(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…