Category: In the News
Judge slaps down state’s defense of ‘structural and systematic’ delays in Bronx trials by invoking segregationist South
“A judge compared state lawyers’ arguments in a case on court delays to the pre-Civil Rights Era South, suggesting Wednesday their position against federal intervention might have been used by segregationists. The Bronx Defenders alleged in a May lawsuit that those in the borough facing misdemeanor charges suffer from “structural and systematic” delays in their […]
The Judges New York Elects Will Alter Lives
WNYC features an incredible victory from our Prostitution Conviction Vacatur Project, a project we launched in 2013 with the aim of identifying all our clients who have criminal convictions as a result of having been a victim of sex trafficking and working with them to vacate the conviction. Listen to the story here.
Police Can Use a Legal Grey Area to Rob Anyone of Their Belongings
“When officers categorize wallets or cellphones as evidence, getting them back can be nearly impossible—even if the owner isn’t charged with a crime…” Great piece in The Atlantic on the NYPD’s use of civil forfeiture and The Bronx Defenders’ legal challenges to this and other property seizure practices by police. Read the article here. To […]
The NYPD’s Civil Forfeiture System Has Taken Millions From Low-Income New Yorkers
“Just how common, and exactly how much money the NYPD is currently taking from low-income New Yorkers, is the basis of a lawsuit filed last week against the NYPD by the Bronx Defenders…” Read the article here. For more on the lawsuit, see our case page.
The Public-Defender System’s Funding Crisis
As states across the country struggle to sufficiently defend the poor, why is our public-defender system in turmoil and can anything be done to reform it? Robin Steinberg, executive director of The Bronx Defenders, joins WNYC’s The Takeaway to discuss. Listen to the story here.
NYPD isn’t releasing info on civil forfeiture, which could bring them ‘tens of millions’ of dollars, suit says
“The NYPD is illegally refusing to disclose information on civil forfeiture, according to a lawsuit to be filed Thursday. The Bronx Defenders plan to file a Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit that says the NYPD won’t provide requested information on policies and procedures involving cash and property seized during arrests — which could total “tens of […]
Bronx DA to launch new Property Release Unit to return confiscated property after criminal investigations
“The Bronx District Attorney’s office has agreed to several procedures that could speed up the return of property confiscated during criminal investigations, according to new court documents… The proposed changes were spurred by a federal lawsuit filed in January by The Bronx Defenders.” Read the article here. For more on the lawsuit, see our case page.
NYPD faces class-action lawsuit over civil forfeitures from people arrested and later released
“The NYPD’s practice of refusing to release money and property allegedly tied to criminal activity is slated to become the subject of a federal class action lawsuit. A Bronx law firm, which sued the city in January over its civil forfeiture policy, amended the complaint Friday to add more plaintiffs who said they were unable […]
Class-Action Lawsuit Will Challenge NYPD’s Use Of Civil Forfeiture To Rob Innocent New Yorkers
“Kaleb Hagos was arrested by police on September 23rd, 2015, and had $2,931.68 in cash confiscated, along with an iPhone he was carrying in his pocket. Since then, the case against him has been terminated, and his lawyers at the Bronx Defenders have repeatedly tried to retrieve his phone and money—but to date, the Bronx […]
In the Bronx, justice is delayed & denied
Our Executive Director, Robin Steinberg, published the following piece in Daily News about our lawsuit challenging systemic court delay in the Bronx. “This situation constitutes nothing short of a constitutional crisis. People in the poorest borough in New York, with the highest percentage of black and Latino residents, are being forced to choose between returning to […]