Tag Archives: New York Criminal Defense Attorney
NYPD & New York City Sued For Misusing Arrest Records
On April 24th, a class action lawsuit was filed against the NYPD police department and the city of New York alleging that the department illegally kept and accessed sealed arrest records in order to target particular communities for investigations and law enforcement activities. The lawsuit alleges that the department used the records in the… Read More »
When Criminal Justice, Environmental Justice, And Racial Profiling Overlap
There are many instances where criminal justice and environmental justice overlap, as recently highlighted in this a recent article published by Grist. For one, police and judges often sentence environmental activists to prison terms, conveniently finding connections between peaceful protests and “felony assault.” Sadly, this can also frequently result in a racial discrimination/inequity/environmental justice… Read More »
The Need For Criminal Justice Reform
Many are aware that there are a myriad of flaws in our criminal justice system, however, a recent publication from The Hill highlights just how bad it is. For example, almost three million U.S. children under the age of 18 have an incarcerated parent; there are more prisons than colleges in our country; drug… Read More »
Is It Possible To Incorporate Neuroscience Into The Courtroom While Also Safeguarding Liberties?
The U.S. Bill of Rights enshrines certain individual liberties and freedoms in our culture that the law, governments, courts, etc. cannot infringe upon; rights that include freedom from self-incrimination and the right to a speedy trial by an impartial jury. We’ve previously discussed the use of neuroscience to argue for mitigating circumstances in a… Read More »
A Closer Look At The Insanity Defense
In the wake of last month’s deadly shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, the issue of to what extent the insanity defense should be used in the courtroom as a criminal defense has been the subject of a nationwide debate. In order for a defendant to rely on the insanity defense, the… Read More »
Will New York Add Another Anti-Smoking Law To The Books?
On March 21st, a bill making it illegal to smoke while walking in New York City was introduced into the New York legislature. While smoking is already banned in a number of public spaces in New York City, the proposed legislation would impose a $50 fine on anyone caught smoking and walking on city… Read More »
Criminal Indictments Served On New York Towing Companies
On February 21st, New York district attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. issued four indictments charging at least 17 people and 19 companies in New York with conspiracy and corruption with respect to illegally controlling the list that police officers rely on to call towing companies in response to vehicle collisions. Specifically, Vance called it… Read More »
Rikers Island Facility May Close Early To Better Protect Inmates’ Civil Rights
A 70-page report delivered to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature on February 14th documents the rise in violent incidents and violations of inmates’ constitutional rights at Rikers Island, leading the state commission that oversees New York City’s jail system (the Commission of Correction) to possibly try to close the… Read More »
New York City Ends Cash Bail System In Non-Felony Cases
In a huge victory for New York City, on January 10th, the district attorneys for Brooklyn and Manhattan announced that they would no longer request cash bail in most misdemeanor and violation (i.e. non-felony) cases, allowing defendants to be released rather than sit in jail until and unless they could provide large amounts of… Read More »
New Study Explores Link Between Criminal Behavior & Brain Trauma
A new study out of Vanderbilt University and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences sheds light on the link between violent crimes and brain trauma. The study specifically focused on people with brain tumors, brain bleeding, and/or a stroke and linking this to a sudden change in their behavior, late… Read More »
