Voting has started for The People’s Money, NYC’s first-ever citywide participatory budgeting (PB) process! The Bronx Defenders’ Community Engagement team, alongside our partners The BLOC, Mott Haven Reformed Church, DreamYard, FEC Mott Haven Melrose, Highbridge Advisory Council, Urban Dove Charter School, is taking to the streets in support of The People’s Money. The Bronx Defenders…
Contact: Anthony Chiarito, The Bronx Defenders, achiarito@bronxdefenders.org The Bronx Defenders and State Elected Officials Rallied in Albany to Fight for Transformative Change in the Bronx and Beyond The Bronx Defenders host their 4th Annual Community Day of Action in Albany Advocates called for the passage of Clean Slate, Treatment Not Jail, New York For All, and Family Miranda Rights, among many more New York, NY – On Wednesday, May 17th, The Bronx Defenders…
Contacts: Michael Paul Jackson, The Bronx Defenders, mjackson@bronxdefenders.org Issara Baumann, Arnold & Porter, issara.baumann@arnoldporter.com Lawsuits seek to force ACS to finally answer for decades of systemic racism Includes first of its kind lawsuit to enforce MRTA after ACS separated a Black family over lawful cannabis use The Bronx, NY – Today, The Bronx Defenders and Arnold &…
(New York, NY) – In response to Mayor Adams’ remarks this week, The Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, New York County Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, and Queens Defenders issued the following statement: “Mayor Adams used the language of compassion and care this week to reassert an anti-Black, anti-poor,…
Contact: Anthony Chiarito, The Bronx Defenders, (AChiarito@bronxdefenders.org) (NEW YORK, NY) – The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Legal Aid Society, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, New York County Defender Services, and Queens Defenders issued the following joint statement in response to a new report released by the New York City Department of Investigation on…
(NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, New York County Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, and Queens Defenders issued the following joint statement on New York’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget: “Governor Hochul and the Legislature’s decision to yet again rollback New York’s bail laws, eliminating the…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Chiarito, The Bronx Defenders, achiarito@bronxdefenders.org New York, NY – Following last night’s announcement by the Governor on a “conceptual agreement” on the State budget that includes changes to the bail laws, The Bronx Defenders issued the following statement: “Governor Hochul’s efforts to strip the ‘least restrictive means’ language from New…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Chiarito, achiarito@bronxdefenders.org New York, NY – As State lawmakers return to Albany and Governor Hochul attempts to rollback bail and discovery reform yet again through the State budget process, The Bronx Defenders issued the following statement: “The Governor’s attempt to rollback bail and discovery reform is deeply disturbing and should be called…
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…
IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Chiarito, achiarito@bronxdefenders.org New York, NY – After watching the New York State budget deadline come and go, The Bronx Defenders issued the following statement: “Once again, the budget is late because our Governor is insisting on changes to our bail law that would lead to thousands of New Yorkers being jailed…
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,…
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…
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:…
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…
Katie DiPiero (she/her/hers) earned her Master’s in Social Work and Social Policy from the University of Chicago, where she concentrated in the Transforming Justice Program of Study. While earning her degree, she interned at the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission and the Bluhm Legal Clinic at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. There, she worked with the…
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…
(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…
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…
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…
CONTACTS: Anthony Chiarito, media@bronxdefenders.org, 646-610-1936 Matt Sollars, matt@anatgerstein.com, 347-925-0101 Bronx Cannabis Hub Celebrates Opening of First Cannabis Dispensary by a Hub-assisted Individual in New York State The Bronx, NY – On Tuesday, Smacked Village – which is owned and operated by Roland Conner and his family – became the first cannabis dispensary to open in…
Contacts: Anthony Chiarito, The Bronx Defenders, media@bronxdefenders.org Dan Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, AILopez@legal-aid.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** New York Immigrant Family Unity Project Statement on Massive ICE Data Leak Immigration Legal Providers Call for Release of Affected Individuals; Reaffirm Call for End of ICE Detention (New York, NY) –…
Contact Anthony Chiarito, The Bronx Defenders, media@bronxdefenders.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** The Bronx Defenders Updated Statement in Response to the Mayor’s New Directive for Involuntary Mental Health Removals December 2, 2022 (NEW YORK, NY) – The Bronx Defenders issued the following updated statement following the Mayor’s announcement on Tuesday of a new directive which empowers the NYPD and other…
Contacts: Anthony Chiarito, The Bronx Defenders, media@bronxdefenders.org Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Shannon Anglero, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, sanglero@neighborhooddefender.org Diana Denza, Center for Family Representation, ddenza@cfrny.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 22, 2022 (NEW YORK, NY)— Today, the New York Times reported on a Freedom of Information Law request by The Bronx Defenders, which…
Despite representing 20,000 clients every year in criminal, civil, family, and immigration courts, we still find time to participate in discussions to educate the public about the issues most impacting the people we serve. This month, Wesley Caines (Chief of Staff), Aimee Carlisle (Senior Attorney), Sophia Gurulé (Immigration Policy Counsel), and Julia Solomons (Senior…
October 5, 2022 CONTACTS: The Bronx Defenders, media@bronxdefenders.org The Bronx Cannabis Hub Successfully Helps 30 People Directly Impacted by the War on Drugs Apply for the First Round of Cannabis Dispensary Licenses in New York Bronx, New York – The Bronx Cannabis Hub – a project of The Bronx Defenders in partnership with The Bronx Community Foundation – is…