Robin G. Steinberg, executive director of The Bronx Defenders, discusses her reasons for deciding early on in her legal career, to represent the poor, people of color, the under-served. The Bronx Defenders, an organization of 190 lawyers, social workers and advocates, is committed to “providing inclusive and extensive services” to Bronx residents charged with crimes….
Julio Pabon, Candidate for City Council South Bronx, NY This last Thursday, April 18, 2013, I attended a Bronx Town Hall Meeting on Community Safety & NYPD Accountability. The event was held at the Vacamas Glow Classic Center located at 286 East 156th St., located in the heart of the Melrose projects in the South…
On April 19, 2013, Lisa Beneventanto presented at The Center for Child Advocacy’s 8th Annual Conference, “The Forgotten Child: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Child Neglect” hosted by Montclair State University in New Jersey. Her presentation was part of a workshop entitled “Supporting Vulnerable Families: A Preventive Intervention.” Click here for more information.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 18, 2013 Contact: Joanna Bernstein, The Bronx Defenders, 215-603-3113 or joannab@bronxdefenders.org South Bronx Residents, Elected Officials Demand End to Stop-and-Frisk Abuses and Discriminatory Policing Senator Gustavo Rivera, City Council members Melissa Mark-Viverito and Annabel Palma, and hundreds of community members call for reforms Bronx, NY – At a Bronx town hall…
The right to a lawyer, regardless of whether you can afford it, has been a cornerstone of American justice for 50 years, ever since a landmark US Supreme Court ruling in 1963. But thousands of Americans–and New Yorkers—still can’t exercise that right. New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman discusses what our courts and politicians…
Eighteen years ago, Carlos Perez was playing with his two-year-old son on a South Bronx stoop when a group of police officers drove up and shouted, “Freeze!” Carlos was handcuffed, arrested, and charged with murdering a cab driver and a Fed-Ex worker in the Bronx. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to 50 years to…
David Berrios becomes an activist after a violent encounter with the police lands him in the hospital. Join David at our Bronx Town Hall on April 18th to change the NYPD: on.fb.me/YfcGnO Produced by Joanna Zuckerman Bernstein Music: Clips from Tutto Finito Jazz “Sol Nocturno 1”
The NYPD stopped, searched, and humiliated Angel Aviles and his wife last summer — for no reason. In this episode, Angel tells his story. He now advocates for police reform with the Bronx Defenders Organizing Project (www.bronxdefenders.org). Recording, editing, and production by Joanna Zuckerman Bernstein. Music by Brotmond, Cydonia Pianoversion.
Fifty years ago, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Gideon vs. Wainwright that criminal defendants have the constitutional right to legal representation, whether they can afford it or not. But today’s public defenders are overworked and underpaid, and the scales of justice still tilt heavily in favor of the wealthy. An organization in…
The Bronx Defenders’ Center for Holistic Defense selected six public defender offices in 2013 to receive training in holistic advocacy techniques. New York – The Bronx Defenders’ Center for Holistic Defense, in partnership with the Center for Court Innovation (CCI), chose six public defender offices to receive its Training & Technical Assistance Grant in 2013….
On March 18th, 2013, Robin Steinberg spoke about the Bronx Freedom Fund at Gideon’s 50th Anniversary Symposium at American University, Washington College of Law. Her remarks were part of a panel entitled “Gideon, Strickland, and the Right to Effective Representation.” Click here for more information
On March 18th, 2013, Justine Olderman made remarks about holistic defense at a news conference in Albany on the 50th Anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright. The statement was made in conjunction with other public defender organizations and political leaders with the theme: “On 50th Anniversary, Fulfill Gideon’s Promise.” For more information click here
This morning, our very own Christian Lassiter appeared live on HuffPost Live to talk about the Kimani Gray killing by the NYPD in Brooklyn last weekend. As you can see, Christian did a fabulous job in this very important and critical conversation about the NYPD’s campaign to target young Black and Latino men in low…
Gbenga Akinnagbe from ‘The Wire’ joins HuffPost Live to talk about his recent court victory, challenging stop & frisk policies and intolerance for free speech. Hosted by: Alicia Menendez Guests: Gbenga Akinnagbe @GbengaAkinnagbe (New York, NY) Actor Matt Sledge @MGSledge (New York , NY) HuffPost National Reporter Alejandro Fernandez @BronxDefenders (New York, NY) Staff Attorney…
Levele Pointer, South Bronx resident, member of the Bronx Defenders Organizing Project and a NYHRE peer educator, shares his stories of getting stopped and frisked in New York City. This is the first in a series of South Bronx stories about the harmful impact on individuals and communities of discriminatory police practices. Recording, editing, and…
The Center for Holistic Defense at The Bronx Defenders The 2013 Holistic Defense for Public Defender Offices Technical Assistance Project Request for Proposals The Center for Holistic Defense, a project of The Bronx Defenders, is pleased to announce the release of its fourth annual Technical Assistance Project Request For Proposals seeking applications from public defender…
A sprawling, sunny room beckons invitingly with black couches and bright accent pillows for relaxing, bookshelves with novels to borrow for an hour or a week, a pair of children’s tables, outlets for recharging cellphones and free coffee. This is the newest hub for justice in the South Bronx: a public defenders’ office that looks…
THE BRONX – A non-profit organization in The Bronx that has been helping the community for 15 years opened a new location today. The Bronx Defenders helps more than 30,000 residents with legal cases and social work per year. In order to keep up with their clientele, the organization opened the new space on the…
The Bronx Defenders yesterday opened its new ‘Justice Campus’ at 360 E. 161st St., with Executive Director Robin Steinberg and Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. cutting the ribbon. The new offices, which were made from the renovation of two empty storefronts near the Hall of Justice, will allow the Bronx Defenders to better serve its…
Please join us to celebrate the grand opening of The Bronx Defenders Justice Campus with special guest Ruben Diaz Jr., Bronx Borough President and remarks by Robin Steinberg, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders Wednesday, February 27th, 2013 9:30 a.m. Ribbon Cutting & Remarks 10:00 a.m. Tour of the Justice Campus We…
On February 23rd, 2013, Immigration Attorneys Genia Blaser, Conor Gleason, and Jennifer Friedman assisted potential DREAM Act applicants at an Immigration Clinic at JFK High School in the Bronx, sponsored by Congressman Charles Rangel. For more information, click here
A Bronx man cannot be retried for selling drugs after his first case ended in a mistrial because the judge failed to consider less severe alternatives, a state appeals court ruled Thursday. The Appellate Division, First Department, found that double jeopardy precluded a second prosecution against Jamal Morris, who sought a writ prohibiting the Bronx…
February 21, 2013 Mayor Bloomberg came out swinging at his final State of the City address last Thursday, recapping his achievements and defending his policy decisions. About the NYPD’s controversial stop-and-frisk program he said, “We have a responsibility to conduct them, and as long as I am mayor, we will not shirk from that responsibility.”…
If you’ve ever been arrested for a misdemeanor offense, like jumping a turnstile, smoking a joint, or protesting a cause in a way the authorities would rather you didn’t, then you’ll know that your best chance of avoiding jail has less to do with what you’ve done than if you can make bail. It’s no…
On Tuesday, January 8th, Judge Shira Scheindlin in the Southern District Court of New York granted a preliminary injunction against the NYPD in our federal class action lawsuit, Ligon v. City of New York. The injunction has since been temporarily stayed pending appeal, but it was nevertheless a huge victory for our litigation team, clients,…