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…
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“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…