Category: Archive
Politico: Bail reformers take heat — Bloomberg to double ad spending — Cuomo names Medicaid panel
There are, defense attorneys say, plenty of cases to illustrate the opposite point: folks who have gone home instead of languishing in jail for want of a few hundred bucks, showed up for court, kept their jobs, and gone on with their lives. And yet, nobody with such a story has come forward to share it. […]
Politico: Bail reformers face public relations hurdle
“We know that people who have open cases are always hesitant to share stories with the press for fear that notoriety or attention to their case will somehow prejudice them in their case,” said Scott Levy, chief policy counsel at the Bronx Defenders. “And now those fears are heightened because we see that people who […]
Politico: Year begins with crime spike in NYC amid statewide bail debate
Eli Northrup of the Bronx Defenders, one of a small group of advocates who held signs supporting bail reform outside the mayor’s press conference, called it “kind of ridiculous” to argue “that a month of cherry-picked [stats] justifies a rollback of this needed reform.” “The mayor for some reason and the police commissioner seem hell-bent […]
Olivia Scheck Presented Testimony at City Council re: The Technology Gap Between Public Defenders and DAs
New York City Council Committee on Justice System Hearing re: The Technology Gap Between Public Defenders and DAs January 29, 2020 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Olivia Scheck, Forensic Practice Group, Criminal Defense Practice Chairman Lanceman, my name is Olivia Scheck, and I am an attorney in the Criminal Defense Practice of The […]
The Riverdale Press: Advocates herald cash bail reform as a good first step
Bail, initially, was a way to ensure those accused of crimes would show up for their day in court. Over time, it has become a way to keep people contained while they wait for their trial date. “Bail is a mechanism for release,” said Scott Levy, chief policy counsel at the Bronx Defenders. “It’s not […]
News Beat: BONUS: New York Bail Reform and the Afghanistan Papers
Bail reform goes into effect in New York. Listen to this special episode to find out what it all means. Featuring Alice Fontier, The Bronx Defender’s Managing Director of the Criminal Defense Practice. Listen to the full podcast here
Gotham Gazette: Real Criminal Justice Reform Requires Standing Up to Fear-Mongering
“Nearly five years ago, Jerome Murdough, an African-American Marine Corps veteran, died on Rikers Island due to a combination of injustice, inhumanity, and medical neglect. Afflicted by homelessness and mental illness, Murdough tragically passed away when temperatures in his cell reached 100 degrees – heat that was contraindicated with his medicine – and he baked […]
News12: Bail reform law frees inmates accused of misdemeanor, nonviolent felonies takes effect
“Alice Fontier, of the Bronx Defenders, also welcomes the change. “All of the evidence, the data from the years of the cash bail system demonstrates that what happens is that poor people stay in jail and people with money don’t,” Fontier says. As of Dec. 28, 50 to 60 pre-trial detainees were awaiting release on […]
Alice Fontier Presented Testimony at City Council Re: Int 0487-2018: Creating Comprehensive Reporting and Oversight of NYPD Surveillance Technologies
New York City Council Committee on Public Safety Re: Int 0487-2018: Creating Comprehensive Reporting and Oversight of NYPD Surveillance Technologies. December 18, 2019 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Alice Fontier, Managing Director, Criminal Defense Practice Over the course of a decade, the New York Police Department has adopted surveillance technologies as a central […]
Ivan Bohorquez Presented Testimony at Hearing re: Local Law to amend NYC charter, in relation to mandating a citywide audit of collateral consequences for drug arrests and conviction
Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Ivan Bohorquez, Civil Legal Advocate, Civil Action Practice New York City Council Committee on Justice System Hearing Regarding T2019-5492, A Local Law to amend the NYC Charter, in relation to mandating a citywide audit of collateral consequences for drug arrests and convictions December 11, 2019 The Civil Action […]