Tag: covid-19
City Limits: Opinion: Disinvestment Deepens the Impact of COVID-19 and Racism in the Bronx
“The twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice that have ripped through this country the past six month have exposed and exacerbated long-standing inequities in our collective health, prosperity, and safety. Thousands of low-income people of color have died, millions of low-wage workers are out of a job, and Black people are experiencing violence, trauma, […]
Brooklyn Daily Eagle: Brooklyn Defenders and others want transparent COVID protocols for NYC jails
“A group of legal service providers including Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) came together to write a letter demanding that certain city agencies provide clear and transparent COVID-19 protocols for local jails. The groups, which also include the Legal Aid Society, the Bronx Defenders, New York County Defenders, Queens Defenders and Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem […]
Law360: Virus Concerns Loom Over Handling Of Mass Arrests
“Police should not be arresting individuals who are peacefully exercising their First Amendment right to protest, said Ann Mathews, managing director of the criminal defense practice at Bronx Defenders. And if cops do cuff peaceful protesters, district attorneys should decline to prosecute them, Mathews said.” Read the full article here
Gothamist: As Civil Courts Reopen, Tenant Advocates Fear Coronavirus Could Spread In A Busy Housing Court
“Tenant advocates also have many outstanding questions. A group of them are calling on OCA to postone all phases of the reopening of the city’s civil and housing courts amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and Black Lives Matter demonstrations, until there’s a thorough safety plan informed by health experts and stakeholders. “Reopening the courts prematurely […]
Courthouse News: New York City Reaches Virus Milestone With Infections Down to 1%
“During the public testimony portion of the City Council hearing, New Yorkers expressed outrage over the behavior of the NYPD during citywide protests. “As public defenders in the South Bronx, none of this has come as a surprise. It’s the treatment we regularly see our clients, overwhelmingly black and brown people, subjected to,” said Zami […]
Norwood News: New Bill to Protect Contact Tracing Data from Law Enforcement
“Rivera said he was honored to have worked with Neighborhood Defender Services, Center for Community Alternatives, The Bronx Defenders, and the New York Civil Liberties Union in drafting the new bill, based on powerful testimony he heard at the joint legislative hearing held in May on the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on minority communities. “This […]
The Marshall Project: Police Arrested Fewer People During Coronavirus Shutdowns—Even Fewer Were White
“Dawit Getachew, a public defender at the Bronx Defenders in New York, says he’s seen the racial disparity in arrests before and after the pandemic, because he represents clients from a South Bronx neighborhood that is primarily home to black and Hispanic residents. While Getachew said he is not surprised to learn about the widening […]
City Limits: Opinion: Don’t Leave the Vulnerable with Less Defense in NYC Courtrooms
“COVID-19 has upended every aspect of public life. It has also exposed and exacerbated the racial and economic disparities that have long existed in this city. Our legal systems are no different in that regard. Even as some court functions have slowed down, our legal systems continue to target and ensnare low-income New Yorkers. ‘Social […]
The City: Parents Seeking Return of Children First Must Forge Connections On Screens
“At the Bronx Defenders, which is working with the Bronx mother, efforts to reunify families are sometimes cut short by an agency’s insistence that a parent have a longer track record of supervised visits with caseworkers and sessions with therapists and counselors. The pandemic has also had a significant impact on access to services — […]
Tahanee Dunn Presents Testimony at New York City Council Committee on Criminal Justice and Committee on the Justice System Re: COVID-19 in City Jails and Juvenile Detention Facilities
New York City Council Committee on Criminal Justice and Committee on the Justice System Re: COVID-19 in City Jails and Juvenile Detention Facilities May 19th, 2020 Written Testimony of The Bronx Defenders By Tahanee Dunn, Robyn Goldberg, Martha Grieco, Deborah Lolai & Julia Solomons Good afternoon Chair Powers, Chair Lancman, and committee members. My name […]