Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman (See Profile) last week praised as a way “to take the profit motive out of bond making” the program of a Bronx legal assistance organization that used charitable contributions to keep its indigent clients out of jail as they awaited trial. Lippman’s endorsement came as The Bronx Defenders prepared to resume…
On February 4, 2013, Justine Olderman spoke at the 8th Annual Harry Frank Guggenheim Symposium on Crime in America at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. Her remarks on bail reform and Holistic Defense were part of the panel entitled “Rethinking Pre-Trial Detention” and are captured in part here.
On January 25th, 2013, Ashley Kaper gave testimony at the New City Council in support of proposed legislation limiting New York City’s collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s “Secure Communities” Program. Written Comments of The Bronx Defenders New York City Council Committee on Immigration January 25, 2013 Hearing on: Int. No. 982, A Local Law to amend…
On January 24th, 2013, Emma Ketteringham spoke at the American Bar Association’s Center on Children and the Law Annual Conference. She spoke in a session entitled the “Prejudice and Punishment: Judging Mothers who Use Drugs.” More information here
On January 18th, 2013, Kate Rubin presented about The Bronx Defenders at a conference entitled “Civic Restoration: A Road to Workforce Development for Formerly Incarcerated People” at Bronx Christian Fellowship Church. More event information here
Residents Protest NYPD Practice, Call for City Council Passage of Community Safety Act Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito, advocates and New Yorkers call for end to abuse and harassment at “East Harlem Stand Up!” event New York – Hundreds of New Yorkers joined Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito, community organizations and advocates in East Harlem to protest…
BRONX SUPREME COURT — Ten judges from outside the city will be temporarily assigned to The Bronx as part of an unprecedented plan to shrink an “intolerable” backlog of felony cases, the state’s top judge said Tuesday. The move came as the borough’s top criminal judge, Efrain Alvarado, will be replaced by Justice Douglas McKeon,…
A federal judge has ruled that New York City police are not allowed to routinely stop pedestrians outside of private residential buildings in the Bronx. The stops are part of the so-called Clean Halls program, which has prompted allegations of police harassment by some residents who say they are being accosted outside of the buildings…
Free!!! Know Your Rights! Stand Up & Defend Yourself! The Bronx Defenders are looking to do Know Your Rights trainings at High Bridge Branch Public Library. They are happy to advise folks on their rights related to Police, Stop and Frisk, and what to do if ACS (Administration for Children’s Services) knocks on your door…
Watch Bronx Defenders Staff Attorney Molly Kovel discuss the recent court ruling. MELROSE – The attorneys who sponsored a lawsuit against the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk policy are supporting their claims today after a federal judge ruled the program must come to an end in certain buildings. The attorneys are representing 13 Bronx residents involved in the…
The Bronx Defenders is pleased to announce that Judge Shira A. Scheindlin of the Southern District Court of New York has granted a preliminary injunction against the New York Police Department (NYPD) in The Bronx Defenders’ class-action lawsuit, Ligon v. City of New York. The case successfully challenged the NYPD practice of illegally stopping, frisking,…
A federal judge has dealt a significant blow to the New York police department’s controversial stop-and-frisk policy, declaring that officers had “systematically” engaged in unconstitutional activity by searching residents outside thousands of private apartments in the city. Manhattan federal court judge Shira Scheindlin said the NYPD must immediately halt the practice of conducting trespass stops…
In the wake of President Obama’s re-election and the fervor around “fiscal cliff” negotiations, issues related to middle class empowerment and fairness are rightfully at the center of our national policy agenda. Decisions related to tax burden allocations and spending priorities are being made that have the potential to affect the middle class for a…
Contact: Kamau Butcher, The Bronx Defenders Phone: 718-838-7878 E-mail: kamaub@bronxdefenders.org Press Advisory December 3, 2012 Bronx Residents Come Together for Police Reform Campaign On Thursday, December 6th at 6pm, Bronx residents will gather at The Bronx Defenders for the launch of The Bronx Defenders Organizing Project: a movement of our clients, former clients, families, neighbors, and…
Emma Ketteringham, Managing Attorney of the Family Defense Practice, speaks on the Criminalizing Parents panel on November 16th, 2012 as a part of Harvard Law School’s “The Politics of Parenthood Week”. More info here: http://www.facebook.com/events/550665218281036/
On November 8, 2012, Robin Steinberg spoke on a panel entitled “Gideon, Strickland, and the Right to Effective Representation” at Washington & Lee University. The event was part of a larger symposium discussing the 50th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright. See event details here. Video of the panel here:
As presented to City Council Civil Rights Committee: “Stop and Frisk Profiling” Brooklyn College October 23, 2012 Written Testimony My name is Christian Lassiter and I am a Staff Attorney in the Criminal Defense Practice at The Bronx Defenders. I would like to say thank you to the members and staff of the Civil Rights…
Recently, The New York Times published an op-ed by an art dealer and father from San Francisco, titled “Pot for Parents.” It was just the latest of a growing number of pieces published recently espousing the benefits of marijuana use for parents. These pro-pot missives share a carefree and cavalier tone, portraying marijuana use as…
Written Comments of The Bronx Defenders, Submitted to New York City Council Committee on Public Safety Presented by Kate Rubin October 12, 2012 Written CSA Testimony_BxD_Final
See what we’ve been up to for the past 15 years! www.bronxdefenders.org/15anniversary
When Judge Ralph Fabrizio saw William Miranda, free of handcuffs and dressed in street clothes, sitting in his Bronx courtroom, he was surprised. Three days earlier, on February 24, 2009, Miranda had been up before Fabrizio for arraignment on two misdemeanor assault charges. Fabrizio had set a substantial bail, $1,500 for each charge, certainly more…
On Monday, October 1st, Emma Ketteringham, Managing Attorney of the Family Defense Practice, presented at Central Michigan University on the misperceptions which underlie child protection’s response to pregnant women seeking the help they need when struggling with addiction.
The Bronx District Attorney’s office became the first in the city to openly question the validity of some stop-and-frisk arrests, by requiring police officers to verify each one in person before charges are rendered. In the past, arresting police officers had to fill out a sworn statement and routine paperwork. Now, officers will now also…
The new training team started today, with a meet-and-greet, a tour of the office, and a conversation with Executive Director Robin Steinberg. These attorneys will be trained in all aspects of holistic defense for the next six weeks, and will receive one-on-one training and support for a full year. We celebrated the “graduation” of last…
Jenay Nurse spoke on a panel at Columbia University Law School regarding juveniles and collateral consequences called “The Risk of Permanent Punishment.” Jenay spoke of the work she does for The Bronx Defenders Adolescent Defense Project on behalf of our youngest clients facing adult charges.