Author: BXD
Vice: Special Prostitution Courts and the Myth of ‘Rescuing’ Sex Workers
“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 Statement on the Murder of NYPD Officers Ramos and Liu
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.
Washington Post: ‘Serial’ missed its chance to show how unfair the criminal justice system really is
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 Bronx Defenders’ Statement on the Department of Justice’s Lawsuit Regarding Rikers Island
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 […]
The Bronx Defenders releases its report “The Hidden Tax: Economic Costs of Marijuana Enforcement in the Bronx and New York City”
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 […]
City Limits: Limits of Protection: Can Mayor’s Push Reduce Child Abuse Deaths?
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 […]
New York Law Journal: Panel Addresses Problems With Overwhelmed Summons Courts
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 […]
BxD’s Director of Pro Bono spoke at New York City Bar Panel
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 […]
BxD’s Director of Strategic Initiatives participated in Columbia Law School civil rights panel
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 releases its first Annual Report
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 […]