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…