majority of that time, he was in solitary confinement, locked in a cell…
The Bronx Defenders is excited to share the news announced in a press release published by U.S. Congressman José E. Serrano yesterday that the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance has awarded renewed funding to The Bronx Defenders Center for Holistic Defense: Sep 29, 2014 | Issues: The Bronx Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Congressman José…
The 8th Amendment bans cruel and unusual punishment. Yet it happens every day in prisons across the country. Putting aside capital punishment, which I would argue is cruel and unusual on its face, Americans are ignoring a host of horrific conditions that inmates are subjected to. This is not only morally and constitutionally dangerous; it…
Bronx Defenders Criminal Defense Attorney Colby Dillon was featured this month in Northwestern University School of Law’s Children and Family Justice Center blog, Youth Matters, in their “Ask an Alum” column, speaking about her experience as a new public defender at The Bronx Defenders. Colby (JD ’13) works as a juvenile attorney at The Bronx Defenders in…
Yesterday, September 21, 2014, Bronx Defenders Family Defense Practice Supervising Attorney Mary Anne Mendenhall joined in a compelling discussion on NFL player Adrian Peterson’s ongoing child abuse case, offering keen insights into the experiences and challenges faced by Bronx Defenders clients in Bronx Family Court. The episode of Hot 97’s “Street Soldiers” with host Lisa Evers brought…
Keston Jones, Bronx Defenders Parent Advocate, will present at the New York State Social Work Education Association’s Conference on October 9, 2014. His talk is entitled “Focus on Fathers: Myths and Misconceptions about Low Income African American and Minority Fathers.” The presentation flows from Keston’s work with The Bronx Defenders Focus on Fathers project, which was developed to…
On Friday, September 19, 2014 at 2:30 PM Eastern, The Bronx Defenders Criminal Defense Attorney Mark Loudon-Brown will be instructing a National Association for Public Defense webinar entitled “DNA Basics for the Defense – A Primer to Get You Started.” The webinar will focus on the basics of DNA evidence, examining what DNA evidence is,…
NEW YORK (AP) — Wanda Coleman sits in the New York City public housing apartment where she’s lived for 25 years, surrounded by empty rooms, bare walls and suitcases lined up by the front door. Any day now, she and her teen daughter will be evicted and have no other option than to go to…
The following roundup features noteworthy news, reports and opinions on solitary confinement from the past week that have not been covered in other Solitary Watch posts. The American Civil Liberties Union released 26 reports alleging extensive abuses in Arizona’s prisons, including claims that individuals are being placed in solitary confinement because prison beds elsewhere are…
Inmates are placed in solitary confinement at Rikers Island for “inexcusably extreme” amounts of time, a new report charges, “egregiously disproportionate” to the infractions they are alleged to have committed. While in solitary, it can be difficult for inmates to get access to the most basic of services, including food, showers, and phone time. That’s…
‘The interviews expose a systemic practice that is unquestionably inhumane,’ concludes the report by The Bronx Defenders. Of the 59 inmates interviewed, some were as young as 16 — and their median age was 20. The “horrific conditions” endured by inmates in solitary confinement at Rikers Island are exposed in a report released Thursday by a…
NEW YORK — It took two hours during Monday’s packed City Council hearing with NYPD Commissioner William Bratton for someone to mention “broken windows.” It was council member Robert Cornegy (D-Brooklyn) who finally broached the subject, calling the controversial policing strategy the “5,000-pound elephant in the room.” Cornegy made the remark while questioning Bratton about…
NEW YORK — The New York City Police Department outlined a new tactical training program on Monday as the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio continues its efforts to mend the fractured relationship between the nation’s largest police force and the city’s minority communities. Speaking before the New York City Council Monday morning, police Commissioner…
The Bronx Defenders’ Written Comments for the New York City Council Committee on Public Safety Oversight: The Police Department’s Plan to Enhance Officer Trainings September 8, 2014 The Bronx Defenders is a holistic public defender located in the South Bronx. Each year we represent over 30,000 people arrested in Bronx County. Nearly all of our…
NEW YORK (AP) — When Curtis Edmund first heard that a government official had come by his Bronx home looking for him, he couldn’t figure out why. But he agreed to a meeting early this year, and when he arrived, he was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. Edmund, a longtime U.S….
The Bronx Defenders is proud to announce the start of its 2014 Training Teams as well as many new hires throughout the office. For the first time ever, The Bronx Defenders will welcome two training teams to the office. Throughout the next twelve months, our new attorneys will receive intensive training in holistic defense, working…
The fresh-faced lawyers included refugees from violence and persecution in Central America, as well as the grandchildren of refugees from Eastern Europe. They arrived at the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, in Manhattan, on Thursday in similar shades of gray and black suits, poised to continue their training in a new…
A highlight of the challenging and important work that the Arch City Defenders, one of The Bronx Defenders Center for Holistic Defense Training and Technical Assistance Sites, is doing in Missouri: Artez Hurston is curled up on a concrete bench in a Missouri jail cell, fast asleep. He snoozes peacefully, despite the fact that just…
The Bronx Defenders was at City Hall yesterday where Mayor de Blasio signed into law Intro-292A, which will bring increased transparency to the use of solitary confinement in New York City jails, an important first step toward ending this torturous practice. Under this law the Department of Corrections will be required to publish four reports a…
The Bronx Defenders Policy Organizer Kamau Butcher quoted in local news article about newly introduced legislation regarding voting while incarcerated. Although jail detainees are kept behind bars, City Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) says their votes should not be. Wills introduced a bill at last week’s Council meeting outlining a process for the city Department of Correction…
The Bronx Defenders was proud to be a part of the March for Justice on Staten Island last weekend to peacefully call for justice for Eric Garner, Ramarley Graham, and others who have been killed and/or brutalized by NYPD officers with little to no accountability or consequences for the involved police officers. Thousands joined the march through…
Families are the building blocks of every community. They are a primary source of identity and support for individuals in American society. However, in the Bronx – home to some of the poorest, most-under-resourced neighborhoods in the country – parents often struggle to retain the right to make basic decisions about their children, and families end…
The shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri has highlighted a racial divide in the way communities across the country perceive police practices and the criminal justice system as a whole. The statistics seem to tell a specific story. According to the Pew Research Center, compared to their white counterparts, black men are more than…
Capital New York’s ‘Playbook’ highlights statement from Justine Olderman, Managing Director of The Bronx Defenders Criminal Practice as its “Quote of the Day” “The NYPD trots out this justification that they’re arresting people for minor infractions as a way of keeping violent crime down, and yet there is no evidence to show that there’s any correlation…
Activistas y concejales municipales exigieron a viva voz reformas en las prisiones de la ciudad. El grupo se congregó el lunes en las escalinatas de la alcaldía en donde, de paso, se entregaron más detalles de un proyecto de ley que quiere que los Departamentos de Correccionales y de Salud publiquen información detallada sobre los…
The Bronx Defenders offers its condolences and support to the family of Mike Brown and to the entire Ferguson community. We join its residents in calling for an immediate, transparent, and independent investigation into the tragic and devastating death of this young man. We also salute peaceful protesters who are bravely demanding accountability and drawing…
Fare-beating arrests have increased 69% — from 14,681 in 2008 to 24,747 in 2013 — and are on pace to be slightly higher this year. Nearly 37,500 people have gotten sentences for the $2.50 crime that involved incarceration, including time-served, and 1,802 of those people were minors, according to data obtained by the Daily News….
The Bronx Defenders Managing Director of the Criminal Defense Practice, Justine Olderman, is featured in New York Daily News’s ‘Voice of the People for August 13, 2014’ in a letter to the editor responding to the unfortunate repercussions in a recent incident of a Bronx Judge barring an assistant district attorney from the courtroom for…
Last month, The National Organization of Forensic Social Work (NOFSW) held its annual conference, which took place this year in New York at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus. Several social workers and one attorney from The Bronx Defenders attended the conference, including four staff members who presented. Participation in the conference not only presented an exciting learning and…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 11, 2014 Contact: Molly Kovel, The Bronx Defenders, 718-508-3421 or MollyK@bronxdefenders.org THE CONSEQUENCES OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS IN NEW YORK STATE, A Comprehensively Updated Guide for Criminal Defense Attorneys, Civil Legal Services Attorneys, and Other Reentry Advocates New York – Today, The Bronx Defenders released an expansive update to our landmark manual detailing…
Every year in New York City, thousands of people who are victims of sex trafficking are arrested, charged, and ultimately convicted of prostitution-related offenses. Due to New York City’s zero-tolerance policing, many of these people are arrested multiple times and face repeated prosecutions. Convictions for prostitution carry an enormous stigma and make it extremely difficult…
The Bronx Defenders condemns the conditions adolescents at Rikers Island are being held in and the treatment they are subjected to as outlined in the August 4, 2014 report by United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Barara. For too long, the city of New York has neglected adolescents involved in the…
“There is no excuse for an illegal chokehold by the NYPD. We need policing FOR our communities, not against them.” -Donna Lieberman, Executive Director, New York Civil Liberties Union Earlier today, The Bronx Defenders rallied together with community allies at a press conference hosted by Communities United for Police Reform at City Hall to demand accountability for…
A few years ago, a young black man named DeMarcus Sanders got pulled over in Waterloo, Iowa, because a cop thought he was playing music too loud. DeMarcus didn’t expect his car to be searched, or to get arrested when the officer discovered a small amount of marijuana. He also didn’t expect to spend 30…
An investigation by NBC 4 New York’s partners at WNYC shows that it’s not uncommon for low-level arrests to spiral dangerously out of control – in some cases leaving people accused of minor offenses seriously hurt. Chris Glorioso reports. The Bronx Defenders Robin Steinberg comments on disproportionate use of force in low-level arrests in New York City. To…
WNYC’s Robert Lewis investigates the NYPD’s embrace of the “broken windows” theory in the wake of the recent death of Staten Island resident Eric Garner. The Bronx Defenders Executive Director Robin Steinberg is interviewed to shed light on these issues. Many across New York are still struggling to understand how Eric Garner — the Staten Island…
Taking a step back from the daily fight in and outside of the courtroom for our clients and their families, Bronx Defenders staff and summer interns hit the court this week to test their skills on the court at our annual Interns vs. Staff basketball game. Regarding the winner…the jury is still out.
Read Bronx Defenders Summer Legal Intern Shaun Ossei-Owusu’s powerful commentary on police brutality in New York City, responding to the recent death of Staten Island resident Eric Garner at the hands of the NYPD. Another unarmed man dies after cops take it too far. Inside the chokehold’s sordid, deadly history. The streets, social media, and the…
“We need to hold the police department as a whole accountable for the culture that allows for police officers to regularly profile people of color, target them, [and] use physical force against them.” The Bronx Defenders Criminal Defense Attorney and Director of Strategic Initiatives Kumar Rao appeared on HuffPost Live last night, hosted by Ricky…
Read The Bronx Defenders’ Skylar Albertson’s “Letter to Editor” published in The New York Times in response to their recent article on mental illness among inmates at Rikers Island: To the Editor: “Where Mental Illness Meets Brutality in Jail” (front page, July 14) paints a horrifying but accurate picture of the abuse that mentally ill…
The Center for Holistic Defense at The Bronx Defenders The 2014 Holistic Defense for Public Defender Offices Technical Assistance Project Request For Proposals The Center for Holistic Defense, a project of The Bronx Defenders, is pleased to announce the release of its fifth annual Technical Assistance Project Request For Proposals seeking applications from public defender…
The difference between being saddled with a criminal record and keeping one’s profile clean often comes down to a person’s ability to come up with bail money, a new report from The Bronx Freedom Fund shows. The fund, launched in 2007 and reopened in October 2013, four years after a judge ordered it to cease…
Bronx News 12 featured The Bronx Defenders 2014 Community Block Party. To see the article click here.
The Bronx Defenders 2014 Community Block Party was listed among TimeOut Magazine’s “26 awesome things happening in New York” in the week of July 7, 2014. TimeOut wrote: The Bronx Defenders Community Block Party; E 160th St The Bronx Defenders are a group of real-life superheroes. They don’t need a mask and a cape, though,…
“We need to intervene more deeply, involve ourselves more broadly, and understand the lives of our clients more fully. We need to fight on behalf of individuals but we need to also mobilize communities to be warriors in the broader struggle of social and racial justice.” Bronx Defenders Executive Director Robin Steinberg gave an inspiring keynote speech…
June 26, 2014 The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo Governor of New York State NYS State Capitol Building Albany, NY 12224 RE: Sign S7883/A10139 to Add 25 More Family Court Judges Dear Governor Cuomo: The Bronx Defenders is a proud member of the New York State Coalition for More Family Court Judges. We urge you to…
For June’s National Reunification Month, organizations around the country celebrated the perseverance and resilience of parents reunifying with children from foster care and of the professionals who support them. On June 13, the family defense organization The Bronx Defenders hosted a reunification celebration, with food, face painting, performances, and families coming together to celebrate the…
Building upon the pilot project implemented by The Bronx Defenders, together with Brooklyn Defender Services, over the past year, The New York City Council announces approval for renewed funding to provide legal representation to undocumented immigrants in New York City at Varick Street in Manhattan as well as in Newark and Elizabeth, N.J. A long-sought…
Request for Proposals Civil Forfeiture Video Project Submission Date: July 2, 2014 Organization Overview The Bronx Defenders is a community-based, multi-service legal organization dedicated to addressing the underlying problems of poverty in the Bronx by providing innovative, holistic, and client-centered criminal defense, family defense, civil legal services, and social services to indigent Bronx residents. Our…
SAVE THE DATE The Bronx Defenders invites you to the 2014 SUMMER BENEFIT The South Cabana at The Maritime Hotel Tuesday, July 15th | 7:00 pm | 88 Ninth Avenue, New York City (entrance is at the corner of 16th Street & Ninth Avenue) Please join us on this summer evening to enjoy cocktails and…
Last week we hosted our annual Celebration of Families night to honor our clients who have been reunited with their children after arduous battles in Bronx Family Court. The evening provided our clients and their families an opportunity to share their stories, connect with one another, and take a moment to celebrate their perseverance after a difficult and…
On Thursday, June 12th, 2014, The Bronx Defenders’ Skylar Albertson delivered testimony at the Joint Meeting of the Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services and the Committee on Mental Health, Development Disability, Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Disability Services Solitary Confinement Hearing. Since January, Albertson and Social Work Intern Leah Baez have conducted 23 interviews with…
The Bronx Defenders joined Council Member Mark Levine and the Coalition for Justice in Housing Court on the steps of City Hall on Thursday, June 11th, to rally for the “Right to Counsel” in Housing Court. A total of 246,864 New Yorkers were served with eviction papers in 2013. Nearly 99% of these tenants were…
Yesterday afternoon The Bronx Defenders welcomed a group of 20 middle schoolers from the LAUNCH Expeditionary Learning Charter School in Brooklyn to our Justice Campus to read aloud closing arguments they had prepared and to receive feedback from a panel of Bronx Defenders attorneys and summer interns. The students’ field trip was inspired by their reading of Walter…
Numbers don’t lie: More than 70% of immigrants, documented or not, who face deportation proceedings in New York City do not have legal representation, an unfair situation which practically guarantees their removal. “Without a lawyer, immigrants’ opportunity to win their deportation cases is about 3%,” said Angela Fernández, the executive director of the Northern Manhattan…
On June 13, 2014, The Bronx Defenders will host our Fourth Annual Celebration of Families, honoring our clients who have reunited with their children after being separated by foster care. In the spirit of National Reunification Month, a time designated by the American Bar Association to reflect upon the innumerable value of reunifying fragmented families, the Celebration of Families is…
Join us Monday, June 9th at 5pm at The Bronx Defenders Justice Campus for a community event to discuss the introduction a new marijuana decriminalization bill. The Bronx Defenders, together with VOCAL New York and the Drug Policy Alliance, are hosting this event to mobilize Bronx residents and brainstorm how community members can help support this important legislation. Click here to…
On Friday, May 30, 2014, 100 Bronx Defenders clients who are fathers visited Yankee Stadium together with their children to see the New York Yankees host the Minnesota Twins. The tickets were donated to The Bronx Defenders’ Focus on Fathers program by the New York Yankees organization. The evening offered a chance for these Bronx…
Robin Steinberg: On Changing the Criminal Justice System Robin Steinberg is founder and executive director of the Bronx Defenders, a public defender organization in the Bronx, New York City. Started in 1997 with a team of 8, The Bronx Defenders pioneered a new model for public defense, dubbed “holistic defense,” and today handles approximately 30,000…
NEW YORK — At first glance, the classroom in the Betances Community Center in the South Bronx last night appeared like a typical children’s classroom. A stuffed lion with a smile sewn into his mouth sat atop an emergency aid kit. A paper cut-out of a grinning fish held a sign with a self-esteem boosting…
We are very excited to welcome our summer 2014 interns today! Over the course of the next 10 weeks, 52 law school students and 15 college students from over 25 different schools will work together with attorneys and advocates in our Family Defense Practice, Criminal Defense Practice, Civil Action Practice, Immigration Practice, Policy & Community…
Robin Steinberg, Founder and Executive Director of The Bronx Directors, will speak on a panel at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance conference “A Collaborative Approach to Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance in Tribal Justice Systems” in Washington State next Tuesday, May 27th. The panel will explore the holistic defense model and…
Today wrapped up the sixth and final day The Bronx Defenders 2014 Defenders’ Academy Spring Training! Over the course of the past week, 78 participants from over 20 different organizations – ranging from public defender offices to private firms to the U.S. military – have participated in an intensive trial skills program designed to strengthen…
Join The Bronx Defenders, together with a host of other partners, on May 29 & 31 for Theater of the Oppressed NYC‘s 2nd Annual Festival of Forum and Legislative Theater Can’t Get Right: Investigating Racism and Profiling in the Criminal Justice System. (more…)
Former Bronx Defenders Trial Chief, David Feige, writes about bail challenges and the successes of The Bronx Freedom Fund in Huffington Post’s The Blog: $500 makes all the difference. For thousands of indigent criminal defendants in New York City, $500 is all that stands between weeks on Riker’s Island and being branded with a criminal conviction,…
Accessible and affordable housing is a critical issue confronting many of our clients here at The Bronx Defenders. With nearly 30% of the individuals and families in this borough living under the poverty line, many Bronx residents struggle to meet basic needs and maintain stability in their daily lives. In response, our Civil Action Practice focuses…
WNYC interviews The Bronx Defenders’ Robin Steinberg about bail inequity and the work of The Bronx Freedom Fund. (more…)
This week The Bronx Defenders hosted our 2nd Annual Youth Justice Summit! The Summit brought together at our Justice Campus over 100 students from 5 different schools to participate in a series of 12 workshops facilitated by our allies at The Point, Drug Policy Alliance, the Juvenile Justice Project, and the Justice Committee. Students from…
Last week The Bronx Defenders invited fellow public defenders and advocates from 24 organizations – including 18 public defender offices – across the U.S. to its first Holistic Defense round table. The two-day gathering represented the first opportunity to convene in one room a group of innovators and trailblazers who are challenging traditional criminal justice…
A recent article in Congressional Quarterly, by Christina Carr, highlights the effectiveness of The Bronx Defenders’ New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) and its potential for scalability. The pilot project, which started late last year with funding from the New York City Council, is the first institutionally-provided public defender program in the country for immigrants…
This week, Bronx Defenders Family Defense Attorney Keith Baumann, in collaboration with Brooklyn Defender Services, led a training at Legal Services NYC on defending termination of parental rights (TPR) cases based on permanent neglect.
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Last week, Criminal Defense Attorney Mark Sedlander joined forces with Harlem Village Academies (HVA) at their High School Career Fair to talk to teens about what it’s like to be a lawyer. HVA’s Student Development Manager shared feedback from several high schoolers following the fair who mentioned Mark’s table as a stand-out; they were thrilled…
The Bronx Defenders’ Kumar Rao is quoted in Al Jazeera America regarding concerns over unreasonable searches and seizures.
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Bronx Defenders Civil Action Practice Attorney Karen Maxim spoke with a delegation of Chinese law professors and research scholars on Tuesday, April 22nd, as part of a presentation on pretrial services in the Bronx. Karen spoke about the importance of early advocacy to Holistic Defense and also discussed some the of The Bronx Defenders’ recent…
In a recent piece in The Boston Globe, Professor Elizabeth Bartholet calls for states to test infants for illegal drugs and report those with positive screens to child welfare authorities so they can be taken away from their families and placed in the foster care system. Bartholet’s presumption that evidence of drug use is evidence…
Excerpt: “Five years ago Harvey and two law-school buddies — Michael-John Voss and John McAnnar — founded ArchCity Defenders, a nonprofit with a mission to rescue those caught up in this legal morass. But more than just offering legal aid to the indigent, ArchCity Defenders works to help its clients improve their overall lives, be…
On April 22, 2014, a delegation from the government of Singapore visited The Bronx Defenders Justice Campus to learn more about Holistic Defense. The group, led by Senior Minister of State Indranee Rajah, is planning the development of a practice-focused law school in Singapore. They hope to incorporate aspects of Holistic Defense into the school’s…
The Albert Cobarrubias Justice Project writes about The Bronx Defenders Justice Campus: It’s not often lawyers at a public defender’s office are excited to show you around their building. And that’s usually for good reason – you’ve seen one defender office, you’ve seen them all. A lobby with a bullet proof glass window clients approach…
Inside City Hall asked a panel of advocates – Kate Rubin, the managing director of civil action practice for the legal organization “The Bronx Defenders”; Rashad Robinson, the executive director of the advocacy group “Color of Change”; Babe Howell, an associate professor at CUNY’s School of Law; and Fahd Ahmed, the legal and policy director…
People who most need relief during tax season are routinely victimized by exploitative tax preparers who, lacking regulation, target poor people and charge exorbitant rates, a problem highlighted in a recent New York Times article. Individuals end up with much reduced tax refunds as a result of the tax preparers’ high fees or are penalized…
On April 16, 2014, Pro Bono Attorney Annie Pineda will be speaking at a Practice Law Institute Seminar entitled “How to Handle Your First Pro Bono Case in New York 2014.” From PLI: “Pro bono representation is a vital component to ensuring access to justice for low-income New Yorkers. In addition, New York State now…
The criminal justice system can sometimes feed the poverty cycle, even for people who are eventually found not guilty. The Bronx Defenders is helping low-income defendants navigate the justice system.
NPR’s Tell Me More program interviews Executive Director Robin Steinberg and a Bronx Defenders client about the impact of our work at The Bronx Defenders.
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Alberto Ramos was a 21-year-old college student and part-time substitute teacher’s aide, aspiring to be a teacher, when he was accused and then convicted in 1985 of raping a five-year-old in the Bronx day-care center where he worked. In a case based largely on the child’s sworn testimony, Ramos was accused of taking a girl…
De esta manera un grupo de personas en proceso de deportación están recibiendo ayuda legal para su condición en EE.UU. (more…)
Un proyecto que se adelanta en la ciudad de Nueva York ayuda a cientos de indocumentados de escasos recursos a que no sean deportados. (more…)
California is no stranger to holistic medicine, holistic massage or holistic music (think soothing nature sounds). There’s even a pet store in Berkeley called the Holistic Hound. Now comes a new twist on the notion — holistic criminal defense. Touchy-feely as it may sound, none other than the U.S. Department of Justice is supporting efforts…
Watch Criminal Defense Practice Supervisor Michael Oppenheimer and Bronx Defenders client James Broadus on ABC’s ‘Here and Now’ discussing Holistic Defense, the work of the organization, and the impact of the Bronx Freedom Fund. ‘Here and Now’ is a weekly one hour program, airing on ABC in New York City, dedicated to covering the issues and…
Brian Lehrer, of WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show, discusses crime rates, policing strategies, and criminal justice policy in New York City during Mayor Bill de Blasio’s first months in office with Murray Weiss, criminal justice reporter and editor for DNAInfo, and with The Bronx Defenders’ Robin Steinberg. Listen to the full segment on WNYC here.
The Bronx Defenders’ Focus on Fathers project is inspiring discussion in New York City about the unique challenges fathers face in family court proceedings that involve their children. On February 6, 2014, Focus on Fathers coordinators, Mara Fleder, a Family Defense Attorney, and Keston Jones, a Parent Advocate, organized and participated on a Continuing Legal…
NEW YORK — Anderson Cadet arrived at the Varick Street courthouse in an orange jumpsuit, shackled at the wrists, prepared to fight his deportation without an attorney. In immigration court, there is generally no right to free legal counsel. Many immigrants represent themselves. But on this cold February morning, Cadet was greeted by a public…
On March 14, 2014, Jenay Nurse, Director of The Bronx Defenders Adolescent Defense Project, will facilitate a breakout session at CUNY’s 3rd Annual Supporting Excellence Conference. Jenay will lead a discussion entitled “Utilizing a Holistic Defense Model to Address the Problems Faced by Teens who are Prosecuted as Adults.” From CUNY: This year, the Supporting Excellence…
On April 4, 2014, Criminal Defense Practice Supervisor Mark Loudon-Brown will lead a panel at the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers ‘Cross to Kill’ CLE. The panel will discuss strategies and techniques related to cross examining DNA experts at trial. From NYSACDL: The introduction of scientific and medical witnesses and evidence present…
In the new, gentrified post-9/11 New York City, gone are the days when a visitor’s trip to Times Square might include aggressive panhandling, a mugging or an uncomfortable exchange with a prostitute. But gone, too, are $900 apartments in the East Village, Soho artists lofts that artists can actually afford and $150-a-night hotel rooms that…
The Center for Holistic Defense 2014 Symposium May 7-9, 2014 The Center for Holistic Defense 2014 Symposium will bring together public defenders leaders and practitioners from across the country for a series of intensive workshops and discussions on holistic defense. By invite only. Questions: Contact Skylar at SkylarA@bronxdefenders.org
Robin Steinberg, Founder and Executive Director of The Bronx Directors, is delivering the keynote address at the 2014 RebLaw Conference at Yale Law School. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the annual Rebellious Lawyering Conference. RebLaw is the nation’s largest student-run public interest conference. Every year the conference brings together practitioners, law students, and…
NUEVA YORK (AP) — Oscar Hernández se disponía a firmar su orden de deportación a México cuando un joven abogado que no conocía se presentó en la corte migratoria de Nueva York y le convenció de que no lo hiciera. Ahora Hernández ya no lleva el uniforme naranja de preso: camina libre, trabaja y estudia…
Nueva York — Sentados en fila sucesiva en una modesta banqueta y mirando casi todo el tiempo al suelo, cinco personas esposadas y con indumentaria color naranja aguardaban ayer su turno para acercarse a la mesa de la juez de la Corte de Inmigración de Nueva York, Noelle Brennan. Es una imagen habitual en esa…
In the 1990s, a time of vexing homicide rates in cities across the country, William J. Bratton left the New York Police Department and began marketing the crime-fighting techniques he had deployed so successfully here to other municipalities struggling with rampant disorder. At the time, business and civic leaders in Birmingham, Ala., brought him on…
As a Public Benefits Advisor at The Bronx Defenders, I have seen the devastating effects of the recent cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP benefits – formerly called “food stamps” – help low-income Americans feed their families. When Congress allowed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to sunset on November 1st of…
The Bronx Defenders welcomes the concrete step taken today by the de Blasio administration to drop New York City’s appeal of the federal district court rulings in the stop-and-frisk cases. Today, the City has filed a motion in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that seeks a remand to the Southern District to resolve these…
A motion to resolve two cases that accuse the New York City Police Department of unconstitutional stop-and-frisk practices was filed Thursday in the New York City-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the proposed settlement at a Thursday press conference. According to a statement from his office, the city and…
In October, James Broadus II, then 31, was arrested in Co-op City, the Bronx, and charged with petty larceny and assault. He was accused of taking a book bag from one man and choking another. A judge set bail at $1,000. But Mr. Broadus, who had been working odd jobs, had no savings. His closest…
Allan Wolper is known as a “journalist’s journalist.” A superb interviewer, reporter, documentary producer and ethics columnist, he has been honored by every journalism medium. Wolper has won over 50 awards, including, television’s prestigious Alfred I. duPont/Columbia University Award – the Pulitzer Prize of broadcast news. Click here to listen to Allan interview our Executive…
Women across the country are often tested for drugs without consent and punished with government interventions when results are positive. Advocates say “test and report” is the “stop and frisk” of the curtained world of juvenile protection agencies… “There is very little attention to how the drug war is perpetrated in the child welfare system,”…
We are deeply saddened to hear that we have lost our longtime friend and colleague, Alfred Siegel. Al was one of our greatest allies in the fight for justice. He dedicated his life to creating a fair and humane justice system. The Center for Court Innovation and The Bronx Defenders have partnered extensively, and it would…
Most people in the south Bronx have an opinion on the NYPD’s stop and frisk tactic. In the face of mounting public and legal pressure, officers have more than halved the use of it city-wide, from over 500,000 instances in 2012 to nearly 200,000 in 2013. But this part of New York, just north of…
It’s been interesting to watch as outlets outside legal and criminal justice circles pick up on the outrage that is civil asset forfeiture. Though it’s been going on for more than 30 years, most people just aren’t aware of it. And they’re pretty astonished when they learn about it. The latest investigation comes from Gothamist,…
Critics of the Bloomberg administration’s police policies say they’re concerned about the direction of the department under Bill de Blasio after learning that NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton planned to hire an author of the Broken Windows theory. The theory emphasizes strict enforcement of quality-of-life crimes as a way to deter more serious and violent crime……
In the middle of the night in March of 2012, NYPD officers burst into the Bronx home of Gerald Bryan, ransacking his belongings, tearing out light fixtures, punching through walls, and confiscating $4,800 in cash. Bryan, 42, was taken into custody on suspected felony drug distribution, as the police continued their warrantless search. Over a…
The Bronx Defenders is thrilled to announce the selection of Kate Rubin as the Managing Director of its Civil Action Practice. Kate will oversee a critical component of The Bronx Defenders’ groundbreaking holistic defense practice, which provides our clients with the civil legal services that they need to address the devastating collateral consequences of criminal…
For Christa Douaihy (’08), the roots of her HIV/AIDS justice work go deep, back to the early 1990s in Scranton, PA. “At that time, the AIDS crisis was still acute,” remembers Douaihy. So was public panic and misunderstanding about the disease and its transmission. “Deep societal ills of racism, homophobia, and fear fueled the AIDS…
Bronx, NY — On Saturday, November 16th, members of the Bronx School Justice coalition held a public report back on a year’s worth of work to reduce punitive disciplinary measures in Bronx public schools. Instead they are advocating for the use of restorative justice practices and positive disciplinary alternatives in schools. Nearly 120 community members…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 9, 2013 Contact: Molly Kovel, The Bronx Defenders, (718) 508-3421 The Bronx Defenders Announces the Release of “A Marijuana Arrest” on BuzzFeed “A Marijuana Arrest” is a short film collaboration between filmmakers Julie Dressner and Jesse Hicks and advocates from The Bronx Defenders. Bronx, NY – The Bronx Defenders announces BuzzFeed’s…
Watch Bronx Defenders Attorneys Phil Hamilton, Molly Kovel and Scott Levy interviewed in a Buzzfeed documentary regarding their representation of client Alberto Willmore.
The New York Times Magazine: Letter to the 11.17.13 Issue Misty and Jon are rightfully praised for opening their home. But your article missed an opportunity to critically examine the foster-care system from which this couple adopted so many children. The paucity of families willing to adopt is not the main problem; it’s that too…
“The court helped find my son not only a lawyer but an angel” – Brunilda Fontanillas Rico’s mother, Brunilda Fontanillas, says she and her son couldn’t afford a private attorney. He was detained in October after an earlier landlord-tenant dispute that escalated into an arrest. Rico’s attorney says that as a lawful permanent resident who…
This Thanksgiving The Takeaway brings you some great conversations from the last year and an hour of pioneering female voices. First, a conversation between Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and our host John Hockenberry offers an insight into the incredible career of Justice Ginsburg. Next you will hear from Robin Steinberg, founder and director…
Join us for a FREE screening of the award winning documentary, The House I Live In. Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at 6 PM Abundant Life Church 650 Washington Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11238 View the event flyer. Following the screening will be a panel discussion with: Assemblyman Karim Camera, District 43 Soffiyah Elijah, Executive Director, Correctional Association…
The deaths of three young children in a Bronx fire last month exposed the harsh living conditions of many impoverished New Yorkers, but the family’s treatment by city authorities in the wake of this tragedy deserves equal scrutiny. The tragic loss of these children is grief unimaginable for their parents. But New York City’s response…
Watch Molly Kovel, Civil Action Practice Attorney, discuss Stop & Frisk on “Today’s Verdict”. “Today’s Verdict” is a live, half-hour television talk show that provides you with the answers to all your important questions and concerns. Hosted by David Lesch, a Bronx Native and an outstanding trial attorney. See the video here.
The Bronx Defenders “Dining with Defenders” Thanksgiving Feast is this Thursday, November 28, 2013 from 11:30 am – 2:30 pm. Join us for turkey, sides and delicious pies! At The Bronx Defenders community reception space: 360 East 161st Street Bronx, NY 10451 Free for clients, families, and guests! RSVP encouraged but not required. Please call Porsha at (718)…
Our contract with New York City’s Office of the Criminal Justice Coordinator was recently amended to include representation in ‘conflicts’ cases. These are criminal cases with more than one suspect or defendant involved in related criminal proceedings. The interests of one may ‘conflict’ with another and so separate counsel is assigned. We will eventually handle…
Watch Scott Levy and Molly Kovel on Norwegian Broadcasting. Watch here.
Activistas y vecinos de los edificios de vivienda pública Betances Houses buscan difundir una encuesta bilingüe relacionada con prácticas policiales como “Stop & Frisk.” Por: Zaira Cortés/EDLP El Bronx — Alegando detenciones por perfil racial en vecindarios del sur de El Bronx, residentes solicitarán al nuevo alcalde Bill de Blasio mayor vigilancia a las prácticas…
Experts in nonprofits often call management the “non-sexy” part of philanthropy. It’s true: Sharpening strategies and refining management techniques aren’t as appealing as feeding children or building an arts center. But in recent weeks, I’ve been reminded that management is, in its own way, sexy. I’ve been hearing a lot about effective management because we…
Emma Ketteringham, Managing Attorney of the Family Defense Practice, and Dinah Ortiz, Parent Advocate, spoke at a discussion on November 19, 2013 at the Open Society Foundations in New York. They spoke alongside other experts regarding the war on drugs, child welfare, and junk science. The discussion followed the screening of a new film from…
NEW YORK, Nov. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Open Society Foundations are proud to host National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW) for a groundbreaking event on November 19th in New York City that will explore the drug war’s impact on pregnant women and families. Drug war propaganda is increasingly being used to justify repressive policies toward…
LAST year, the Bronx Defenders, which represents poor people in criminal court, tried to have suppression hearings in 54 cases involving marijuana possession. In such hearings, the police officer would have been required to testify about the circumstances under which the marijuana was found. If it was the result of an illegal search, the judge…
Join us on December 6, 2013 from 6-9pm at Sway Lounge for a holiday fundraiser for our clients’ families. Our goal is to raise funds to provide a wonderful holiday experience for our clients, their children and their families. For $20 donation, you can hear about our work, enjoy a few drinks, and make a…
Like the other 13 detainees set to appear before an immigration judge on Wednesday afternoon, Maximiliano Ortiz had been roused in the wee hours of the morning from his cell in a county jail. Facing the judge at the Varick Street Immigration Court in Lower Manhattan, clothed in an orange jumpsuit, he looked groggy. “Are…
New York, New York, November 7, 2013 — Now, for the first time in the United States, detained immigrants who cannot afford attorneys of their own will be provided with court-appointed deportation defense counsel through the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP). Funded through the New York City Council, this first-in-the-nation pilot program, will…
The new initiative, called the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, emerged from several years of study and lobbying among immigration lawyers and immigrants’ advocates. They were concerned that the absence of competent legal representation for many of New York’s immigrant detainees was resulting in unnecessary deportations that ruptured families and put an undue financial…
We need your help! The Bronx Defenders has created a Blueprint for Public Safety in the Bronx Survey to present to the next Mayor of New York City in January. Provide your input on how together we can make the Bronx safer for everyone. If you have five minutes, we just have a few quick…
Bronx residents who can’t make their bail now have a financial backer who can help them avoid jail time. The Bronx Freedom Fund has already helped five cash-strapped defendants charged with misdemeanor crimes avoid pretrial detention since it launched last week. Clients, many of whom have no prior arrests and face minor drug charges, are…
Jahlanni Greene, 17, is a happy high school student. Aki Ferguson, 25, is a butcher. Jason Stewart, 32, is a maintenance worker. All three lead different lives and are different ages, but they are all black men, they all live in Hunts Point and they have all been stopped and frisked by the officers of…
The Bronx Defenders, with a staff of about 200 advocates, provides support and services inside and outside the courtroom to more than 30,000 clients year. The Bronx Defenders notes that one in three people arrested are never convicted of a crime, yet they suffer drastic collateral consequences from their arrest alone. Up to 40 percent…
Daryl Rodrigues is someone who can find some good in just about anyone ensnared in the justice system for crimes they often, but not always, committed. As director of the Thurston County Office of Assigned Counsel, he has plenty of opportunity to search for redeeming qualities in defendants. He oversees 17 attorneys, two paralegals and…
On Saturday, October 26th, Emma Ketteringham, Managing Attorney of the Bronx Defenders’ Family Defense Practice, was a panelist for a roundtable discussion on the drug war’s impact on the criminal justice system during the 2013 International Drug Policy Reform Conference. The International Drug Policy Reform Conference is an event that happens every two years with…
This week, Channel 4 news brought attention to the harm being caused to families by the lack of resources provided to New York City Family Courts. For those of us at The Bronx Defenders who represent parents in Bronx Family Court, the investigation revealed a devastating daily reality: family court can be a saddening and…
Former U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy once said: “What has been demonstrated here is that usually only one factor determines whether a defendant stays in jail before he comes to trial. That factor is not guilt or innocence. It is not the nature of the crime. It is not the character of the defendant. That…
On a recent afternoon in the South Bronx, Cordice Smith, a 79-year-old Korean War veteran wearing a Yankees hat, was standing in the tiled lobby of his apartment building — something he no longer takes for granted. Earlier this year, he almost lost his home after receiving a letter from his landlord’s lawyer: an eviction…
The Bronx Defenders Announced as Finalist for Nonprofit Excellence Awards The Bronx Defenders has been selected as one of six finalists for the 2013 New York Community Trust-New York Magazine Nonprofit Excellence Awards. The finalists were chosen in part due to their ability to improve services with thoughtful and well-executed strategies. The six finalists were selected…
This past weekend, The Bronx Defenders participated in The 7th Annual Hunts Point Hustle, a non-competitive 5K run/walk event that started at Hunts Point Riverside Park and finished at Barretto Point Park. Proceeds from the Hustle will support host organization Sustainable South Bronx’s work promoting the development and beautification of the South Bronx Greenway. The…
In some neighborhoods in this city, it’s not uncommon for people to file an allegation of child abuse or neglect to settle a grudge. In a meeting with City Limits, lawyers and social workers from The Bronx Defenders, which represents parents with child welfare cases in the Bronx, described a string of such cases: a…
Aiming to foster the rights of immigrants and to keep their families together, two legal services organizations, the Bronx Defenders and Brooklyn Defender Services, have been picked for a unique pilot project to represent indigent detainees facing deportation. The two organizations will form the New York Immigrant Defenders, which will take on 166 cases in…
In the 2010 case Padilla v. Kentucky, the Supreme Court ruled that criminal defense attorneys must explain the potential immigration consequences of criminal case dispositions to their clients. This past week, the New York City Council Committee on Immigration heard testimony regarding attorney compliance with the ruling in Padilla. Bronx Defenders Immigration Attorney Sarah Deri…
The Bronx Defenders will screen its new training video, “Redefining Holistic Defense: Stories of Holistic Advocacy,” for the first time on Wednesday, September 25th at Berkeley Law. Berkeley Law Boalt Hall, Room 100 12:45 to 1:45 pm A project of The Center for Holistic Defense, “Redefining Holistic Defense,” follows the stories of four South Bronx…
Robin Steinberg, Executive Director, and Marika Meis, Legal Director, attended a conference and contributed to a sweeping report coordinated by the Brennan Center and NACDL regarding racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system. According to NACDL, the report summarizes the “candid, sometimes painful panel discussions, and identifies a panoply of remedies that may advance…
Our 2013 Partner in the Pursuit of Justice, Abe Krash, receives the Lifetime Achievers Award from The American Lawyer’s. The American Lawyer has announced that Arnold & Porter LLP retired partner Abe Krash is a recipient of its 2013 Lifetime Achievers Award. Since its inception in 2007, the magazine’s annual award is conferred upon several…
The Bronx Defenders is proud to announce the start of our 2013 training team. During the first year, our new attorneys will receive intensive training in Holistic Defense, working alongside our experienced Criminal, Family, and Civil Attorneys, as well as our Social Workers, Policy and Community Organizers and Community Intake team. Welcome to our new…
Brenda Zubay and Lisa Beneventano, Social Workers in The Bronx Defenders Family Defense Practice, were interviewed in the Fall 2013 issue of Rise Magazine. In the article, they discuss the benefits and dangers of revealing past trauma in court, and explain the importance of parents taking control of their story before the court takes control…
Join us this Sunday to watch a reading of a new play: Four Little Girls Streamed LIVE from Washington, DC We invite the Bronx community to join us for a special screening of the play “Four Little Girls” in our reception space on Sunday, Sept. 15 at 5:30 PM. We are going to live-stream the reading…
Richard French speaks with the Chief Judge of New York State, Jonathan Lippman and with Justine Olderman of The Bronx Defenders about the current state of the jail and bail system in New York State. Justine Olderman: “We can say, ideally, it is about the presumption of innocence; it’s about the right to trial; it’s…
Despite news headlines almost daily this summer about New York City’s controversial stop-and-frisk police tactics, most journalists missed a key component in explaining why the worst abuses of this policy, in place for over a decade, have been curtailed. Had it not been for the grassroots activists, and financial support from a few courageous foundations…
How Can You Represent Those People? is the first-ever collection of essays offering a response to the “Cocktail Party Question” asked of every criminal lawyer: how do you represent the accused? The contributors are a diverse group of prominent lawyers and rising stars, each offering a different—and often very personal— perspective on “the Question.” Many…
In an August 9, 2013 New York Post article headlined “Easiest Walk for Bx ‘High Risk’ Defendants,” the Mayor’s office takes a position that is in contravention of state law, ignores the facts about rates of return, and turns a blind eye to the growing movement for bail reform. After analyzing data showing that judges…
U.S. Disctrict Court Judge Shira Scheindlin handed down two landmark opinions on Monday. In Floyd v. City of New York, a federal class action lawsuit challenging racial profiling by the NYPD, Judge Scheindlin ruled that the NYPD’s stop and frisk program violates the Constitution. A second order laying out remedies covers both Floyd and part…
Volunteer today with The Bronx Defenders Organizing Project to register voters. The deadline is this Friday to register to be able to vote in the NYC primaries on Sept. 10th. Join us to register as many Bronx residents as possible. If you’re interested and available, please join us! Email Kamaub@bronxdefenders.org or meet us at 3pm at…
The Bronx Defenders Announced as Semifinalist for Nonprofit Excellence Awards Two Local Organizations Selected For Outstanding Management Practices NEW YORK (Aug. 13, 2013) – BronxWorks and Bronx Defenders have been chosen as two of the ten semifinalists for the 2013 New York Community Trust-New YorkMagazine Nonprofit Excellence Awards. The semifinalists impressed judges in areas ranging…
Monday saw two major legal developments in the so-called “war on drugs.” First, a judge in New York City ruled that the police department’s stop-and-frisk policy violated the Constitution in targeting a disproportionate number of blacks and Hispanics. Then, Attorney General Eric Holder announced the end of mandatory federal prison sentences for low-level, non-violent drug…
For nearly 30 years, being “tough on crime” was been part and parcel of successful political campaigns, and in the mid-1980s, Congress began enacting mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses. After that the prison population exploded and some experts shook their heads at what they considered to be misguided drug policy. But as Attorney General…
The Bronx Defenders hails today’s decision by federal Judge Scheindlin as a critical first step in recognizing and tackling the widespread abuses in the NYPD’s stop and frisk program. In landmark decisions in two class action lawsuits, a federal judge ruled today that the New York City Police Department has violated the constitutional rights of…
During the week of August 5-8th, 2013, four rising sophomores from Legal Outreach interned with The Bronx Defenders. The interns were: Jazmin Bramble, Merari Denis, Adenique Lisse, and Carlos Salas. Below are some of their thoughts on the week. I had a pretty amazing week at the Bronx Defenders. Going to court, meeting different lawyers,…
In his July 29, 2013 article, Ray Rivera suggests that Justice DiMango’s “blockbuster part” has provided meaningful relief for the backlog of cases in the Bronx criminal courts. Nothing could be further from the truth. While the judge’s efforts may have closed a handful of cases, focusing on felony trials alone misses the larger and…
As part of a Training & Technical Assistance Grant earlier this year, the Law Offices of the Shelby County Public Defender receive training in techniques from The Bronx Defenders in partnership with the Center for Court Innovation. Shelby County was one of six public defender offices chosen to receive the grant. Public defenders in Atlanta,…
The Bronx Defenders will be attending the following career fairs: – NEBLSA: Friday, August 16, 2013 @ New York Law School – PILC Reception: Wednesday, August 28, 2013 @ New York City Bar Association – Massachusetts Law School Consortium: Monday October 21, 2013 @ BC Law School – Equal Justice Works: Friday, October 25, 2013…
The Bronx Defenders is working with the Law Offices of the Shelby County Public Defender in Memphis for the next six months to a build a lasting framework centered on holistic representation of their clients. Check out their write-up of their trip to the Bronx: Shelby County Public Defenders Begin Work with Bronx Defenders: Grant…
At one Bronx office, the public defenders see each new client more as an opportunity than a burden. Every new case is a chance to make sure the defenders never need to represent that person again. The Bronx Defenders work from a gleaming new office building near Yankee Stadium, right up the street from the…
Karen Smolar, Trial Chief of The Bronx Defenders, taught as a faculty member at the National Criminal Defense College, Trial Practice Institute, in the July 2013 session. This session, which took place in Macon, Georgia, was limited to just 96 participants. Topics covered in the institute included client interviews, jury selection, direct and cross examination,…
On July 25-26, 2013, the Brennan Center for Justice and the NLADA held the Community-Oriented Defender Network Conference on “The Meaning of Gideon: The Clients, The Counsel, The Community”. Our Executive Director, Robin Steinberg, presented on two panels — the first on public defense & media and the second on “holistic defense”. To see the…
Abbe Smith, a member of our Board of Directors, the director of the Criminal Defense & Prisoner Advocacy Clinic at Georgetown University and co-editor of the forthcoming “How Can You Represent Those People?” recently published an opinion piece for The Washington Post. Click here for Abbe’s thoughts on what motives public defenders to represent “those…
How do I apply for citizenship? Can I apply for “deferred action” as a student? Does my criminal record affect my status? What’s going on with immigration reform? Join us for The Bronx Defenders’ Community Immigration Workshop for answers to these questions and more! This event will take place tomorrow, July 18, 2013 at The…
The last time they took Vernice Hill’s children away, the time they didn’t give them all back, was the afternoon she went to see her neighbor. Ms. Hill lives in a hulking building on East 188th Street, in a frayed neighborhood in the Bronx. It was May 1, 2005. Inside her apartment, her two little…
The Bronx Defenders has been conducting regular Know Your Rights trainings for youth at the Highbridge Branch of the New York Public Library since December 2012. Working off the success of these trainings, we are proud to announce the development of the Highbridge Summer Youth Justice Project. The Highbridge section of the Bronx has one…
Our Executive Director Robin Steinberg wrote an article on racial disparities in the criminal justice system that was featured in The Champion. The article draws from discussions at the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ conference report, Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Criminal Justice System. An excerpt…
The Bronx Defenders invites you to a very special community event in celebration of National Reunification Month, honoring families who have been involved in the child welfare system. There will be a stage! A piano! And Patricia R. Floyd from Law & Order. We encourage you to attend and bring friends, family and colleagues. We…
Brenda Zubay, LMSW, a social worker in our Family Defense Practice, spoke at a series of interdisciplinary discussions on May 29th, June 24th and June 26th, on ASC Visitation Policy best practices for family visitation entitled “Visitation: The Road to Reunification.” To view the flyers click here: Flyer Staten Island – June 26 FINAL- BROOKLYN JUNE 24…
Annual Celebration of Families is an event to celebrate families who have recently reunified or are about to be reunified. Families enjoy a meal together, play games, celebrate their successes, and go home with a framed family portrait. What we thought would be a little party turned out to be an incredibly powerful moment for…
In advance of an expected City Council vote on the proposed Community Safety Act next week, constituents and community groups will be holding actions in the districts of Council Members Peter Koo and Joel Rivera, calling on them to support the bills to ban racial profiling and establish an Inspector General for the New York…
Bronx groups urge Councilman Joel Rivera to back legislation calling for an end to discriminatory profiling Rivera has not taken a stance on bills intended to curb profiling during stop-and-frisks and establish an Inspector General for the NYPD Bronx community groups are calling on the City Council Majority Leader to back a pair of bills…
PABLO — In 2011 the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Defense office received an award from the Center for Holistic Defense sponsored by the Bronx Public Defenders office in New York for technical assistance that uses a holistic approach that allows the tribal defense team to be client-centered with limited financial resources. The award is…
The Bronx Defenders is pleased to announce the launch of our new website! We hope you can take the time to explore our site and support the work that we do for and alongside our clients, their families and their communities. Key highlights from this new site include: How We Work – an interactive visual…
On June 11, 2013, Alex Sierck, Project Director of the Center for Holistic Defense, spoke on a webinar panel entitled “Defender Initiatives in Indian Country.” The panel discussed how recent legislation has affected tribal courts and the tribal defender community and examined how two tribal defender initiatives are enhancing the provision of justice and improving…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 11, 2013 Contact: Justine Olderman, The Bronx Defenders, (917) 836-4366 The Bronx Defenders Denounced Proposed Bail Bill in New York State The Bronx Defenders called for the New York Legislature to abandon Proposed Bill S. 4483 (Nozzolio) / A. 6799 (Lentol), which does not contain constitutional safeguards or provide adequate guidance in setting…
By Robin G. Steinberg, 70 Wash. & Lee L. Rev. 961, Washington and Lee Law Review (Spring 2013) In September of 1997, eight public defenders squeezed into a small storefront office between a Radio Shack and a Rent-A-Center across the street from the courthouse in the South Bronx to practice a new kind of public…
We are very pleased to announce that Akin Gump Partner Estela Díaz has joined The Bronx Defenders’ Board of Directors. Ms. Díaz has represented companies and individuals in a variety of criminal and regulatory investigations involving state and federal governmental authorities. In addition, Ms. Díaz has experience conducting internal investigations involving allegations of misconduct against senior executives…
On June 8, 2013, Jennifer Friedman will be representing The Bronx Defenders at an immigration event hosted by New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera & The Advisory Board for the Peruvian Community in New York. Topics to be discussed include: immigration reform, immigration fraud and “Notarios,” pathways to citizenship and the NYS DREAM Act. TIME: 11:00 AM – 2:00…
The Bronx Defenders is proud to announce the start of our 2013 summer interns. After a highly competitive selection process, our interns arrived at our offices with a diverse array of experiences and backgrounds. Through the summer, both our legal and non-legal interns will receive intensive training in Holistic Defense, working alongside our Criminal, Family,…
On July 10th and 11th, 2013, Keith Baumann, Emma Ketteringham, Helen Montalvan, Ryan Napoli, Lauren Teichner are all scheduled to speak at the American Bar Association’s National Parent Attorneys Conference in Washington, D.C. They will lead various workshop sessions including one on Daubert and Frye hearings in Family Court, the drug war in child civil…
A Judge Takes on Stop & Frisk. Article by Jeffrey Toobin. Excerpt: “…Bradley took the ticket to the offices of the Bronx Defenders, who have pioneered what they call “holistic defense,” a method based on recognizing that, for criminal defendants like Bradley, deportation, eviction, or the loss of parental rights may be more ruinous than conviction…
On May 22, 2013, Kumar Rao spoke on a panel at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C. The discussion was keynoted by U.S. Senator William ‘Mo’ Cowan (D-MA) and was titled “The Case for Diverse Voices in Public Policy.” The conversation centered around the need for diverse voices in leading efforts to legitimize and…
An analysis by New York City’s public advocate may indicate that racial profiling does not contribute to effective stops. The report looked at public NYPD data on stop-and-frisk from 2012, and found that weapons and guns were more often found on white New Yorkers than African-Americans or Latinos. The NYPD discovered a weapon in one…
When Lynn Sanchez, a Bronx parent activist, challenged police and education officials to address persistent school climate problems during a public forum on school safety last year, she did not think they would say yes. And yet just months later, Sanchez was sitting with safety agents during one of their training sessions — which, for…
As the executive director of the Bronx Defenders, a public defense and legal services organization, Robin Steinberg has spent her career demanding justice for the residents of the poorest Congressional district in the nation. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, the landmark Supreme Court case that requires states to provide attorneys…
Today, Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady, LLC and The Bronx Defenders filed a civil rights lawsuit in federal court on behalf of five Bronx residents, charging the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) with targeting Black and Latino communities for marijuana arrests and “manufacturing” misdemeanor crimes against residents in order to meet departmental quotas. All…
A special Bronx Defenders project—in which a Wall Street law firm was lined up to help those accused of misdemeanors after arrests resulting from questionable stop-and-frisk tactics by police—has reached a grim conclusion. Contrary to what the U.S. Constitution and New York state law requires, there is effectively no right to trial or meaningful court…
In New York City, marijuana is the most common reason for arrest, even though only possession of marijuana in public view is a crime. A dramatic spike in these arrests has accompanied the rise of the New York Police Department’s controversial stop and frisk tactic, and an equally controversial reported tactic of considering the marijuana…
The report, No Day in Court, finds that manufactured marijuana arrests, prosecutorial delay, and an overwhelmed court system all conspire against justice in the Bronx. New York – Today, The Bronx Defenders released a report that shows that people who are unconstitutionally arrested for marijuana possession every year are consistently denied meaningful access to justice in…
One man was walking home with groceries. Another was on a break from his job at a meat market. A third was walking down the street listening to headphones. That is when the men say police officers confronted them, sometimes violently, searched their clothing and discovered small amounts of marijuana, according to a federal civil…
LATE in the summer of 2011, police officers in New York City arrested a full-time college student named Luis in the lobby of his apartment building in the Bronx and charged him with two misdemeanor offenses, obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest. Luis, though, wasn’t guilty of either — a fact supported by a video…
Francisco Zapata keeps a copy of the Constitution on his cellphone. So when the police stopped, frisked and charged him with misdemeanor marijuana possession, he wanted what that cellphone document promised. “I was under the assumption,” he said, “that if I kept going back to court, eventually I would get my day in court.” But…
On April 24, 2013, Jennifer Friedman spoke on a panel at New York Law School following a screening of the immigration documentary, “Two Americas.” The panel included attorneys and advocates from the ACLU, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and NYCLU discussing comprehensive immigration reform. See event information here.
Robin G. Steinberg, executive director of The Bronx Defenders, discusses her reasons for deciding early on in her legal career, to represent the poor, people of color, the under-served. The Bronx Defenders, an organization of 190 lawyers, social workers and advocates, is committed to “providing inclusive and extensive services” to Bronx residents charged with crimes….
Julio Pabon, Candidate for City Council South Bronx, NY This last Thursday, April 18, 2013, I attended a Bronx Town Hall Meeting on Community Safety & NYPD Accountability. The event was held at the Vacamas Glow Classic Center located at 286 East 156th St., located in the heart of the Melrose projects in the South…
On April 19, 2013, Lisa Beneventanto presented at The Center for Child Advocacy’s 8th Annual Conference, “The Forgotten Child: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Child Neglect” hosted by Montclair State University in New Jersey. Her presentation was part of a workshop entitled “Supporting Vulnerable Families: A Preventive Intervention.” Click here for more information.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 18, 2013 Contact: Joanna Bernstein, The Bronx Defenders, 215-603-3113 or joannab@bronxdefenders.org South Bronx Residents, Elected Officials Demand End to Stop-and-Frisk Abuses and Discriminatory Policing Senator Gustavo Rivera, City Council members Melissa Mark-Viverito and Annabel Palma, and hundreds of community members call for reforms Bronx, NY – At a Bronx town hall…
The right to a lawyer, regardless of whether you can afford it, has been a cornerstone of American justice for 50 years, ever since a landmark US Supreme Court ruling in 1963. But thousands of Americans–and New Yorkers—still can’t exercise that right. New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman discusses what our courts and politicians…
Eighteen years ago, Carlos Perez was playing with his two-year-old son on a South Bronx stoop when a group of police officers drove up and shouted, “Freeze!” Carlos was handcuffed, arrested, and charged with murdering a cab driver and a Fed-Ex worker in the Bronx. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to 50 years to…
David Berrios becomes an activist after a violent encounter with the police lands him in the hospital. Join David at our Bronx Town Hall on April 18th to change the NYPD: on.fb.me/YfcGnO Produced by Joanna Zuckerman Bernstein Music: Clips from Tutto Finito Jazz “Sol Nocturno 1”
The NYPD stopped, searched, and humiliated Angel Aviles and his wife last summer — for no reason. In this episode, Angel tells his story. He now advocates for police reform with the Bronx Defenders Organizing Project (www.bronxdefenders.org). Recording, editing, and production by Joanna Zuckerman Bernstein. Music by Brotmond, Cydonia Pianoversion.
Fifty years ago, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Gideon vs. Wainwright that criminal defendants have the constitutional right to legal representation, whether they can afford it or not. But today’s public defenders are overworked and underpaid, and the scales of justice still tilt heavily in favor of the wealthy. An organization in…
The Bronx Defenders’ Center for Holistic Defense selected six public defender offices in 2013 to receive training in holistic advocacy techniques. New York – The Bronx Defenders’ Center for Holistic Defense, in partnership with the Center for Court Innovation (CCI), chose six public defender offices to receive its Training & Technical Assistance Grant in 2013….
On March 18th, 2013, Robin Steinberg spoke about the Bronx Freedom Fund at Gideon’s 50th Anniversary Symposium at American University, Washington College of Law. Her remarks were part of a panel entitled “Gideon, Strickland, and the Right to Effective Representation.” Click here for more information
On March 18th, 2013, Justine Olderman made remarks about holistic defense at a news conference in Albany on the 50th Anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright. The statement was made in conjunction with other public defender organizations and political leaders with the theme: “On 50th Anniversary, Fulfill Gideon’s Promise.” For more information click here
This morning, our very own Christian Lassiter appeared live on HuffPost Live to talk about the Kimani Gray killing by the NYPD in Brooklyn last weekend. As you can see, Christian did a fabulous job in this very important and critical conversation about the NYPD’s campaign to target young Black and Latino men in low…
Gbenga Akinnagbe from ‘The Wire’ joins HuffPost Live to talk about his recent court victory, challenging stop & frisk policies and intolerance for free speech. Hosted by: Alicia Menendez Guests: Gbenga Akinnagbe @GbengaAkinnagbe (New York, NY) Actor Matt Sledge @MGSledge (New York , NY) HuffPost National Reporter Alejandro Fernandez @BronxDefenders (New York, NY) Staff Attorney…
Levele Pointer, South Bronx resident, member of the Bronx Defenders Organizing Project and a NYHRE peer educator, shares his stories of getting stopped and frisked in New York City. This is the first in a series of South Bronx stories about the harmful impact on individuals and communities of discriminatory police practices. Recording, editing, and…
The Center for Holistic Defense at The Bronx Defenders The 2013 Holistic Defense for Public Defender Offices Technical Assistance Project Request for Proposals The Center for Holistic Defense, a project of The Bronx Defenders, is pleased to announce the release of its fourth annual Technical Assistance Project Request For Proposals seeking applications from public defender…
A sprawling, sunny room beckons invitingly with black couches and bright accent pillows for relaxing, bookshelves with novels to borrow for an hour or a week, a pair of children’s tables, outlets for recharging cellphones and free coffee. This is the newest hub for justice in the South Bronx: a public defenders’ office that looks…
THE BRONX – A non-profit organization in The Bronx that has been helping the community for 15 years opened a new location today. The Bronx Defenders helps more than 30,000 residents with legal cases and social work per year. In order to keep up with their clientele, the organization opened the new space on the…
The Bronx Defenders yesterday opened its new ‘Justice Campus’ at 360 E. 161st St., with Executive Director Robin Steinberg and Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. cutting the ribbon. The new offices, which were made from the renovation of two empty storefronts near the Hall of Justice, will allow the Bronx Defenders to better serve its…
Please join us to celebrate the grand opening of The Bronx Defenders Justice Campus with special guest Ruben Diaz Jr., Bronx Borough President and remarks by Robin Steinberg, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders Wednesday, February 27th, 2013 9:30 a.m. Ribbon Cutting & Remarks 10:00 a.m. Tour of the Justice Campus We…
On February 23rd, 2013, Immigration Attorneys Genia Blaser, Conor Gleason, and Jennifer Friedman assisted potential DREAM Act applicants at an Immigration Clinic at JFK High School in the Bronx, sponsored by Congressman Charles Rangel. For more information, click here
A Bronx man cannot be retried for selling drugs after his first case ended in a mistrial because the judge failed to consider less severe alternatives, a state appeals court ruled Thursday. The Appellate Division, First Department, found that double jeopardy precluded a second prosecution against Jamal Morris, who sought a writ prohibiting the Bronx…
February 21, 2013 Mayor Bloomberg came out swinging at his final State of the City address last Thursday, recapping his achievements and defending his policy decisions. About the NYPD’s controversial stop-and-frisk program he said, “We have a responsibility to conduct them, and as long as I am mayor, we will not shirk from that responsibility.”…
If you’ve ever been arrested for a misdemeanor offense, like jumping a turnstile, smoking a joint, or protesting a cause in a way the authorities would rather you didn’t, then you’ll know that your best chance of avoiding jail has less to do with what you’ve done than if you can make bail. It’s no…
On Tuesday, January 8th, Judge Shira Scheindlin in the Southern District Court of New York granted a preliminary injunction against the NYPD in our federal class action lawsuit, Ligon v. City of New York. The injunction has since been temporarily stayed pending appeal, but it was nevertheless a huge victory for our litigation team, clients,…
Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman (See Profile) last week praised as a way “to take the profit motive out of bond making” the program of a Bronx legal assistance organization that used charitable contributions to keep its indigent clients out of jail as they awaited trial. Lippman’s endorsement came as The Bronx Defenders prepared to resume…
On February 4, 2013, Justine Olderman spoke at the 8th Annual Harry Frank Guggenheim Symposium on Crime in America at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. Her remarks on bail reform and Holistic Defense were part of the panel entitled “Rethinking Pre-Trial Detention” and are captured in part here.
On January 25th, 2013, Ashley Kaper gave testimony at the New City Council in support of proposed legislation limiting New York City’s collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s “Secure Communities” Program. Written Comments of The Bronx Defenders New York City Council Committee on Immigration January 25, 2013 Hearing on: Int. No. 982, A Local Law to amend…
On January 24th, 2013, Emma Ketteringham spoke at the American Bar Association’s Center on Children and the Law Annual Conference. She spoke in a session entitled the “Prejudice and Punishment: Judging Mothers who Use Drugs.” More information here
On January 18th, 2013, Kate Rubin presented about The Bronx Defenders at a conference entitled “Civic Restoration: A Road to Workforce Development for Formerly Incarcerated People” at Bronx Christian Fellowship Church. More event information here
Residents Protest NYPD Practice, Call for City Council Passage of Community Safety Act Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito, advocates and New Yorkers call for end to abuse and harassment at “East Harlem Stand Up!” event New York – Hundreds of New Yorkers joined Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito, community organizations and advocates in East Harlem to protest…
BRONX SUPREME COURT — Ten judges from outside the city will be temporarily assigned to The Bronx as part of an unprecedented plan to shrink an “intolerable” backlog of felony cases, the state’s top judge said Tuesday. The move came as the borough’s top criminal judge, Efrain Alvarado, will be replaced by Justice Douglas McKeon,…
A federal judge has ruled that New York City police are not allowed to routinely stop pedestrians outside of private residential buildings in the Bronx. The stops are part of the so-called Clean Halls program, which has prompted allegations of police harassment by some residents who say they are being accosted outside of the buildings…
Free!!! Know Your Rights! Stand Up & Defend Yourself! The Bronx Defenders are looking to do Know Your Rights trainings at High Bridge Branch Public Library. They are happy to advise folks on their rights related to Police, Stop and Frisk, and what to do if ACS (Administration for Children’s Services) knocks on your door…
Watch Bronx Defenders Staff Attorney Molly Kovel discuss the recent court ruling. MELROSE – The attorneys who sponsored a lawsuit against the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk policy are supporting their claims today after a federal judge ruled the program must come to an end in certain buildings. The attorneys are representing 13 Bronx residents involved in the…
The Bronx Defenders is pleased to announce that Judge Shira A. Scheindlin of the Southern District Court of New York has granted a preliminary injunction against the New York Police Department (NYPD) in The Bronx Defenders’ class-action lawsuit, Ligon v. City of New York. The case successfully challenged the NYPD practice of illegally stopping, frisking,…
A federal judge has dealt a significant blow to the New York police department’s controversial stop-and-frisk policy, declaring that officers had “systematically” engaged in unconstitutional activity by searching residents outside thousands of private apartments in the city. Manhattan federal court judge Shira Scheindlin said the NYPD must immediately halt the practice of conducting trespass stops…
In the wake of President Obama’s re-election and the fervor around “fiscal cliff” negotiations, issues related to middle class empowerment and fairness are rightfully at the center of our national policy agenda. Decisions related to tax burden allocations and spending priorities are being made that have the potential to affect the middle class for a…
Contact: Kamau Butcher, The Bronx Defenders Phone: 718-838-7878 E-mail: kamaub@bronxdefenders.org Press Advisory December 3, 2012 Bronx Residents Come Together for Police Reform Campaign On Thursday, December 6th at 6pm, Bronx residents will gather at The Bronx Defenders for the launch of The Bronx Defenders Organizing Project: a movement of our clients, former clients, families, neighbors, and…
Emma Ketteringham, Managing Attorney of the Family Defense Practice, speaks on the Criminalizing Parents panel on November 16th, 2012 as a part of Harvard Law School’s “The Politics of Parenthood Week”. More info here: http://www.facebook.com/events/550665218281036/
On November 8, 2012, Robin Steinberg spoke on a panel entitled “Gideon, Strickland, and the Right to Effective Representation” at Washington & Lee University. The event was part of a larger symposium discussing the 50th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright. See event details here. Video of the panel here:
As presented to City Council Civil Rights Committee: “Stop and Frisk Profiling” Brooklyn College October 23, 2012 Written Testimony My name is Christian Lassiter and I am a Staff Attorney in the Criminal Defense Practice at The Bronx Defenders. I would like to say thank you to the members and staff of the Civil Rights…
Recently, The New York Times published an op-ed by an art dealer and father from San Francisco, titled “Pot for Parents.” It was just the latest of a growing number of pieces published recently espousing the benefits of marijuana use for parents. These pro-pot missives share a carefree and cavalier tone, portraying marijuana use as…
Written Comments of The Bronx Defenders, Submitted to New York City Council Committee on Public Safety Presented by Kate Rubin October 12, 2012 Written CSA Testimony_BxD_Final
See what we’ve been up to for the past 15 years! www.bronxdefenders.org/15anniversary
When Judge Ralph Fabrizio saw William Miranda, free of handcuffs and dressed in street clothes, sitting in his Bronx courtroom, he was surprised. Three days earlier, on February 24, 2009, Miranda had been up before Fabrizio for arraignment on two misdemeanor assault charges. Fabrizio had set a substantial bail, $1,500 for each charge, certainly more…
On Monday, October 1st, Emma Ketteringham, Managing Attorney of the Family Defense Practice, presented at Central Michigan University on the misperceptions which underlie child protection’s response to pregnant women seeking the help they need when struggling with addiction.
The Bronx District Attorney’s office became the first in the city to openly question the validity of some stop-and-frisk arrests, by requiring police officers to verify each one in person before charges are rendered. In the past, arresting police officers had to fill out a sworn statement and routine paperwork. Now, officers will now also…
The new training team started today, with a meet-and-greet, a tour of the office, and a conversation with Executive Director Robin Steinberg. These attorneys will be trained in all aspects of holistic defense for the next six weeks, and will receive one-on-one training and support for a full year. We celebrated the “graduation” of last…
Jenay Nurse spoke on a panel at Columbia University Law School regarding juveniles and collateral consequences called “The Risk of Permanent Punishment.” Jenay spoke of the work she does for The Bronx Defenders Adolescent Defense Project on behalf of our youngest clients facing adult charges.
The man, Luis Solivan, 19, was later charged with assaulting an officer, but his case was dismissed after a grand jury watched the video, which an acquaintance shot through an apartment window in the Bronx, his lawyers say. Now, that same footage may emerge as crucial evidence in a civil rights lawsuit that Mr. Solivan’s…
Both Sides of the Bars: “The Bronx Defenders on Stop and Frisk” Watch The Bronx Defenders’ Kate Rubin, Director of Policy & Community Development, and The Fortune Society’s Glenn E. Martin discuss the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk policy and its effect on NYC communities. You can watch this episode of “Both Sides of the Bars” on Sunday,…
The Bronx Defenders, through its affiliate the Bronx Freedom Fund, bailed hundreds of people between 2007 and 2009. According to Robin Steinberg, executive director of The Bronx Defenders, “During the 18 months that the Bronx Freedom Fund operated, 150 clients were bailed out and the return rate of our clients was an impressive 95 percent….
By McGregor Smyth. One warm night last summer, Terrence was hanging out with some friends on a South Bronx sidewalk when two police officers approached and forced them to empty their pockets. Terrence received a summons for having a marijuana cigarette. A month later he showed up in the criminal courthouse by Yankee Stadium to…
THE BRONX – Several criminal justice groups came together Monday night for their first Bronx town hall meeting at Hostos Community College. Organizers, including the Bronx Defenders and the Justice Committee, claim that police have taken advantage of many people during practices such as stop-and-frisk. They say the meeting aimed to teach local residents about…
ALBANY, N.Y., Aug 7 (Reuters) – The American Bar Association is calling on criminal defense attorneys to take a holistic approach to representing clients in order to reduce recidivism. The group’s House of Delegates on Monday approved a resolution that “urges” defense lawyers and defender groups to address clients’ “inter-related” criminal, civil and non-legal problems….
Bronx Residents to Come Together To Fight Stop-and-Frisk South Bronx residents will receive information about their legal rights during police encounters and learn about Communities United for Police Reform’s community education initiatives. The Town Hall will mobilize residents to monitor and document police misconduct and to pass the Community Safety Act, which would ban discriminatory…
Robin G. Steinberg, executive director of The Bronx Defenders, discusses the Bronx Freedom Fund, a program that helps Bronx residents pay bail and avoid time in jail when they can’t afford it, and the new New York State law that allows charities to do this. More here: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/bl/2012/aug/01/charities-posting-bail/
On Saturday, July 28, 2012, Desiree Lassiter spoke on a panel “Get Over Yourself: Client-Centered Representation & Indigent Criminal Defense”. Client-centered representation is not only the most prevalent theory of lawyering taught in law school clinics, it is a hallmark of some of the strongest public defender offices in the United States. But what is…
Charities will soon be allowed to post bail for the poor and indigent. A new law recently signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo allows charities to be authorized and regulated by the Department of Financial Services, the same state agency that oversees bail bondsman. Only those charged with non-violent misdemeanors with bails set at $2,000 or…
The decision annuls a New York City Housing Authority hearing officer’s refusal to set aside a determination terminating the tenancy of a woman with mental problems, and remands the case for a new hearing. – The tenant was represented by Anna Arkin-Gallagher of the Bronx Defenders. “We are happy the court agreed that NYCHA has…
Legislation passed by state lawmakers last week with approval from Gov. Cuomo could free thousands of jailed Bronxites. Sponsored by state Sen. Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx), the new law will allow charitable organizations statewide to post bail – up to $2,000 – for poor defendants held on misdemeanor charges. The Cuomo-vetted bill is an amended version…
Chris Gottlieb, co-director of the NYU School of Law Family Defense Clinic, and Holly Beck, staff attorney with The Bronx Defenders, write that when a court conducts a hearing in the absence of a defending party, an attorney who appears for that party may face a dilemma: whether to participate in the hearing, and thereby…
New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly have backed legislation proposed by governor Andrew Cuomo that would reduce the penalty for possessing small amounts of marijuana in public view from a crime to a misdemeanor. Cuomo’s proposal is an attempt to reduce the number of people exposed to a criminal charge…
The Bronx Defenders The 2012 Request for Proposal IT Managed Care & Implementation Services Project 2012-05-IT Please find a copy of the IT RFP below. The Bronx Defenders encourages applications from all vendors across the information technology community. Please note that proposals under this RFP are due no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday,…
On May 17, 2012, Brenda Zubay presented at the Museum of Motherhood Conference entitled “Evolving Motherhood” in New York City. Her presentation, “Parenting While Apart” explored questions about the changing role and identity of mothers who are separated from their children, are judged negatively as parents, and are denied their traditional parenting roles and responsibilities. For more information, click here
May 15, 2012 The Bronx Defenders Joins Advocates and Federal and State Lawmakers in Condemning the Activation of Secure Communities Program in New York The Bronx Defenders re-affirmed today its long-standing opposition to the activation of the Secure Communities program in New York. Under Secure Communities, individuals may be deported as a result of any…
In late March, three civil rights groups filed a class action lawsuit against the New York City police department, alleging that a little-known crime-fighting program violated the constitutional rights of tens of thousands of New Yorkers. The program, called Operation Clean Halls, permits police to conduct vertical patrols inside and around private residences, seeking out…
Robin Steinberg delivered the keynote address and also spoke to managers about the vision and definition of public defense on Friday, April 27, 2012 in Winthrop, Washington. For more information here.
Lauren DiGioia’s face was stony and impassive beneath bright blue hair as she was brought into a courtroom in handcuffs on March 18. At 2:30 the previous afternoon, DiGioia, 27, had become the first person arrested by the New York City Police Department during Occupy Wall Street’s six-month anniversary at Zuccotti Park. DiGioia was taken…
Bronx Defenders says 41% of those arrested for pot had their rights violated. In New York, possession of a small amount of marijuana is only a misdemeanor when the pot is displayed in public. When the substance is concealed, it becomes a violation punishable by a fine – even when an officer pulls the pot…
On our ‘Clean Halls’ class action lawsuit with co-counsel NYCLU and LatinoJustice PRLDEF – The Bloomberg administration and its police commissioner, Raymond Kelly, have been disturbingly dismissive of complaints about the city’s program of stops, frisks and arrests that is ensnaring hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers each year. Civil rights lawsuits may now force…
The Bronx Defenders Marijuana Arrest Project April 2, 2012 Preliminary Data Review Fact Sheet Over the course of the past seven months, the Marijuana Arrest Project (MAP) at The Bronx Defenders systematically interviewed over 500 clients arrested for low-level marijuana possession between May and October 2011 from every NYPD precinct and command in the Bronx….
The New York State Legislature showed good sense when it exempted people convicted of low-level marijuana possession from having to submit DNA to the state database, unless they have been convicted of a previous crime. Still, the state must do more to curb the arrests of tens of thousands of people each year in New…
A number of New York City residents have filed a federal class action lawsuit challenging “Operation Clean Halls,” a program permitting the police, with the consent of landlords, to patrol thousands of private apartment buildings and stop people accused of trespassing and other illegal activity. “NYPD officers routinely detain residents of Clean Halls buildings and…
Police officers in New York are “manufacturing” criminal offenses by forcing people with small amounts of marijuana to reveal their drugs, according to a survey by public defenders. Nearly half of New Yorkers picked up for small amounts of marijuana possession in recent months were not displaying the drug before they were stopped, the study…
Data Shows Percentage of Wrongful Marijuana Arrests Rose After Kelly’s Order: Bronx Public Defenders WNYC By Ailsa Chang March 29, 2012 Public defenders in the Bronx said more than 40 percent of the marijuana arrests they investigated in their borough between May and October 2011 show violations of constitutional rights and problems with…
On March 28, 2012, with NYCLU and LatinoJustice PRLDEF, we announced a class action lawsuit to challenge NYPD’s enforcement of Operation Clean Halls, a disturbing extension of the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk program into private apartment buildings. From NYCLU: Class Action Lawsuit Challenges NYPD Patrols of Private Apartment Buildings March 28, 2012 — The NYPD’s enforcement of…
Later this morning, civil liberties advocates will announce a new challenge to the controversial NYPD program of patrolling the hallways of thousands of privately-owned buildings. Private owners enroll in the program, known as Operation Clean Halls, which has swelled in Manhattan alone to at least 3,895 buildings. The program envisioned as a way for police…
Civil rights advocacy groups filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the New York City Police Department over a controversial program that allows officers to patrol private apartment buildings. The suit, submitted by the New York Civil Liberties Union, Latino Justice Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, as well as lawyers with the Bronx Defenders, allege…
A federal class action was filed against New York City and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly on Wednesday for what plaintiffs allege are suspicionless stops within private residential buildings. Under the NYPD’s enforcement of a program known as Operation Clean Halls, a landlord enters into an agreement with the NYPD, which grants officers permission to patrol…
Trial judges in New York are required by state law to set at least two forms of bail for criminal defendants, the state’s top court ruled Thursday. In a unanimous decision, the Court of Appeals held that a trial judge erred when he set $20,000 “cash-only” bail for Shaun McManus, and dismissed his petition to…
The New York Court of Appeals today ruled in favor of Bronx Defenders client, Sean McManus, in a decision that will have widespread impact on the state criminal court system, particularly for the indigent. The decision recognizes that the statutory bail scheme in New York was created to provide flexible bail alternatives for those accused of crimes…
On February 23, 2012 at the CUNY School of Law, the CUNY Law Review hosted a panel on the bail system in New York. Michael Oppenheimer moderated the panel, entitled “Incarcerated Until Proven Guilty,” which included two sitting judges, as well as Justine Olderman. See event here
McGregor Smyth, managing attorney in the civil action practice at Bronx Defenders, discusses the recent class action suit around improper loitering violations. Listen here.
By Justine Olderman, 16 CUNY L. Rev. 9, CUNY Law Review (Winter 2012) New York City jails are currently filled with people who are serving time but haven’t been convicted of anything at all. They are there for one reason. They cannot afford the price of their bail. Bail is the single most important decision made in a…
PRESS RELEASE New York City to Pay $15 Million in Damages for Illegal Loitering Charges February 7, 2012 Yesterday a federal court in Manhattan approved a class action settlement requiring New York City to pay $15 Million Dollars to approximately 22,000 New Yorkers who were illegally charged by the New York City Police Department under…
Kate Rubin, Director of Policy & Community Development, and David Miranda, Attorney in the Civil Action Practice, spoke at the NYC Department of Probation’s First Annual Professional Development Day about helping clients understand and navigate civil legal barriers on January 24, 2012.
The Center for Holistic Defense The 2012 Holistic Defense for Public Defender Offices Technical Assistance Project Request for Proposals The Center for Holistic Defense, a project of The Bronx Defenders, is pleased to announce the release of its third annual Technical Assistance Project Request For Proposals, seeking applications from public defender offices across the country,…
East Harlem Stand Up! A Town Hall on discriminatory policing Speak Out against Stop & Frisk and discriminatory policing! Learn More about the solutions! Join your community! Thursday, January 17th, 6:30 to 8:30pm Taino Towers in the Crystal Room 240 E 123rd Street. (4/5/6 to 125th Street) Program to include: * Address by Council Member…
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the New York Police Department to immediately stop conducting trespass stops outside certain residential buildings in the borough of the Bronx without “reasonable suspicion” that an individual is engaged in criminal activity. U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin issued her ruling in the narrowest of three main lawsuits challenging New…
Could this be the first step to eliminating “stop and frisk?” On Tuesday morning, a U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge ruled that the New York Police Department’s “Clean Halls Program” violated the constitutional rights of New York City residents. According to Judge Shira A. Scheindlin, for years the NYPD…
NEW YORK — The New York City Police Department likely turned a blind eye to violations of the constitutional rights of thousands of individuals detained at private residential buildings in the Bronx in a stop-and-frisk program that’s under assault in the courts, a federal judge said Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin said the department’s…
Despite a well-publicized police order instructing officers not to use bogus pretexts to justify marijuana arrests, New York City remains the pot-bust capital of the United States. Preliminary figures released in late November indicated a slight decline in arrests for misdemeanor possession of marijuana in the two months since Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told police…
To the Editor: What is hidden behind the heated philosophical debate that jury nullification generates are the real people and communities affected by prosecutorial and police policies. Paul Butler properly notes the disgraceful number of marijuana possession prosecutions in New York City. But what we need to be equally aware of is that drug prosecutions…
Marijuana arrests in New York City are still high, but slowing down slightly. Police officers made 13 percent fewer arrests for low-level marijuana possession in public view after Police Commissioner Ray Kelly issued an order forbidding officers to arrest people for marijuana found in people’s clothes. But the dip in marijuana arrests hasn’t stopped allegations…
Over the past year, the New York City Department of Corrections (NYCDOC) has quietly implemented a massive expansion in the number of solitary confinement units on Rikers Island. By the end of 2011, the number of “punitive segregation” cells at Rikers will have grown by 45 percent, from 681 to a total of 990 cells….
On October 29, McGregor Smyth, Managing Attorney of our Civil Action Practice, spoke about the civil consequences of conviction at the 2011 Symposium “Sentencing Law: Rhetoric & Reality” at University of Pennsylvania Law School. For more information: http://www.pennumbra.com/symposia/
Robin Steinberg spoke on a panel on Systemic Reform at the Innovations in Criminal Justice Summit in Chicago on Wednesday, September 28, 2011. For more information please click here.
On September 27, McGregor Smyth, Managing Attorney of our Civil Action Practice, trained more than 200 public defenders at the South Carolina Public Defender Association Annual Conference on how to use the Supreme Court’s decision in Padilla v. Kentucky to get better results for clients. For more information: http://www.sccid.sc.gov/userfiles/PD-Conference-2011/2011-Agenda-Final—9-14-11.pdf
Robin Steinberg spoke at Increasing Public Confidence: A Roundtable on Community Justice held at the Center for Court Innovation’s office in NYC on August 10, 2011. For more information please click here.
A bill sponsored by Bronx state Senator Gustavo Rivera now headed to Governor Cuomo’s desk will allow charities to post bail for defendants charged with petty misdemeanors. Thousands of Bronxites do hard time at Rikers Island because they can’t afford to post bail. But new legislation headed to Gov. Cuomo’s desk could set them free….
The Bronx Defenders was awarded a grant from the Oversight Board for Judiciary Civil Legal Services Funds in New York. This 2011-2012 grant comes from the $12.5 million that the OCA is distributing to 56 civil legal service providers. For more information please read the New York Law Journal article.
Robin Steinberg spoke on a panel at The National Criminal Justice Association’s 2011 National Forum in Jersey City, NJ, on Tuesday, August 2, where The Bronx Defenders was showcased as an innovation in criminal justice. For more information please go to The National Criminal Justice Association website.
By McGregor Smyth. From the moment of arrest, people charged with crimes find themselves caught in a web of punitive sanctions, in danger of losing their jobs, homes, children, and right to live in this country. Politicians over the past thirty years, eager to be “tough on crime” at the expense of being smart on…
Robin Steinberg and McGregor Smyth spoke at the 2011 Community-Oriented Defender Conference on July 22 at NYU’s Brennan Center for Justice. Their session was titled Confronting the Leadership Challenge for Public Defenders Created by Padilla v. Kentucky. For more information, highlights and video clips, please click here.
At the American Bar Association 2011 Annual Meeting on August 4-9 in Toronto, Bronx Defenders Executive Director Robin Steinberg will accept the 2011 Hodson Award. The Hodson Award named in honor of the distinguished public service career of the late Major General Kenneth J. Hodson, a former Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Army, and…
Article published in the Howard Law Journal by McGregor Smyth, Managing Attorney of the Civil Action Practice and Director of Reentry Net, examines the practical effect of Padilla for criminal defense attorneys currently working with clients on pending cases. The article uses the legal reasoning of Padilla to outline a structure for approaching the daunting…
Join The Bronx Defenders’ Young Professionals Committee on Tuesday, June 21, from 7-9PM at The Wharf Bar & Grill in Manhattan for a discussion on the NYPD’s controversial Stop & Frisk policing strategy. At the Wharf, you will meet like-minded individuals, talk to Bronx Defenders staff about the real life implications of Stop & Frisk…
Robin Steinberg, Executive Director, McGregor Smyth, Managing Attorney of the Civil Action Practice, and Jennifer Friedman, Supervising Immigration Attorney in the Civil Action Practice, presented at the “Padilla and the Future of the Defense Function” conference at the Jacob Burns Ethics Center in the Practice of Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law on June 20-21,…
Robin spoke at 2011 Conference on Clinical Legal Education that took place in Seattle, WA on June 13-17, 2011. For more information please click here.
Bronx, New York—May 16, 2011—The Center for Holistic Defense (“The Center”), a project of The Bronx Defenders, in collaboration with The Center for Court Innovation, is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of The Holistic Defense for Public Defender Offices Technical Assistance Project. 2011 Participants of The Holistic Defense Technical Assistance Project Harris County Courts—Texas…
Robin Steinberg spoke at WNYC’s Greene Space on a panel discussing Stop and Frisk. This panel, a part of The NEXT New York Conversation, discussed both sides of the controversial police strategy and how this procedure affects New Yorkers. “Even as violent crime rates in New York have dropped dramatically in the past 15 years,…
[This is the second part of a two-part series. Read the first part here.] Illegal searches are more common than people realize, but few end up getting challenged in court, law enforcement officials and defense attorneys say. Checks and balances within the criminal justice system are intended to ferret out improper arrests, but many defendants and…
Police arrest 140 people every day in New York City for possessing small amounts of marijuana. It’s now by far the most common misdemeanor charge in the city, and thousands of these arrests take place when police stop-and-frisk young men in the poorest neighborhoods. While police say these stop-and-frisks are a way to find guns,…
Robin Steinberg, our Executive Director, spoke to the Colorado Public Defenders and Defense Bar at The University of Denver. The training was titled: “Better Serving our Clients: Holistic and Client Centered Representation.” Robin spoke in two sessions: “Holistic Representation: The Bronx Defenders Model” and “How Do I Make This Happen? Resources and Parameters”.
Kumar Rao, Staff Attorney, spoke at the New York State Defenders Association program Criminal Defense Tactics and Techniques XIII at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He ran the training on “Plea Negotiations: Theory, Strategies, and Tactics.” Event details: Criminal Defense Tactics and Techniques XIII presented by the New York State Defenders Association Saturday, April 2,…
Even before she graduated from Stanford Law School in 2010, Michelle Parris knew she wanted to help people with psychiatric disabilities and take a holistic approach to defense law. She designed a project with that in mind and received a two-year Equal Justice Works fellowship and an assignment at the Bronx Defenders. Still in the…
Jenay Nurse, a Criminal Defense Attorney, spoke at the New School event “Youth in Harm’s Way: Marijuana, Law Enforcement and Young New Yorkers” on Thursday, March 24, 2011 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. “According to the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services, seventy percent of the 50,383 arrests for possession of marijuana in New…
The Bronx Defenders’ method of Holistic Defense is explained in the article “Can the ‘Holistic Approach’ Solve The Crisis in Public Defense?” on thecrimereport.org. Can the ‘Holistic Approach’ Solve The Crisis in Public Defense? “Making changes in a resource-strained small county [Washoe County, Nevada] of 400,000 people seemed , however, all but impossible—until Bosler heard…
The Center for Holistic Defense, a project of The Bronx Defenders, is mentioned in the blog “Justice for all”. In the post “Let’s make this a movement: Holistic Advocacy”, blog writer Akhila Kolisetty draws from The Bronx Defenders’ new model of public defense—Holistic Defense. The blog describes the “importance and necessity of holistic advocacy, and…
The Bronx Reentry Working Group: “I’m Home . . . What Next? A Community Forum and Resource Fair” A FREE hands-on community forum for understanding what it takes to come home after incarceration. Saturday, May 7, 2011 9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice 244 East 163rd Street Bronx, NY…
Robin Steinberg spoke at Middlebury College’s spring symposium “Communities and Justice: Inequality and Innovation in America’s Justice System”. The symposium is addressing the key problems in the justice system. Robin spoke about holistic community building and the importance of a public defense system. To read more click here and here.
McGregor Smyth, Managing Attorney of Civil Action Practice & Reentry Net Director, spoke at “The Aftermath of Padilla v. Kentucky: A New Era For Plea Bargaining and Sentencing?” conference at Saint Louis University School of Law. He was on the panel “An examination of the effects or potential effects of Padilla on some of the…
Former Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court Leah Ward Sears mentioned The Bronx Defenders as a model for how public defender offices should operate! “There are proven alternatives in our state and across the country that are effective in helping people move past an arrest, address the problems that led to it, make its…
A new, nationwide legal task force with key city players is helping anxious immigrants who face deportation because of petty crimes they pled guilty to years ago. A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that lawyers have a constitutional obligation to inform clients they might be deported if they plead guilty has reenergized defender groups across…
Robin Steinberg spoke at the Community Lawyering Symposium at the Seton Hall Law Center for Social Justice Scholars. She was joined by other attorneys, advocates and students at this interactive forum discussing what it means to be a community lawyer. Community Lawyering seeks to critically examine litigation and creatively combine it with non-traditional forms…
Robin Steinberg spoke at the Lives in the Law Speaker Series at the University of Texas. “Lives in the Law” is an occasional speaker series spotlighting the professional experiences of lawyers who work to improve the lives of others through public services. She was featured in a segment called “Fighting for Justice in the Bronx”…
Robin Steinberg spoke on the panel “Criminal Justice: Is the system failing us?” at the 6th Annual Harry F. Guggenheim Conference on Crime in America. The conference was on “Facing the Legal and Economic Challenges to the American Criminal Justice System” and took place at John Jay College.
Robin Steinberg spoke at NYU’s Leaders in Public Interest Series, “Is Social Justice Best Promoted by Being a Prosecutor or Public Defenders”. She spoke about her experience as a public defender.
Bronx, New York – January 26, 2011 – The Center for Holistic Defense, a project of The Bronx Defenders is inviting Public Defender offices from across the country to submit a request for technical assistance. Through this competitive process, three (3) public defender offices will receive hands-on expert assistance to transition from a traditional service model…
Robin Steinberg attended the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Workshop on The Role of Courts in Re-Entry in Washington, D.C
Robin Steinberg spoke at the International Perspectives on Indigent Defense, a workshop jointly sponsored by the Department of Justice’s Access to Justice Initiative (ATJ) and the National Institute of Justice’s (NIJ) International Center. The workshop focused on identifying the best of practices for indigent defense. “The vast majority of criminal defendants in the United States…
New York City could save tens of millions of dollars a year if it did not incarcerate thousands of defendants charged with minor crimes — like hopping a turnstile, smoking marijuana in public or trespassing — before their trials, according to a new report by advocacy group Human Rights Watch. In 2008 alone, the city…
A new report finds that while each year tens of thousands of people arrested for minor offenses are released pending a trial or some other outcome, a substantial number that can’t afford bail and end up in Rikers Island for things like shoplifting, smoking marijuana or getting in fights. The report by Human Rights Watch…
A new report by the Human Rights Watch finds that thousands of people accused of minor crimes end up in Rikers Island each year only because they cannot afford to pay even small amounts of bail. Read what The Bronx Defenders’ Executive Director, Robin Steinberg, has to say… New York Times: “The client is placed…
The distribution of indigent criminal defense cases among the groups that serve as primary providers in New York City has been significantly altered by the Office of the Criminal Justice Coordinator. Read what The Bronx Defenders’ Executive Director, Robin Steinberg, has to say… Read more here.
Thousands of people arrested on low-level crimes in New York City spend days languishing in jail, not because they have been found guilty but because they are too poor to post bail, according to a report to be released on Friday. The report, which examines the bail conditions for people charged with nonfelonies like smoking…
While recognizing that Holistic Defense is practiced along a spectrum, the following core principles, or pillars, underlie and form the foundation of any successful Holistic Defense practice: 1. Seamless access to services that meet clients’ legal and social support needs; 2. Dynamic, interdisciplinary communication; 3. Advocates with an interdisciplinary skill set; 4. A robust understanding…
Police Encounters & Misconduct 1. When can police stop me on the street? In theory, the police cannot stop you on the street without reason. A New York State Court of Appeals case (People v. DeBour 40 N.Y. 2d 210) established four levels of street encounters between police and people, and allows a different “Permissible…
Voting Rights and Civic Participation Civic participation includes all the ways citizens participate in the democratic process. It includes the right to vote, serve on a jury, and run for elected office. Voting Rights In New York State, as long as you are a U.S. citizen 18 or older, you can vote unless you are currently in…
Parental Rights 1. Can I lose my parental rights if I am convicted of a crime? Only very serious criminal convictions against a child – like murder and manslaughter – require the state to sue to terminate your parental rights. 2. Can I lose my parental rights if I am sentenced to prison or a residential treatment…
Records of Arrest and Prosecution If you have been convicted, or even arrested, for a crime, there is a record of it, often in many places at once. The court where you were sentenced maintains records of your criminal case, and those are public information available to credit reporting agencies. A record of your arrests…
Government Benefits and Education Loans If you are a New York State resident you can apply for and receive government benefits like Food Stamps, Medicaid, TANF and cash assistance, no matter how many convictions you may have on your rap sheet. However, arrest and incarceration can temporarily affect your government benefits and your eligibility for…
Housing and Reentry A criminal history can affect your eligibility for both public housing and, if a landlord conducts a background check, private housing. An arrest – even before anyone is found guilty – can often trigger eviction of you or your entire household from public or private housing. Federally Subsidized Housing (NYCHA & Section…
Employment & Reentry 1. An employer said it wouldn’t hire me because it doesn’t hire anyone with a criminal record. Is that legal? No. Employers must consider each person as an individual. Refusing to hire all people with criminal records violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Law of 1964, the New York State Corrections…
Non-citizens involved in the criminal justice system confront additional and severe civil consequences. Even if you have lived in the United States for a long time or if you have ties to the U.S. and family here, guilty pleas and convictions can lead to an immediate detention and the initiation of deportation (also called “removal”)…
The term “reentry” is used by many advocates, service providers, policy-makers, and formerly incarcerated people to define what happens to people coming home from prison. More broadly, it describes a process of reintegration, rehabilitation, and restoration of rights that should begin when an individual is arrested. “Collateral consequences,” is a popular label for the legal,…
The Center for Holistic Defense, sponsored by BJA and a project of The Bronx Defenders, has announced the recipients of its 2010 Holistic Defense for Public Defender Offices Technical Assistance Project. In response to its Request for Proposals, the Center received 23 applications from public defender offices across the country. The three offices chosen are…
The Bronx Defenders is thrilled to announce our newest innovative venture—the creation and implementation of The Center for Holistic Defense. With funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, and in collaboration with The Center for Court Innovation and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the Center will help fill a…
n recognition of his efforts to ensure equal justice for all people regardless of ability to pay, the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) announced today that McGregor Smyth, the Managing Attorney of the Civil Action Practice, is this year’s winner of the Kutak-Dodds Prize, alongside Alan Alop, Deputy Director for Intake Offices, Legal…
The Center for Holistic Defense released its Request for Proposals to public defender offices and systems nationwide interested in technical assistance and support in integrating Holistic Defense into their practice. For more information about this opportunity, download the RFP here. Attachment
Shoshana Brown was a speaker at The Prisoner Justice Conference, a gathering of over 57 organizations statewide that are doing prisoner justice work. The conference was a day long in Albany and close to 200 people attended. Shoshana spoke about the political necessity of this conference and shared her own personal story of how mass…
Robin Steinberg spoke to the Criminal Law Committee of the Bar of the City of New York about Holistic Defense and the work of the lawyers and advocates at The Bronx Defenders.
Robin Steinberg and The Bronx Defenders Social Worker Ariane Eigler spoke at the 29th annual Edward V. Sparer Symposium at the University of Pennsylvania Law School titled “Now More Than Ever: Expanding Access to Justice in Times of Crisis.” The symposium is an annual event inviting legal experts and practitioners to speak on poverty law…
Robin Steinberg was featured on a panel moderated by Professor Paul Butler called “The Evolving Role of the Public Defender” at the 2010 Indigent Defense Symposium in Washington, D.C. The three day event, entitled “Looking Back, Looking Forward” was hosted by the Attorney General’s office. The symposium was created to provide an environment for public…
Robin Steinberg passionately believes that effective legal defense for the poor includes a good dose of social work. Never say something is impossible to achieve around Robin Steinberg ’82; it will only motivate her to prove you wrong. The 51-yearold founder of the Bronx Defenders, a unique non-profit public defense group in the Bronx, always…
Rebecca Engel testified in front of the City Council about proposed gang laws that would negatively affect the clients of The Bronx Defenders. She highlighted the drastic civil consequences young people charged with misdemeanors can potentially face, as well as the ways that this legislation would exacerbate the racial bias and over-policing problems we already…
The Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association invited Robin Steinberg to speak at their Sunny Climate Annual Conference in Hawaii. Robin spoke about Holistic Defense and its benefits for clients and advocates alike.
Robin Steinberg traveled this fall to Israel, where she met with Criminal justice leaders, judges, and public defenders at the US Embassy. She advocated with government officials for the integration of social workers into the public defender office and gave a talk at the Annual Public Defender Conference in Israel about the benefits and dangers…
Ann Mathews was the keynote speaker at the Southfield, Michigan library for an interfaith roundtable forum on public defense sponsored by the Michigan Campaign for Justice. The Campaign is a broad-based group of organizations and individuals from across the political spectrum fighting for a fair and effective public defense system in Michigan. She spoke about…
By McGregor Smyth. Collateral sanctions. Invisible punishments. Internal exile. From the moment of arrest, people are in danger of losing jobs, housing, basic public benefits, and even the right to live in this country. For many, these hardships are far more severe than the criminal charges confronting them. In New York, a plea to disorderly…
Robin Steinberg traveled to Eastern Europe with the Justice Initiatives Program at OSI where she conducted skills training for young public defenders and worked with their idealistic advocates on making Holistic Defense a reality in Moldova.
When Robert E. Chambers Jr. was arrested on Oct. 22 on charges of selling cocaine out of an Upper East Side apartment, many people saw it as the denouement of a morality tale, the final fall of “the preppy killer” who pleaded guilty to strangling Jennifer Levin during rough sex in Central Park two decades…
By McGregor Smyth. Investment in an infrastructure for cross-sector collaboration is key to breaking the vicious cycle of poverty and crime. The criminal justice system is the institution with the single most pervasive impact on communities of poverty and of color. In those communities interaction with the police and courts, as well as incarceration, has…
By McGregor Smyth. Individuals who are released from prison or jail and who need financial assistance until they are able to get on their feet are likely to apply for aid both from Safety Net Assistance (“SNA”), the New York State public assistance program for adults who do not share a household with children, and…
By Robin Steinberg. Lisa looked older than she was–her face and body aged too quickly by a childhood marked by abandonment, sexual abuse, and betrayal. Her teenage years spent as a prostitute; her adulthood ruled by an uncontrollable heroin addiction. I met Lisa when I was a young public defender in New York City in…
By McGregor Smyth. The legal disabilities and social exclusion resulting from any adverse encounter with the criminal justice system erect nearly insurmountable barriers for criminal defendants, people with criminal records, those returning to their communities after incarceration, and their families. Recent scholarship has highlighted the draconian effects of these invisible punishments and has argued that…
By Robin Steinberg. HIV/AIDS is reaching epidemic proportions in U.S. prisons and in prison populations worldwide. The United States trails Canada, Australia, and much of Europe in responding to the crisis. What is more disturbing is that the United States does not respond to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in prisons because policy makers refuse to…
By McGregor Smyth. Vicky G. received a Section 8 Existing Housing Voucher for ten years. The prosecutor and local public housing authority now allege that over a six-year period she failed to report that her boyfriend was living in the apartment and that she underreported her income. She is charged with grand larceny and filing…
By Robin Steinberg and David Feige. Public defenders everywhere are beginning to reassess the most fundamental questions of what it means to provide effective representation for clients. Frustrated by the limitations traditionally imposed by government funders who seek to satisfy minimal constitutional requirements, public defenders are asking themselves if there is more they can do…
