NYC Defender Joint Statement in Response to Mayor Adams’ Remarks on Gun Violence
January 24, 2022 Chi Nguyen, The Bronx Defenders (CNguyen@bronxdefenders.org) Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (RHaskins@legal-aid.org) Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (Dball@bds.org) Sam McCann, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders (hpowell@queensdefenders.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYC Defender Joint Statement in Response to Mayor Adams’ Remarks on Gun Violence (NEW YORK, NY)…
Law360: After ‘Dragging Their Feet,’ Bronx DA To Drop Pot Charges
“Eli Northrup, an attorney with the Bronx Defenders, however, told Law360 on Thursday morning that the DA’s office has agreed in conversations with public defenders to identify and dismiss open marijuana cases involving expungeable offenses under the MRTA. In a phone call last week with Ann Mathews, the director of the Bronx Defenders’ criminal practice, Chief…
Cannabis NewsWire: Public Defenders Accuse Bronx DA of Dragging Feet on Dropping Pending Cannabis Cases
“Despite the passage of the recreational cannabis law, those cases are still hovering over people’s heads, says Eli Northrup, a lawyer from Bronx Defenders. For instance, 41 people from the Bronx have been arraigned before court on marijuana charges, and their court dates are coming up. There are also cases involving individuals who, after being arrested, were…
Gothamist: Bronx DA Slow To Drop Open Marijuana Cases After Legalization, Public Defenders Say
“The Bronx Defenders sent a letter to Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark’s office on April 20th—three weeks after the law was passed—urging her to begin acting in accordance with the law. The letter estimated there were “hundreds” of pending cases in the Bronx in which the most serious charges were criminal sale or possession of…
NY City Lens: The Most Pressing Issue for Incarcerated Women: Sex Abuse and Harassment
“Advocates also sounded the alarm about the sexual abuse and harassment of transgender women in New York City facilities. Dany Greene of the LGBTQ Defense Project at The Bronx Defenders testified that transgender women are still being housed in male jails at Riker’s Island. Conversely, even if they are housed correctly, according to their gender…
Joint Statement in Response to Reports that NYC Family Court Clerk Used Racial Slurs to Refer to 15-Year-Old
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Joint Statement in Response to Reports that NYC Family Court Clerk Used Racial Slurs to Refer to 15-Year-Old (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society’s Juvenile Rights Practice, The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, New York County Defender Services, Lawyers For Children and Center for Family…
Brooklyn Daily Eagle: De Blasio appoints, reappoints judges, many with ties to Brooklyn
“Judge Gigi Parris was formerly a corporate associate with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. After three years, she became a Family Defense Practice Staff Attorney with The Bronx Defenders.” Read the full article here
Pix11: DAs tossing more drug cases tied to NYPD detective accused of framing innocent people
“The Exoneration Project, The Legal Aid Society, The Bronx Defenders, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, New York County Defender Services, The Office of the Appellate Defender and The Center for Appellate Litigation issues a joint statement following the news: “Although their actions came late, we thank DA Vance and DA Clark for taking this necessary…
Statement from The Exoneration Project, Legal Aid and Others on DAs Vance & Clark’s Announcement to Vacate Criminal Convictions in Cases Where Evidence of Guilt was Purportedly Obtained or Produced by Corrupt Former NYPD Detective Joseph E. Franco
April 15, 2021 Contact: Karen Newirth The Exoneration Project 718-490-0028 karen@exonerationproject.org Redmond Haskins The Legal Aid Society 929-441-2384 rhaskins@legal-aid.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** (NEW YORK, NY) – The Exoneration Project, The Legal Aid Society, The Bronx Defenders, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, New York County Defender Services, The Office of the Appellate Defender and The Center…
The Riverdale Press: Advocates applaud New York legalizing marijuana
“A number of the neighborhoods that were most targeted for marijuana enforcement are out here in the Bronx,” said Eli Northrup, a policy lawyer for The Bronx Defenders, a public defender non-profit that helps low-income Bronx residents. “We represent people every day who are affected by marijuana convictions. Even if marijuana policing has gone down…
Insider: For advocates, New York’s new legal weed bill is a major victory against racist drug sentencing
“As a public defender, Eli Northrup and the organization he works for, the Bronx Defenders, represented thousands of young Black and brown community members facing life-altering marijuana possession charges. Northrup joined the fight to legalize marijuana in New York after witnessing countless lives destroyed over minor marijuana convictions while “mothers in the Upper East Side…
Call about a Shooting Sparks Drug Arrest in Bedford Park
“Eli Northrup, policy counsel for The Bronx Defenders, was quoted as saying, “Because there’s no regulated market, you would be subject to a criminal violation and a fine of up to $250, if you sell any amount under 3 ounces. Anything more than that is a misdemeanor.” Read the full article here
Spectrum News1: New Marijuana Law Expunges Convictions for Many
“Some experts recommend those with certain immigration statuses who might benefit from expungement to talk to a lawyer. Eli Northrup with The Bronx Defenders says communities of color have been largely impacted by marijuana laws. “Even though, white people, people of color use [marijuana] at similar rates, people of color are the ones arrested, convicted…
News12 The Bronx: Gov. Cuomo signs bill legalizing recreational marijuana for adults in the state
“Eli Northup, an attorney for The Bronx Defenders, says the decision is long overdue. “If you ever had a conviction for a marijuana offense and that behavior is now legal, that record is automatically expunged,” Northup says. “You don’t have to do anything.” Read the full article here
Gothamist: “Can I Smoke Weed On The Street?”: What You Need To Know About Legal Marijuana In NY
“It’s a violation to sell any amount of marijuana unlawfully under the MRTA, but harsh penalties for selling lower amounts have been removed. “Because there’s no regulated market, you would be subject to a criminal violation and a fine of up to $250, if you sell any amount under 3 ounces,” said Eli Northrup, policy…
Spectrum News 1: Judge Orders New York to Vaccinate Prison Inmates
“The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, The Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society, the New York Civil Liberties Union, and Brooklyn Defender Services brought forward the lawsuit and said this ruling confirmed the state’s decision to leave inmates out was “dangerous and discriminatory.” Read the full article here
NY Supreme Court Rules Incarcerated People Must be Offered COVID Vaccine Immediately
NY Supreme Court Rules Incarcerated People Must be Offered COVID Vaccine Immediately Judge sides with public defenders and advocates in suit, says state’s exclusion of incarcerated people from vaccine eligibility is unconstitutional March 29, 2021 CONTACT Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (smccann@ndsny.org) Arianna Fishman, New York Civil Liberties Union (afishman@nyclu.org) Redmond Haskins, The…
The Bronx Defenders Praise Introduction of Marijuana Legalization Agreement
(ALBANY) – Lawmakers announced last night that they have a deal on a bill that will legalize marijuana in New York. Eli Northrup, Policy Counsel for the Criminal Defense Practice at The Bronx Defenders, issued the following reaction: “We are extremely happy to see that the bill announced closely mirrors the framework of the Marijuana Regulation…
New York Daily News: N.Y. state lawmakers finalize deal on legalizing recreational marijuana
“Public defenders praised the legislation. “Marijuana justice means working to undo the immense damage done by the war on drugs and ensuring that the communities most impacted by prohibition — including many here in the Bronx — have a chance to benefit from legalization as well,” Eli Northrup of the Bronx Defenders said in a…
Davis Vanguard: NYC Public Defenders Urge End to Jail Phone Recording after 1,500+ Calls Wrongly Bugged
“NEW YORK, NY – Recent information reveals more than 1,500 phone calls made from those incarcerated here were wrongly recorded, leading New York City public defenders to urge an end to all recordings of phone calls made by those in city jails, and for the city to not renew its contract with Securus, a prison…
Bronx Defenders Statement on de Blasio Police Reform Plan
NEW YORK – The City Council voted today to approve and endorse Mayor de Blasio’s proposed police ‘reform and reinvention’ plan for New York City as mandated by Governor Cuomo’s executive order 203. Justine Olderman, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders, issued the following response: “The Mayor’s police ‘reform’ plan and process has been flawed…
PIX11: Inside the deal to legalize marijuana in New York
“Eli Northup is an attorney with the Bronx Defenders. He hopes the deal will also include a provision to automatically wipe out past marijuana convictions from criminal records. “Marijuana convictions can affect people in all these different ways outside of the criminal context, in the child welfare system, when you’re applying for housing, education, there’s…
Fox5 NY: In protocol breach, calls between Rikers Island inmates, lawyers recorded
“Powers said he and his colleagues requested a DOC audit after being contacted by concerned attorneys from the Bronx Defenders, a nonprofit that represents clients in the justice system. The audit found hundreds of phone numbers that were supposed to be on the “do not record” list were actually recorded.” Read the full article here
New York Daily News: NYC Correction Department officials brushed off concerns about recorded jailhouse calls between inmates and legal advisers
“[We are calling] for an immediate end to all recording of phone calls made by people incarcerated in New York City jails,” the Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, New York County Defender Services, and Queens Defenders said in a joint statement.” Read the full article…
Fox: In protocol breach, calls between Rikers Island inmates, lawyers recorded
“Powers said he and his colleagues requested a DOC audit after being contacted by concerned attorneys from the Bronx Defenders, a nonprofit that represents clients in the justice system. The audit found hundreds of phone numbers that were supposed to be on the “do not record” list were actually recorded.” Read the full article here