Category: Press Statements
Register now for the 2017 Defenders’ Academy: Spring Training!
From June 5 to June 10, The Bronx Defenders will be hosting its 2017 Defenders’ Academy: Spring Training program. Defenders’ Academy: Spring Training is a six-day intensive trial skills program for criminal, family, and civil defenders. Through the lens of a complex case problem, participants will receive training on voir dire, opening statements, direct examination, cross […]
NYC Public Defenders Submit Legal Brief in Invocation of Right to Counsel Case
New York – The Bronx Defenders submitted a friend-of-the court brief before the New York Court of Appeals, on behalf of itself and six other public defense providers in New York City, in a case involving the invocation of the right to counsel during police interrogations. The case, People v. Slocum, is headed to the […]
Public Defender Orgs Urge Speaker Mark-Viverito to Call for Vote on Right to Know Act
New York – Representatives from public defense providers in New York City gathered today on the steps of the New York City Hall to urge Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito to call for a vote on the Right to Know Act after the legislation has remained stalled in the Committee on Public Safety for over two years. The […]
The Bronx Defenders Issues Statement in Response to Police Killing of 66-Year-Old Bronx Resident
New York City – In response to the fatal police shooting of a 66-year-old Bronx resident last night, The Bronx Defenders issued the following statement: “Last night’s police killing of Deborah Danner, a 66-year-old woman from the South Bronx, is the latest, tragic reminder that police officers are simply ill equipped to deescalate encounters with people […]
The Bronx Defenders Mourns Passing of Brooklyn DA Ken Thompson
New York – The Bronx Defenders mourns the death of Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson, who passed away last night after a battle with cancer. “We extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Thompson’s family, friends, and staff,” said Robin Steinberg, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders. “A staunch advocate for criminal justice reform, Ken Thompson […]
Bronx Defenders Lawsuit Challenges Lack of Transparency in NYPD Property Seizures
Contact: media@bronxdefenders.org August 4, 2016, New York – Today, The Bronx Defenders filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of the State of New York against the New York Police Department, arguing the department has violated New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) by refusing to provide relevant information pertaining to its policies and procedures […]
Bronx DA Agrees to Property Seizure Reforms in Response to Bronx Defenders Lawsuit
Contact: media@bronxdefenders.org July 26, 2016, New York – The City of New York and The Bronx Defenders have requested a six-month stay of the federal class action lawsuit Encarnacion v. City of New York after the Bronx District Attorney’s Office agreed to implement a series of reforms to ensure the NYPD promptly releases personal property […]
NYPD Body-Worn Camera Policy Questionnaire
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NYPD Asks New Yorkers to Weigh in on Body-Worn Camera Policy
The New York Police Department (NYPD) is planning a large body-worn camera (BWC) experiment involving 1,000 cameras at precincts all over the City, and is seeking public input to develop the policies that will guide officers using the cameras. This pilot program emerged in part from the class action lawsuits in which the court found the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk […]
Lawsuit Challenges NYPD’s Policy of Unlawfully Keeping People’s Cash and Property
Contact: media@bronxdefenders.org The Bronx Defenders Seeks Class Cert. in Property Retrieval Suit June 3rd, 2016, New York – The Bronx Defenders filed an amended complaint today in Encarnacion v. City of New York, and will ask a federal judge to grant class certification in their lawsuit challenging the NYPD’s unconstitutional practice of retaining people’s property […]