In the News
New York Times: Letter to the Editor: Public Defenders Are Part of the Solution
“While indigent defense is chronically underfunded, hard-working public defenders stand shoulder to shoulder with their clients every day in the fight for justice. Rather than…
WNYC: Bronx DA Won’t Ask Supreme Court to Decide on Jury Trials for Immigrants
Alice Fontier, managing director of the Criminal Defense practice, welcomed the DA’s decision to not ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Suazo case…
The Appeal: New York Just Changed the Way it Prosecutes Kids, But Some Got Left Behind
“If the District Attorney’s office believes every gun possession case is ‘extraordinary,’ they misunderstand the nature of Raise the Age. A blanket position that every…
The Chronicle of Social Change: New York City Council Confronts Child Welfare Agency Over Emergency Parent-Child Separations
Between Oct 2016-May 2018, ACS reported a 30% increase in “emergency removals,” removing a child before the case has appeared before a judge. Our Managing…
WNYC: New York’s Highest Court Rules Immigrants Deserve Jury Trials, Even for Misdemeanors
The New York Court of Appeals has ruled that immigrants are entitled to a jury trial, even when they’re accused of misdemeanors that carry sentences…
VOICES: Dinah Ortiz: Family, Women’s and Criminal Justice Reform Advocate
“What lead me to work with the marginalized community is my own personal experience of having child welfare in my life. In the beginning of…
WNYC: Lawsuit: Immigration Detainees Wait Average 80 Days for Court Date
“Due process requires that the government give you a hearing within a few days of seizing your car,” says Niji Jain, Impact Litigation attorney at…
Documented NY: Immigrants Held in Detention for Months Without a Hearing: Lawsuit
Immigrants who are detained by ICE in New York are forced to languish behind bars for weeks and months, waiting for their first appearance before…
RAND Study on Holistic Defense in the News
A new study released today by RAND and the University of Pennsylvania Law School finds that The Bronx Defenders’ unique model of holistic defense significantly…
NY Daily News: Public defender groups calling for major criminal justice reforms by state
New York witnessed a historic election, and it is time for it to yield historic change. We joined with our fellow New York City defender…