Category: Press Statements

State Lawmakers Must Halt 11th Hour Attempt to Rollback Discovery Laws, Preventing Accused New Yorkers from Seeing the Evidence Against Them

IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Chiarito, achiarito@bronxdefenders.org  New York, NY – The Bronx Defenders issued the following statement following reports that Governor Hochul and New York City’s District Attorneys are proposing changes to the discovery reform law passed in 2019:  “Not satisfied with trying to roll back bail reform to make it easier to jail more […]

Inmigrantes Detenidos Demandan a Funcionarios de ICE y de Nueva York por Represalias Contra Protesta Protegida por la Primera Enmienda

Retribución “rápida y aplastante” en la cárcel del Condado de Orange después de hablar en contra de la brutalidad, el abuso racista y la negligencia medica   Contacto: Michael Paul Jackson, The Bronx Defenders, (646) 397-8069, mjackson@bronxdefenders.org Jen Nessel, Centro para los Derechos Constitucionales, (212) 614-6449, jnessel@ccrjustice.org Kaye Dyja, Unión de Libertades Civiles de Nueva York, […]

Detained Immigrants Sue ICE and NY Officials for Retaliation Against First Amendment Protected Protest

Retribution“swift and crushing” at Orange County Jail after speaking out against brutality, racist abuse, medical neglect  Contact:  Michael Paul Jackson, The Bronx Defenders, (646) 397-8069, mjackson@bronxdefenders.org Jen Nessel, Center for Constitutional Rights, (212) 614-6449, jnessel@ccrjustice.org  Kaye Dyja, New York Civil Liberties Union, (212) 607-3372, kdyja@nyclu.org  April 4, 2023, New York – Federal and local officials […]

The Bronx Defenders Calls on the State Legislature to Reject the Governor’s Bail Proposal and Protect Thousands of New Yorkers from Pre-Trial Torture

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Chiarito, achiarito@bronxdefenders.org New York, NY – On Friday, one day before the New York State budget is due, The Bronx Defenders issued the following statement following reports that the Governor is holding up the budget process over her insistence on changing the state’s bail laws to jail more New Yorkers: […]

Judge Rules NYPD Must Overhaul Its Systems To End Its Unlawful Use of Sealed Arrest Records

Ruling restores privacy and presumption of innocence to millions of New Yorkers    Media Contact: Michael Paul Jackson, @mjackson@bronxdefenders.org   NEW YORK — Today, a Manhattan judge ruled that the New York City Police Department (NYPD) must overhaul its technological systems to end its practice of illegally accessing and using sealed arrest records, restoring privacy and the […]

Statement on Proposals to Expand Criminalization of Poverty

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Chiarito, The Bronx Defenders, achiarito@bronxdefenders.org NEW YORK —  Today, The Bronx Defenders released the following statement in response to proposals by the industry advocacy group Collective Action to Protect our Stores to expand criminalization in response to concerns about safety and theft: “Everyone has a right to be safe and […]

Public Defenders and Civil Legal Services Providers Call for Increased Funding to Ensure High Quality Representation and Other Critical Services for Low-Income New Yorkers

(NEW YORK, NY) – New York’s leading public defender and civil legal service providers called for increased funding in the City budget, highlighting the dire impact underfunding has wrought on their ability to meet the needs of low-income New Yorkers. Not only have chronic underfunding and contracting issues led to widespread attrition, but if unaddressed […]

Joint Statement in Response to Council Speaker Adrienne Adams State of the City Address Remarks on Funding for Public Defender, Civil Legal Services Organizations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEW YORK — The Legal Aid Society, New York County Defender Services, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, Queens Defenders, Legal Services NYC, Mobilization for Justice, New York Legal Assistance Group, Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A, Urban Justice Center, NMIC and CAMBA Legal Services, TakeRoot Justice released the […]

The Bronx Defenders Files Suits Against the NYPD and the City of New York for Abuse and Violence Against Black and Brown Families

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Media Contacts:   Michael Paul Jackson, @mjackson@bronxdefenders.org    NEW YORK — Today, The Bronx Defenders filed two lawsuits on behalf of clients challenging police violence and aggression toward Black and brown people. With these cases—and more to come soon—the Impact Litigation Practice is helping clients of The Bronx Defenders demand respect for their fundamental civil […]