Category: In the News
New York Daily News: Advocates celebrate New York’s new bail and discovery reforms ahead of Jan. 1 implementation
“Advocates and elected officials celebrated upcoming changes to the state’s bail and discovery rules during a rally on the steps of City Hall Tuesday for Human Rights Day… On Jan. 1, laws requiring prosecutors to turn over a wider range of evidence in faster fashion will go into effect, as well as reforms to the […]
Rise Magazine: What Parents Need to Know: School Reports to CPS, Communicating with the School, and Advocating for Your Child
An interview with The Bronx Defenders Here, Asia Piña and Crystal Baker-Burr, a social worker and an education attorney at The Bronx Defenders, warn parents that some schools may call in reports far more quickly than others. They suggest ways parents can navigate challenges and improve their relationship with their child’s school to avoid unnecessary […]
New York Daily News: NYC legal defense groups want additional criminal justice reforms from Albany
“The city’s top legal defense organizations want state lawmakers and Gov. Cuomo to keep criminal justice reforms at the top of their to-do list as they prepare for next year’s legislative session. The Legal Aid Society, New York County Defender Services, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders and Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem issued a […]
The Chronicle of Social Change: More Services Or Better Legal Support For Accused Parents? New York Officials and Advocates Divided on What’s Best
“Some advocates who spoke to lawmakers last week rejected the notion that prevention programs were a panacea, and argued that lawmakers should focus instead on improving legal representation for parents. “We have to stop talking about preventive services,” testified Emma Ketteringham, a managing attorney for the legal aid group Bronx Defenders. “I’m not saying that’s […]
Blackstar News: NY Transit And Police Accountability Advocates To Governor Cuomo: Invest In MTA Service Upgrades Not More MTA Police
“As New York City looks toward implementing historic criminal justice reforms, the addition of 500 cops to deal with what is clearly an economic and social justice issue is unnecessary, cruel and counterproductive,” said Scott Levy, Chief Policy Counsel at The Bronx Defenders. “Every day, The Bronx Defenders and other public defenders citywide witness the devastating […]
News12: Bronx Defenders: Empowering low-income people through legal advocacy
“Two Bronx residents are working to help their own through the nonprofit group The Bronx Defenders. News 12 spoke with Noemi Cotto and Carol Larancuent about their legal advocacy in the community” Watch the full video here
Mitu: Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg Apologizes For Years Of Stop-And-Frisk Policy Ahead Of Possible 2020 Run
“The temperature in the city at the time was that the police were at war with Black and brown people on the streets,” Jenn Rolnick-Borchetta, the director of impact litigation at the Bronx Defenders, told the New York Times. “And that is how people experienced it.” Statistics show that Black and Latino people were nine times […]
Latin Post: “Stop-and-Frisk” Shows Promise in Reducing Crime Rates, But Were Minorities Intentionally Targeted?
“However, based on recent data, the number of stops multiplied increasingly, in 2011 and ended up reaching more than 600,000 instances. In 2013 it reached 191,851. During his three terms as a mayor of New York City, the number of stops based on the records of the police reached an approximate 5,081,689. According to the […]
Gotham Gazette: Facing Criticism, NYPD Reps Tell City Council Body Camera Program ‘A Work in Progress’
“Lenora Easter, team leader of the early defense team at the criminal defense practice of The Bronx Defenders, urged the Council to close a loophole that allows officers discretion to not turn on their cameras in exigent circumstances. She also pushed for increasing the “buffering period” on officer cameras – the two types of cameras […]
The New York Times: Why ‘Stop-and-Frisk’ Inflamed Black and Hispanic Neighborhoods
“After taking office in 2002, Mr. Bloomberg oversaw a dramatic expansion in the use of stop-and-frisk. The number of stops multiplied sevenfold, peaking with 685,724 in 2011 and then tumbling to 191,851 in 2013. During Mr. Bloomberg’s three terms, the police recorded 5,081,689 stops. “The temperature in the city at the time was that the […]