Author: BXD
New York Daily News: N.Y. pols propose ‘clean slate’ legislation to seal and expunge criminal records
“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 […]
The Intercept: “Dying of Cold”: ICE Detainees Freezing In Southern Prisons
“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 […]
Gothamist: Cuomo Changes His Marijuana Legalization Plan Following Widespread Criticism
“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. […]
City & State: Can legalizing pot help communities heal?
“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 […]
AMNY: Civil rights groups hold town hall to discuss NYPD reforms around ‘decriminalizing’ protests
“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 […]
Statewide Family Defense Advocates Lay Out Legislative Agenda for 2021
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 […]
Joint Family Defense Providers’ Legislative Priorities for 2021
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 […]
CNY Central: More deaths hit NY State prisons, sparking a push for a vaccination distribution plan
“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
A Tenant’s Guide to Housing Rights During COVID-19
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 […]
Gothamist: Cuomo And State Democrats Still At Odds Over How To Legalize Marijuana
“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 […]