Category: Archive
DNAinfo: 10 Judges Will Head to Bronx to Target Criminal Case Backlog
BRONX SUPREME COURT — Ten judges from outside the city will be temporarily assigned to The Bronx as part of an unprecedented plan to shrink an “intolerable” backlog of felony cases, the state’s top judge said Tuesday. The move came as the borough’s top criminal judge, Efrain Alvarado, will be replaced by Justice Douglas McKeon, […]
Democracy Now!: Bronx Residents Accosted by NYPD Win Landmark Court Ruling Deeming “Stop and Frisk” Tactic Illegal
A federal judge has ruled that New York City police are not allowed to routinely stop pedestrians outside of private residential buildings in the Bronx. The stops are part of the so-called Clean Halls program, which has prompted allegations of police harassment by some residents who say they are being accosted outside of the buildings […]
News 12 Bronx: Argument against stop-and-frisk picking up steam
Watch Bronx Defenders Staff Attorney Molly Kovel discuss the recent court ruling. MELROSE – The attorneys who sponsored a lawsuit against the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk policy are supporting their claims today after a federal judge ruled the program must come to an end in certain buildings. The attorneys are representing 13 Bronx residents involved in the […]
Kumar Rao in Huffington Post’s The Blog: “The War on Drugs: A Shake-down, Not a Fair Shake for the Middle Class”
In the wake of President Obama’s re-election and the fervor around “fiscal cliff” negotiations, issues related to middle class empowerment and fairness are rightfully at the center of our national policy agenda. Decisions related to tax burden allocations and spending priorities are being made that have the potential to affect the middle class for a […]
Robin Steinberg spoke at Washington & Lee University’s symposium “Gideon at 50: Reassessing the Right to Counsel”
On November 8, 2012, Robin Steinberg spoke on a panel entitled “Gideon, Strickland, and the Right to Effective Representation” at Washington & Lee University. The event was part of a larger symposium discussing the 50th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright. See event details here. Video of the panel here:
Mary Anne Mendenhall and Emma S. Ketteringham in Huffington Post’s The Blog “Some Pro-Pot Parents Blog, Others Lose Their Children”
Recently, The New York Times published an op-ed by an art dealer and father from San Francisco, titled “Pot for Parents.” It was just the latest of a growing number of pieces published recently espousing the benefits of marijuana use for parents. These pro-pot missives share a carefree and cavalier tone, portraying marijuana use as […]
Kate Rubin provides testimony to NYC Council on Community Safety Act
Written Comments of The Bronx Defenders, Submitted to New York City Council Committee on Public Safety Presented by Kate Rubin October 12, 2012 Written CSA Testimony_BxD_Final
The Village Voice: Making Bail Better
When Judge Ralph Fabrizio saw William Miranda, free of handcuffs and dressed in street clothes, sitting in his Bronx courtroom, he was surprised. Three days earlier, on February 24, 2009, Miranda had been up before Fabrizio for arraignment on two misdemeanor assault charges. Fabrizio had set a substantial bail, $1,500 for each charge, certainly more […]
The Bronx Ink – Bronx District Attorney Curbs Stop-and-Frisk Abuses
The Bronx District Attorney’s office became the first in the city to openly question the validity of some stop-and-frisk arrests, by requiring police officers to verify each one in person before charges are rendered. In the past, arresting police officers had to fill out a sworn statement and routine paperwork. Now, officers will now also […]
Jenay spoke at Columbia University Law School panel, “The Risk of Permanent Punishment”
Jenay Nurse spoke on a panel at Columbia University Law School regarding juveniles and collateral consequences called “The Risk of Permanent Punishment.” Jenay spoke of the work she does for The Bronx Defenders Adolescent Defense Project on behalf of our youngest clients facing adult charges.