Category: In the News
New York Times: Letter to the Editor: Public Defenders Are Part of the Solution
“While indigent defense is chronically underfunded, hard-working public defenders stand shoulder to shoulder with their clients every day in the fight for justice. Rather than see defender as contributing to a system of racism and oppression, we should look to defenders as a critical part of the new future Mr. Mill calls on us to […]
WNYC: Bronx DA Won’t Ask Supreme Court to Decide on Jury Trials for Immigrants
Alice Fontier, managing director of the Criminal Defense practice, welcomed the DA’s decision to not ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Suazo case in hopes of changing the law so that all defendants accused of class B misdemeanors, not just immigrants, can get jury trials. She said citizens also face harsh punishments if […]
The Appeal: New York Just Changed the Way it Prosecutes Kids, But Some Got Left Behind
“If the District Attorney’s office believes every gun possession case is ‘extraordinary,’ they misunderstand the nature of Raise the Age. A blanket position that every firearm possession amounts to ‘extraordinary circumstances’ would be an attempt to get around the intent of Raise the Age and to continue using the adult criminal justice system against children.” […]
The Chronicle of Social Change: New York City Council Confronts Child Welfare Agency Over Emergency Parent-Child Separations
Between Oct 2016-May 2018, ACS reported a 30% increase in “emergency removals,” removing a child before the case has appeared before a judge. Our Managing Director of the Family Defense Practice Emma Ketteringham testified before the New York City Council on the impact of this alarming trend. “Parent advocates like Coles and Emma Ketteringham of the legal […]
WNYC: New York’s Highest Court Rules Immigrants Deserve Jury Trials, Even for Misdemeanors
The New York Court of Appeals has ruled that immigrants are entitled to a jury trial, even when they’re accused of misdemeanors that carry sentences of six months or less. This is a groundbreaking decision that will provide people a meaningful day in court to fight charges that could lead to deportation. “Jury trials are […]
VOICES: Dinah Ortiz: Family, Women’s and Criminal Justice Reform Advocate
“What lead me to work with the marginalized community is my own personal experience of having child welfare in my life. In the beginning of 1999, I had that infamous knock on the door in the middle of the night that we [parents] fear so much.” Our Dinah Ortiz-Adames, parent advocate, talks about about how […]
WNYC: Lawsuit: Immigration Detainees Wait Average 80 Days for Court Date
“Due process requires that the government give you a hearing within a few days of seizing your car,” says Niji Jain, Impact Litigation attorney at The Bronx Defenders. “And if that’s what’s required for when your car is seized, then due process certainly requires at least the same promptness when a person is themselves locked […]
Documented NY: Immigrants Held in Detention for Months Without a Hearing: Lawsuit
Immigrants who are detained by ICE in New York are forced to languish behind bars for weeks and months, waiting for their first appearance before a judge. The Bronx Defenders, Cardozo School of Law, and New York Civil Liberties Union – NYCLU have filed a lawsuit against ICE and the Department of Justice challenging these egregious delays in […]
RAND Study on Holistic Defense in the News
A new study released today by RAND and the University of Pennsylvania Law School finds that The Bronx Defenders’ unique model of holistic defense significantly reduces incarceration rates, sentence length, and pre-trial detention, saving taxpayer dollars, without harming public safety. In total, the study estimates that The Bronx Defenders has saved its clients 1.1 million […]
NY Daily News: Public defender groups calling for major criminal justice reforms by state
New York witnessed a historic election, and it is time for it to yield historic change. We joined with our fellow New York City defender offices to call upon political leaders in Albany to pass urgent and critical criminal justice reform. In a joint letter, we joined with The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service […]