Category: In the News
Gothamist: Bronx Man In ICE Custody Fighting For Release After Cuomo Pardons His Robbery Conviction
A Bronx man who’s been in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for two-and-a-half years may have a new chance at being reunited with his wife and toddler while he and his lawyers fight a deportation order against him. Ousman Darboe, a Fordham Heights resident who turns 26 this week, was pardoned for a third degree […]
Gothamist: Murder of Nassau County Man Not Caused By Recent Discovery Reforms, Contrary To Official Statements
The Legal Aid Society of Nassau County, the Legal Aid Society of New York, Brooklyn Defender Services, the Bronx Defenders, the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Innocence Project & Citizen Action of New York issued a joint statement Wednesday that read: “The tragic death of Mr. Maldonado (Rodriguez) is, unequivocally, not the […]
New York Post: State Democrats rip Nassau officials for ‘blatantly lying’ about MS-13 witness death
A joint statement from Innocence Project, The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, the Bronx Defenders, the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and Citizen Action of New York called the incident an “extremely disturbing” move to exploit Rodriguez’s murder. “These statements by law enforcement are again another attempt to use lies and […]
CBS: Nassau’s Top Cop Says New Law May Have Led To Victim’s Deadly Beating At Hands Of MS-13
“The tragic death of Mr. Maldonado is, unequivocally, not the result of the new discovery laws. It is extremely disturbing that law enforcement officials are exploiting this murder to try to discredit the discovery laws, which after decades of wrongful convictions have finally been amended to match those of the rest of the country. Under […]
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 […]
NYU News: Arguments Against New York’s Cash Bail Reforms Are Dated
“But bail has little effect on the likelihood of defendants returning to court. After the Bronx Defenders bailed out 150 people, 95% of their clients attended every court appearance, and almost 50% of the cases were dismissed entirely. The high return rate fundamentally undermines the supposed purpose of bail — incentivizing defendants to show up to their […]
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 […]
New York State of Politics: Criminal Justice Reform Groups Back Heastie on Supporting Bail Law
“Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie’s support for the cashless bail law amid a growing maelstrom may feel like a lonely stance in Albany these days. But on Friday, the speaker got some backing from a coalition of progressive organizations supporting his stance that the new law should not be scaled back. “We applaud Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie for […]