Legal Aid Society

News

LAS in the News 3.20.20

At The Legal Aid Society our Civil, Criminal Defense, Juvenile Rights, and Pro Bono practices work tirelessly in and out of the courtroom to defend our clients and dismantle the hidden, systemic barriers that can prevent them from thriving in New York City. We seek to be a beacon of hope for those who feel neglected —regardless of who they are, where they come from, or how they identify. Our experienced teams provide comprehensive services, support, and advocacy that protect rights, keep families and communities together, and in many cases, saves lives. We have an intrinsic connection to the daily lives of New Yorkers. Here are a few of the places we made a difference, provided context or added valuable perspective this week:

COVID-19 Response

LAS calls for halt to arrests and release of, protection for incarcerated New Yorkers

NY Post: NYC corrections union says inmate visits should stop over coronavirus
NY Daily News: End visits to keep NYC jails free of coronavirus, correction officers’ union chief says
North Jersey: Coronavirus in prisons? Not yet, but officials grapple with preventing cases
NY Daily News: City Hall suspends visits to city jails amid concerns over the coronavirus
NY1: NYC Correction Investigator Dies of Coronavirus
Bronx Justice News: DOC Investigator Dies of Coronavirus
City Limits: The Coronavirus Thread: Call for Arrest Moratorium as DOC Worker Dies
THE APPEAL: New York Department of Corrections Investigator Dies from COVID-19
NY Daily Mail: Legal Aid Society asks for a freeze on arrests in New York to combat the pandemic
THE APPEAL: The Coronavirus Response: Spotlight on State and Local Governments
Law 360: Public Charge Rule Oral Arguments Delayed Due To COVID-19
Gothamist: Department Of Correction Staffer With COVID-19 Dies
Daily Mail: Hundreds of prisoners could be released up to six months early to ease overcrowding
Inside City Hall: De Blasio Isn’t Knocking Down Idea of Putting NYC on Lockdown Amid Coronavirus
Guardian: Courts across the US halt as New York’s soldier on
SI Live: Public defenders call for stop to NYPD arrests, release of some prisoners
NY Times: ‘We Are Not a Hospital’: Inside a Prison Bracing for the Coronavirus
City Limits: The Coronavirus Thread: City Cases Top 800; Mayor Considering ‘Shelter-in-Place’
Scary Mommy: ICE Arrests Need To Stop NOW To Prevent The Spread Of Coronavirus
NY1: City Explores Releasing Vulnerable Inmates from Rikers
NY Daily News: Suspects with coronavirus symptoms to stop appearing in NYC criminal courts
THE CITY: Defenders Plead For Rikers Parole Hearings to go to Video
NY Daily News: Coronavirus prompts Legal Aid, Manhattan D.A., to call for release of state parolees
Queens Daily Eagle: Advocates call for ICE to halt courthouse arrests during COVID-19 outbreak
Queens Daily Eagle: Jail oversight board calls on city to release detainees to stop COVID-19
Daily Mail: Coronavirus infects prison employee at Sing Sing
The Appeal: Washington D.C. Continues Low-Level Arrests Amid Pandemic 
The Appeal: An Urgent Please for Compassionate Release as Conronavirus Spreads 
NBC News: While the coronavirus pandemic lasts, we must stop filling prisons
Gothamist: Correction Officer On Rikers Island Tests Positive For Coronavirus
City & State: Will coronavirus spring people from jail?
NJ Record: ICE detainees go on hunger strike in N.J amid coronavirus fears, lawyers say
NY Daily News: Rikers Island inmate has contracted coronavirus: officials
The Intercept: Coronavirus Has Arrived at Rikers Island: Inside NYC Jails
The Crime Report: NYC Mayor Pressured for COVID-19 Jail Safety Plan
MIC: Coronavirus arrives at Rikers, sparking calls for better jail protections
Bkylner: As Coronavirus Spreads, Can The City Protect Its Inmates?
NY Daily News: Coronavirus prompts Legal Aid, Manhattan D.A., to call for release of state parolees
THE CITY: Little Relief for Jails’ Most Vulnerable as Pandemic Grows 

Evictions halted due to coronavirus 

Queens Daily Eagle: Mayor can order marshals to halt evictions amid coronavirus emergency
NEWSWEEK: NYC Temporarily Halts Evictions as Coronavirus Spreads Throughout State
Commercial Observer: New York State Halts Evictions and Foreclosures Indefinitely
Queens Daily Eagle: City orders marshals to halt evictions ‘indefinitely’ amid COVID-19 emergency
QNS: New York State stops evictions indefinitely to minimize courts traffic amid coronavirus
Curbed: ‘It’s a confusing situation’: New York’s move to halt evictions lacks clarity

LAS files suit on behalf of woman handcuffed by NYPD as she gave birth

Patch: NYPD Cuffed Pregnant Woman In Labor To Hospital Bed: Lawsuit
Guardian: New York woman was shackled to bed during childbirth, lawsuit says
Gothamist: Woman Sues City After NYPD Handcuffs Her During Active Labor

LAS calls for firing of officers involved in marijuana planting scheme

The Intercept: A New York Police Officer Was Caught on Camera Apparently Planting Marijuana
Daily Mail: NYPD cop’s bodycam footage appears to show the moment he ‘planted marijuana
Staten Island Advance: Legal Aid wants two cops fired over second controversial arrest

More LAS in the news

City Limits: Emergency Grants Can Help Stop Homelessness — if You Have a Lawyer
Politico: Public defenders seek oversight on crime statistics, accuse NYPD of inflating charges
The Verge: The NYC Subway’s New Tap-to-Pay System has a Hidden Cost – Rider Data
NY Post: Cops probe potential hate crime against City Council candidate
Newsday: NYPD says it plans to use facial recognition technology
AMNY: Legal Aid Society dubious of new NYPD facial recognition provision
Gotham Gazette: As NYCHA Teeters, Calls for More Funding in City and State Budgets
Curbed: New York will offer mortgage relief during coronavirus pandemic. What about rents?
NYLJ: Cuomo, Prosecutors, Meet Over Bail Reform, but No Deal Is Reported
NY Daily News: Cuomo huddles with advocates and law enforcement about proposed bail reforms
WNYC: New York Court Arraignments: No Video and No Social Distancing Causing Jitters
City Limits: City Must Equip Street Homeless to Fight the Virus
Gothamist: The NYPD Is Sitting On Seized E-Bikes That Could Be Returned to Workers
Politico: Homeless advocates call for more support amid criticism of city’s response
Politico: Lander presses for expedited paid sick leave law for gig workers
NYT: Coughing Lawyers. Uneasy Jurors. Can Courts Work Under Coronavirus?