Letter to Mayor de Blasio: Safeguarding Children at the Time of Arrest
February 1, 2019 Dear Mayor de Blasio, We, a diverse group of human service providers, faith-based leaders, and advocates call on the leadership of New York City to immediately adopt a city-wide policy to safeguard children at the time of a parent’s arrest and provide all arresting officers with substantive training to minimize trauma to…
Class Action Lawsuit Challenges Months-Long ICE Detentions Before First Court Appearance
Cardozo Law Immigration Justice Clinic, The New York Civil Liberties Union, and The Bronx Defenders file suit challenging detention of immigrants without prompt access to judges *** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE *** New York, N.Y. — Cardozo Law Immigration Justice Clinic, The New York Civil Liberties Union, and The Bronx Defenders filed a putative class action lawsuit…
After midterm elections, public defenders call on Albany to pass critical justice reforms
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, New York County Defender Services, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders and Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem issued a joint letter following the midterm elections to New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York State Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie…
RAND study finds that Bronx Defenders’ holistic defense saved clients 1.1 million days behind bars
BRONX, N.Y. — A new study released today by RAND and the University of Pennsylvania Law School finds that The Bronx Defenders’ unique model of holistic defense significantly reduces incarceration rates, sentence length, and pre-trial detention, saving taxpayer dollars, without harming public safety. In total, the study estimates that The Bronx Defenders has saved its…
NYC Public Defenders Implore Hudson County Executive to Postpone Vote on Phase-Out of Hudson County Jail Contract with ICE
*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE *** SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 CONTACT Jared Chausow, Brooklyn Defender Services, (650) 814-0565, jchausow@bds.org Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society, 929-441-2384, rhaskins@legal-aid.org Anna Kim, The Bronx Defenders, 646-504-2977, annakim@bronxdefenders.org New York, N.Y — Attorneys from Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, and Legal Aid Society – New York City’s public defender organizations providing…
BXD & BDS Issue Joint Statement in Opposition to Phase-Out of Hudson County Jail Contract with ICE
Sept. 6, 2018 – (New York, NY) Today, Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise announced a plan to exit a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to provide immigration detention in the county jail. Brooklyn Defender Services and Bronx Defenders released the following statement in opposition to this plan: “As attorneys representing detained immigrants…
The Bronx Defenders Reaches Settlement in Bronx Court Delay Case
Settlement will ensure Bronx Courts uphold people’s constitutional rights to due process and speedy trials. ** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ** CONTACT: Anna Kim (annakim@bronxdefenders.org) 646-504-2977 AUGUST 9, 2018 NEW YORK, N.Y. — The Bronx Defenders, Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP, and Morrison & Foerster, LLP announced a settlement with the defendants in Trowbridge v….
Joint Statement: Court Orders NYPD to Electronically Record All Citizen Encounters
Court Orders NYPD to Electronically Record All Citizen Encounters Order Calls for Pilot Program to Study Effectiveness of Documenting All Encounters Anna Kim, The Bronx Defenders, 646-504-2977, annakim@bronxdefenders.org Jen Nessel, CCR, 212-614-6449, jnessel@ccrjustice.org David Jacobs, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, 212-965-2255, djacobs@naacpldf.org July 17, 2018, New York —Today, a federal court ordered the NYPD to begin recording all…
Joint Statement: Civil Rights Attorneys Push Back on NYPD Objections to Stop-and-Frisk Reforms
JOINT STATEMENT FROM NAACP, LAS AND NYCLU ON NYPD’S OBJECTIONS TO STOP-AND-FRISK REFORMS The NYPD opposed many community-based recommendations for stop-and-frisk reform, arguing that they should not be ordered to implement any of them. This reform–the Joint Remedial Process–collected input from thousands of people from communities impacted by the NYPD’s practices, involving 64 focus groups…
Spotlight on BxD’s work with veterans and service members
Every day, The Bronx Defenders represents people who are veterans, active service members, or interested in future military service. The Bronx is home to approximately 40,000 veterans, who often face unique challenges in all aspects of the justice system, whether in Criminal Court, Family Court, Housing Court, or in administrative proceedings. Many our clients come…
Joint Statement from NYIFUP Legal Providers on ICE’s Refusal to Bring People to Immigration Court for Hearings
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** JOINT STATEMENT FROM NYIFUP LEGAL PROVIDERS ON ICE’S REFUSAL TO BRING PEOPLE TO IMMIGRATION COURT FOR HEARINGS DENYING IN-PERSON APPEARANCES WILL IMPACT DUE PROCESS, ACCESS TO COUNSEL, AND EXACERBATE SEPARATION FROM FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES Andrea Nieves, Brooklyn Defender Services, 718-483-1312, anieves@bds.org Anna Kim, The Bronx Defenders, 646-504-2977, annakim@bronxdefenders.org Redmond Haskins, The…
Civil Rights Organizations Demand Court Order Requiring NYPD Stop-and-Frisk Reforms
Organizations that successfully challenged stop and frisk request reforms based on three years of community input CONTACT Anna Kim, The Bronx Defenders, 646-504-2977, annakim@bronxdefenders.org Jen Nessel, CCR, 212-614-6449, jnessel@ccrjustice.org David Jacobs, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, 212-965-2255, djacobs@naacpldf.org Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society, 929-441-2384, rhaskins@legal-aid.org Naomi Dann, New York Civil Liberties Union, 212-607-3372, ndann@nyclu.org June…
Leading Civil Rights Organizations’ Statement on Release of Report on Community Reforms to NYPD Practices
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** Wednesday, May 16, 2018 CONTACT: NAACP Legal Defense Fund: David Jacobs, DJacobs@naacpldf.org, 212-965-2255 Bronx Defenders: Anna Kim, annakim@bronxdefenders.org, 718-838-7890 Center for Constitutional Rights: Jen Nessel, jnessel@ccrjustice.org, 212-614-6449 Legal Aid Society: Redmond Haskins, rhaskins@legal-aid.org, 929-441-2384 WASHINGTON – Today, a court-appointed facilitator, Ariel Belen, issued a report on community-generated reforms to New York City…
The Bronx Defenders and Davis Wright Tremaine LLP Secure Settlement Forcing NYPD Transparency around Property Seizures
*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE *** MAY 14, 2018 CONTACT: media@bronxdefenders.org; 718-838-7890 The Bronx Defenders and Davis Wright Tremaine LLP secured a settlement today that requires the NYPD to turn over detailed information — for the first time — about the millions of dollars of property it seizes during arrests. The NYPD has never provided a…
The Bronx Defenders and Cleary Gottlieb File Lawsuit Challenging the NYPD’s Unlawful Use of Sealed Arrest Records
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** CONTACT media@bronxdefenders.org; 718-838-7890 BRONX, N.Y. — Three New Yorkers represented by The Bronx Defenders and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP filed a class action today against the City of New York and the NYPD for illegally using and sharing information from sealed arrest records in defiance of long-standing privacy laws. The…
Bronx Defenders, Legal Aid Issue Joint Statement on ICE Courthouse Arrest
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** APRIL 9, 2018 (BRONX, N.Y.) – The Bronx Defenders and The Legal Aid Society issued the following joint statement this afternoon after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested and detained a client of The Legal Aid Society once his criminal case was dismissed, prompting a walkout and protest by public defenders of…
The Bronx Defenders Files Brief on Behalf of Amici Curiae in Support of Taxi & Limousine Commission Licensed Drivers
NEW YORK, N.Y. — The Bronx Defenders Civil Action Practice filed an amicus brief on behalf of itself and six amici curiae including the Community Service Society of New York, Legal Action Center, Neighborhood Defender Services of Harlem, Youth Represent, Urban Justice Center Mental Health Project, and Brooklyn Defender Services in the 2nd Circuit Court…
The Bronx Defenders Announces Chief Operating Officer, Candice Carnage
The Bronx Defenders are proud to announce today that Candice Carnage, an experienced executive with over 20 years of non-profit experience, will serve as the organization’s new Chief Operating Officer. Carnage is a versatile, high-energy executive who leads organizations through change and challenge to support their mission. She is a hands-on leader with an extensive…
Leading Civil Rights Organizations Urge Court to Recognize How Oppressive and Racially Biased Policing Constrains the Freedom to Leave
NEW YORK, N.Y. — The Bronx Defenders, The Center for Constitutional Rights, The NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund Inc., and The New York Civil Liberties Union filed an amicus brief in the New York State Court of Appeals in The People v. Nicholas Hill (APL-2017-00182). In the case, a split First Department panel ruled…
The Bronx Defenders Secures Settlement Ending the NYPD’s Unconstitutional Practice of Keeping Money and Property Seized During Arrests
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** Reforms will remove often insurmountable barriers for New Yorkers seeking return of their property BRONX, N.Y. – As the result of a settlement approved today, New York City will implement a series of reforms to ensure that the NYPD ceases its unconstitutional practice of indefinitely holding personal property from the hundreds of thousands of…
The Bronx Defenders and Legal Aid Issue a Joint Statement on Bronx ICE Courthouse Arrest
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** BRONX DEFENDERS, LEGAL AID JOINT STATEMENT ON BRONX ICE COURTHOUSE ARREST BRONX, NY –The Bronx Defenders and The Legal Aid Society issued the following joint statement this afternoon after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a Legal Aid Society client outside of Bronx Criminal Court which prompted the subsequent walkout and protest…
The Bronx Defenders Responds to White House Immigration Proposal
On January 25, the White House released its Framework on Immigration Reform & Border Security. The Bronx Defenders’ Managing Director of Immigration, Sarah Deri Oshiro, responded with the following statement: “The immigration proposal put forth by the Administration offers questionable relief for Dreamers in return for draconian policies that will harm immigrant communities. Problematic aspects of…
The Bronx Defenders responds to Gov. Cuomo’s State of the State address
New York, NY — On January 3, 2017, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo delivered the annual State of the State address in Albany and unveiled a package of criminal justice reform proposals. Justine Olderman, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders, responded: “The Governor’s package of criminal justice proposals represents an important acknowledgement that we cannot have…
The Bronx Defenders Names Justine Olderman Executive Director
NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Bronx Defenders announced today that Justine Olderman, an experienced attorney with 17 years at the organization, was selected to take the helm from Robin Steinberg as Executive Director. Olderman is leader in the field of public defense who has held various positions at The Bronx Defenders, including her most recent…
BxD Testifies Before City Council at Hearing on Progress in Closing Rikers Island
On December 4, 2017, Alice Fontier, Managing Director of The Bronx Defenders’ Criminal Defense Practice presented written and oral testimony before the New York City Council Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services at the Hearing on Progress in Closing Rikers Island. In her testimony, Alice highlighted the Administration’s misguided focus on technocratic fixes to…