Category: Archive
Judge Smacks NYPD For Its ‘Gotcha’ Tactics In Forfeiture Public Records Lawsuit
“New York’s court system is finally pushing back against the NYPD’s refusal to provide better accounting of its forfeiture programs.” Techdirt on the most recent development in our lawsuit challenging lack of transparency in NYPD property seizures. Read the article here. For more on the lawsuit, click here.
Judge Raps NYPD for ‘Gotcha’ Tactics in Civil Seizures
“Displeased by the New York City Police Department’s ‘troublesome’ litigation tactics, a state judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit seeking information on what happens to millions of ‘unclaimed’ dollars seized in civil forfeitures.” Courthouse News Service on the latest development in our lawsuit challenging lack of transparency in NYPD property seizures. Read the article here. […]
Immigrants in Detention Centers Are Often Hundreds of Miles From Legal Help
In this investigation, ProPublica demonstrates the benefits and importance of having access to free legal representation during deportation proceedings. As our client Romniel shared with the reporter, being picked up by ICE “was like a nightmare.” He continued, “It’s very important to have a lawyer to defend yourself, because I didn’t know anything about immigration […]
Non-Profit Offers Free Legal Representation, Services To North Tulsa Mothers
“Oklahoma is sending the highest recorded number of women to prison, but a new non-profit program based in north Tulsa is trying to buck that trend. The group, Still She Rises, is a team of attorneys that works specifically for low-income mothers in north Tulsa, representing them for free.” BxD’s latest project, Still She Rises, […]
Holistic legal aid program Still She Rises begins taking clients in north Tulsa
“What we knew initially was that we wanted to create a holistic law defender law office that could represent women in the criminal justice system, recognizing that Oklahoma is the No. 1 state for incarceration for women.” – BxD Executive Director Robin Steinberg speaking with Tulsa World about our new project, Still She Rises, Tulsa. […]
Trapping immigrants using NYC courts
“Allowing ICE to use the city’s court system to trap immigrants is immoral. If New York City is to live up to its promise as a sanctuary city, there can be no place for federal deportation forces in our courts.” Op-ed by BxD’s Justine Olderman for the New York Daily News. Read the piece here.
Bronx Defenders Asks NY Supreme Court to Compel NYPD to Produce Property Seizure Records
March 21, 2017, New York –The Bronx Defenders has asked the NY Supreme Court to compel the NYPD to appear at a hearing to explain its property seizure database and to produce internal records about policies and procedures involving millions of dollars in cash and property seized during arrests each year. The Bronx Defenders sued […]
NYT: Black Children’s Welfare
Erin Cloud, a supervising attorney of our Family Defense Practice, writes a Letter to the Editor to Stacy Patton to clarify the ways in which the disproportionate reporting of black families to the child protective services is reflective of economic injustice and racial inequality of low income families rather than about their actual parenting. “Increased […]
Vox: A former inmate on the perils of life after prison
“I have yet to speak with or to hear an employer who employs a formerly incarcerated person complain about the quality and the passion of the work that they have received.” Our Re-Entry and Community Outreach Coordinator Wesley Caines on life after prison. Read the entire interview here
A Critical Civil Rights Tool Is on the Chopping Block
“With threats to the balance of power in this country on the rise, protecting the class action is urgent. Courts can serve as a check against civil rights violations, but only if lawyers are able to bring cases that challenge government abuse.” Op-ed by BxD’s Jenn Rolnick Borchetta for The Marshall Project on new pro-business legislation that could […]