Podcasts about The Bronx Defenders

Join host Patrick Patino and guest Shane Seppinni on a laugh-filled episode where they discuss living in awe, creating boundaries, and giving yourself permission to doing things differently. About Shane: Shane Seppinni founded Seppinni Law. Seppinni Law is a preeminent plaintiffs law firm headquartered in New York City, representing employees and survivors against Corporate America and abusers. After graduating from Stanford Law School, where he was a member of the Black Law Students Association, Shane worked as a Civil Rights Public Defender at the Bronx Defenders. Shane then joined the trial law firm of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. Before becoming a lawyer, Shane worked at Google studying tech companies' employment practices. Shane was the first student from his public high school to be admitted to Cornell University, where he studied Industrial Labor Relations as an undergrad. Shane lives in Brooklyn with his wife, their son, and their dog. https://www.linkedin.com/in/seppinni/ https://www.seppinnilaw.com

Back in early Spring 2024 -- we net Bronx Public Defender Eli Northrup as he was beginning his run for NY State Assembly representative for the UWS. We were recording outside the Goddard Riverside Community Center at West 88th St and Columbus Avenue, talking to neighbors celebrating “Love Your Street Tree Day” – and Eli came up to our open mic.Eli placed second in the election for State Assembly. We invited Eli to talk about his experience of running for state office and his work as the “Policy Director for the Criminal Defense Practice at the Bronx Defenders” office. We began the conversation asking Eli about his NYU law school hip hop band “Pants Velour” and their quick hit “Charlie Sheen: Always Winning.” Eli shared his deep disappointment with losing the election and how his work as the policy director at the Bronx Public Defenders formed his political platform. At the midpoint of the conversation we talked about American citizens' looking for openness and honesty in a political scene rife with dishonesty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shain Filcher, Esq. (they/he/she), Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY sits down with Deborah Lolai, Esq. (she/her), Clinical Instructor at Harvard Law School's LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia School of Social Work to discuss Deborah's near decade of experience as a Public Defender and Founding Director of the LGBTQ Defense Project at The Bronx Defenders, the challenges LGBTQ+ people face at all stages of prosecution within the criminal legal system, career changes, and how academia can serve to enhance social justice movements.

June 18, 2024 - Progressive criminal justice activists are hoping to clarify the limitations on what criminal records employers and schools can access. We discuss this effort with KB White, an equal justice works fellow at the Legal Action Center, and Johari Frasier, an equal justice works fellow with The Bronx Defenders.

We are back in the cypher, right here on Audio Nuggets!  We are honored to be joined by Miriam Mack, a co-struggler and friend, for Episode 34: Critical Connections--THE Imperative.Miriam Mack is the Policy Director for The Bronx Defenders' Family Defense Practice, and an advocate and activist for racial and reproductive justice. The Bronx Defenders are actively redefining public defense by challenging the dominant narrative of save and rescue, as they root themselves in the principled and broader struggle for freedom.  This conversation unpacks the beauty of base-building in the movement to abolish carcerality and systemic violence, right relationships, and the critical connections that are our driving force in practicing new worlds. We grapple with what happens if we're harmed, and Miriam reminds listeners of the deep and very real urgency for imagining and building. Listen to be captivated!This show is part of the SafeCamp Audio podcast network. Learn more at SafeCampAudio.org.

On Tuesday, May 14 the New York For All coalition held a rally at the Capitol to call for the passage of the New York For All Act. All New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, want to lead open lives without intimidation. The New York for All Act offers protections that help make this possible by prohibiting all local law enforcement and state agencies from working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). We hear from several speakers, starting with Robert Agyemang, Vice President of Advocacy for the NY Immigration Coalition, who served as moderator. Other speakers were Marcos Martinez, Alianza Agrícola; Rebecca Lamorte, Greater New York LECET union; Rosie Wang, Vera Institute of Justice; Rosa Cohen-Cruz, Bronx Defenders. With Mark Dunlea for the Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

In partnership with The Bronx Defenders, Cleary attorneys have been supporting the launch of New York State's Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary licensing program. The first of its kind, this program prioritizes licensing individuals affected by the past criminalization of marijuana use. We spoke with Cleary Gottlieb Pro Bono Counsel, Katherine Hughes, for this PBEye Signatory Showcase podcast. Listen to Hughes speak about creating a successful program in New York that will hopefully serve as a blueprint for other states when looking towards cannabis legalization from a social equity and social justice perspective. 

April 18, 2024 - We consider legislation requiring informed consent to screen pregnant and postpartum mothers for drugs and alcohol with the help of Jenna Lauter, policy council for the New York Civil Liberties Union, and Desseray Wright, a family defense practice policy advocate with The Bronx Defenders.

Today is a re-release of my conversation with Jenny Andrews. It comes as a right before two episodes covering the ceasefire resolution put out by the UAW ALAA 2325 union that represents Public Defenders and Legal Aid Workers at the New York Legal Aid Society, the Bronx Defenders, Camba Legal Services, and much more.   Jenny Andrews is the Director of Training for California's Indigent Defense Improvement Division. She's here today to teach you what public defense is truly like from the defender's side. Public defenders are often trapped between a rock and a hard place because they want to provide equal representation access, yet are expected to work too many hours for not enough pay. Because of this, “martyr complex” is prevalent in this field. You'll learn that public defense is an area of service, but that this often comes at the expense of the defender's mental health. Jenny will walk you through how she's helping implement self-care practices into nationwide and why self-care is vital to providing zealous representation! Throughout this episode, remember that ultimately, it is the client who suffers when the public defender suffers in silence Key Topics and Takeaways: Jenny's background and how she got started in public defense. [7:50] Why Jenny burnt out and left the industry. [14:18] Moral injury. [21:58] Self-care in public defense. [26:32] Secondary trauma. [33:36] How Jenny has been building a culture of self-care. [42:50] How individual offices are promoting self-care. [48:28] The line between service and self-care. [53:14] Guest: Jenny Andrews, Director of Training, Indigent Defense Improvement Division, Office of the State Public Defender, California Resources: Be Sustained  https://besustained.org/ Body Keeps the Score https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748 Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 Publicdefenseless@gmail.com  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  Subscribe to the Patron www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast  Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN

Part 1:We talk with Mel Goodman, Professor of Government at Johns Hopkins. We discuss the Israeli-Hamas war, and how it is spreading throughout the Middle East. The US is involved, because we are supplying the Israelis. What problems is the US trying to solve here? How should a cease-fire happen? What should follow the cease-fire? If these problems are not addressed, this becomes a larger, unmanageable long-term problem for the US.  Part 2:We talk with Pedro Gerson, who is assistant instructional professor at the University of Chicago. He was formerly an immigration staff attorney at the Bronx Defenders.We discuss the migrant problem in the US. Laws are not being created to bring about a just and fair solution. Republicans seem satisfied with creating chaos, rather than addressing the problem. We need to start using the language of abundance: "more people will crease more solutions, resources", rather than the language of scarcity. New arrivals do not depress wages. The US needs more workers to create more opportunities to maintain and expand the economy. WNHNFM.ORG  production

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday, #LALiens. . Today: › So long, Bronx Defenders. Hello, USA v. Hamas . › Is 'bad blood' an existential threat? DNC's Rapid Response Team is working overdrive to forge a fresh, new angle against Trump. You'll never guess . . . . › The European Commission announced its investigation into X for alleged violations of the Digital Services Act, ratified in August of 2023. Be assured: this is not at all political. . Join us. . Daily livestreams beginning at 8:00 am EST on: › Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/LawandLegitimacy › Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lawandlegitimacy › X: https://twitter.com/LawPodDaily . Subscribe and turn on notifications! . Support Law and Legitimacy: . - Locals: https://lawandlegitimacy.locals.com/ - X: @LawPodDaily, @PattisNorm, and @MichaelBoyer_ - Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Audible, Spotify, or wherever you receive podcasts and rate LAL 5 stars. - Subscribe here on our Rumble and Youtube channels, give us a Rumble, and join our active community of free-thinkers, contrarians, and the unafraid on Locals!

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday, #LALiens. . Today: › So long, Bronx Defenders. Hello, USA v. Hamas . › Is 'bad blood' an existential threat? DNC's Rapid Response Team is working overdrive to forge a fresh, new angle against Trump. You'll never guess . . . . › The European Commission announced its investigation into X for alleged violations of the Digital Services Act, ratified in August of 2023. Be assured: this is not at all political. . Join us. . Daily livestreams beginning at 8:00 am EST on: › Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/LawandLegitimacy › Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lawandlegitimacy › X: https://twitter.com/LawPodDaily . Subscribe and turn on notifications! . Support Law and Legitimacy: . - Locals: https://lawandlegitimacy.locals.com/ - X: @LawPodDaily, @PattisNorm, and @MichaelBoyer_ - Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Audible, Spotify, or wherever you receive podcasts and rate LAL 5 stars. - Subscribe here on our Rumble and Youtube channels, give us a Rumble, and join our active community of free-thinkers, contrarians, and the unafraid on Locals!

Good morning and Happy Monday. Norm and Mike begin the week in Law and Legitimacy with the following: . › The trial tax and terrorism in J6: Proud Boy Charles Donohoe's sentencing memo does not include a terrorism enhancement. . › The Department of Justice will charge Blaze journalist, Steve Baker, in connection with his coverage of the events of January 6, 2021, at the Capitol. It is Baker's contention that testimony fundamental to the Government's case in securing seditious conspiracy convictions is contradicted by video and photographic evidence. . › The New York Times reports on the worsening divide in the Bronx Defender's Office—responsible for the cases of 20,000 indigent clients—over the Israel-Hamas War. . › Norm and Mike offer a farewell to a beloved member of the Law and Legitimacy community, and mourn the loss of his kind and gentle soul. . Join us. . Daily livestreams beginning at 8:00 am EST on: › Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/LawandLegitimacy › Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lawandlegitimacy › X: https://twitter.com/LawPodDaily . Subscribe and turn on notifications! . Support Law and Legitimacy: . - Locals: https://lawandlegitimacy.locals.com/ - X: @LawPodDaily, @PattisNorm, and @MichaelBoyer_ - Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Audible, Spotify, or wherever you receive podcasts and rate LAL 5 stars. - Subscribe here on our Rumble and Youtube channels, give us a Rumble, and join our active community of free-thinkers, contrarians, and the unafraid on Locals!

Good morning and Happy Monday. Norm and Mike begin the week in Law and Legitimacy with the following: . › The trial tax and terrorism in J6: Proud Boy Charles Donohoe's sentencing memo does not include a terrorism enhancement. . › The Department of Justice will charge Blaze journalist, Steve Baker, in connection with his coverage of the events of January 6, 2021, at the Capitol. It is Baker's contention that testimony fundamental to the Government's case in securing seditious conspiracy convictions is contradicted by video and photographic evidence. . › The New York Times reports on the worsening divide in the Bronx Defender's Office—responsible for the cases of 20,000 indigent clients—over the Israel-Hamas War. . › Norm and Mike offer a farewell to a beloved member of the Law and Legitimacy community, and mourn the loss of his kind and gentle soul. . Join us. . Daily livestreams beginning at 8:00 am EST on: › Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/LawandLegitimacy › Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lawandlegitimacy › X: https://twitter.com/LawPodDaily . Subscribe and turn on notifications! . Support Law and Legitimacy: . - Locals: https://lawandlegitimacy.locals.com/ - X: @LawPodDaily, @PattisNorm, and @MichaelBoyer_ - Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Audible, Spotify, or wherever you receive podcasts and rate LAL 5 stars. - Subscribe here on our Rumble and Youtube channels, give us a Rumble, and join our active community of free-thinkers, contrarians, and the unafraid on Locals!

Julie Mente sat down with Samah Sisay, Staff Attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights, to shine a light on the human rights violations occurring at Orange County Correctional Facility. Samah delves into the true reality of immigration detention in New York, sharing stories of inhumane conditions faced by people detained and how they have organized and advocated against these conditions. Finally, learn about the lawsuit filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights, NYCLU and Bronx Defenders against Orange County, ICE, and officials and discover how you can support efforts to end immigration detention in New York and support those inside.  Notes: https://ccrjustice.org/home/what-we-do/our-cases/ortiz-v-orange-county-ny --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dismantlinginjustice/support

With each passing day, more Israeli bombs are falling on Gaza, more bodies are being blown apart and buried under the rubble, over a million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes. Over the past month and a half, the world has borne witness to a genocidal military campaign to clear out Gaza once and for all, and every day, every hour, it feels like the chance to stop one of humanity's most inhumane crimes is slipping through our fingers, and the powers that be have shown no interest whatsoever in listening to the thundering calls for a ceasefire coming from governments and mass demonstrations around the world, particularly the Biden administration in the US, the increasingly fascistic Netanyahu government in Israel, and the arms manufacturers and war profiteers who are raking in billions from manufacturing mass death. This is prompting people of conscience around the world, including unions and worker-led groups, to speak out and take action to try to stop the slaughter. One of those unions is the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys – UAW Local 2325 (ALAA), whose members include legal aid workers at over 25 organizations, including the Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service, and the Legal Aid Society of New York City. Last week, ALAA members were preparing to hold a vote on whether or not to approve the union publicly issuing a "Resolution Calling for a Ceasefire in Gaza, an End to the Israeli Occupation of Palestine, and Support for Workers' Political Speech." In the lead-up to the vote, union members at different legal aid offices reported strong opposition from management. “These statements call for the elimination of the state of Israel and the annihilation of the Jewish people,” Twyla Carter, Chief Executive Officer of the Legal Aid Society, reportedly told staff, expressing concern that certain donors would pull funding from the Legal Aid Society if the union passed the resolution. Then, on Thursday, Nov 16, as Akela Lacy reports at The Intercept, "attorneys at the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County sued in New York State Supreme Court to stop the vote, saying it posed an ethical dilemma for attorneys that would make it “impossible for them to properly do their job as Public Defenders.” Those four attorneys were ALAA bargaining unit members. "On Friday," Lacy continues, "the court granted a temporary restraining order enjoining the vote. Voting had gotten underway at 9 a.m. and only 15 minutes were left on the clock when the injunction was issued. The tally never got underway." In this urgent mini-cast, we speak about this unprecedented attack on union democracy and workers' free speech rights with three ALAA members: Allie Goodman, an attorney in the Family Defense Practice at Bronx Defenders; Michael Letwin, a former public defender at Legal Aid in Brooklyn for 37 years who also served as president of ALAA – UAW Local 2325 for 13 years; and Dany Greene, who has worked as a public defender for six years, four of which were spent at Bronx Defenders, where they helped found and organize the BXD Union, and who now works at an appellate office focusing on criminal appeals. Additional links/info below… Labor for Palestine website and Twitter/X page Association of Legal Aid Attorneys, United Auto Workers Local 2325, "Resolution Calling for a Ceasefire in Gaza, an End to the Israeli Occupation of Palestine, and Support for Workers' Political Speech" Akela Lacy, The Intercept, "Public Defenders Get Restraining Order to Block Their Own Union from Voting on Gaza Statement" Jake Johnson, Common Dreams, "Bar Association Urged to Fight Censorship of Pro-Palestinian Voices" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song

With each passing day, more Israeli bombs are falling on Gaza, more bodies are being blown apart and buried under the rubble, over a million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes. Over the past month and a half, the world has borne witness to a genocidal military campaign to clear out Gaza once and for all, and every day, every hour, it feels like the chance to stop one of humanity's most inhumane crimes is slipping through our fingers, and the powers that be have shown no interest whatsoever in listening to the thundering calls for a ceasefire coming from governments and mass demonstrations around the world, particularly the Biden administration in the US, the increasingly fascistic Netanyahu government in Israel, and the arms manufacturers and war profiteers who are raking in billions from manufacturing mass death. This is prompting people of conscience around the world, including unions and worker-led groups, to speak out and take action to try to stop the slaughter.One of those unions is the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys – UAW Local 2325 (ALAA), whose members include legal aid workers at over 25 organizations, including the Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service, and the Legal Aid Society of New York City. Last week, ALAA members were preparing to hold a vote on whether or not to approve the union publicly issuing a "Resolution Calling for a Ceasefire in Gaza, an End to the Israeli Occupation of Palestine, and Support for Workers' Political Speech." In the lead-up to the vote, union members at different legal aid offices reported strong opposition from management. “These statements call for the elimination of the state of Israel and the annihilation of the Jewish people,” Twyla Carter, Chief Executive Officer of the Legal Aid Society, reportedly told staff, expressing concern that certain donors would pull funding from the Legal Aid Society if the union passed the resolution. Then, on Thursday, Nov 16, as Akela Lacy reports at The Intercept, "attorneys at the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County sued in New York State Supreme Court to stop the vote, saying it posed an ethical dilemma for attorneys that would make it “impossible for them to properly do their job as Public Defenders.” Those four attorneys were ALAA bargaining unit members. "On Friday," Lacy continues, "the court granted a temporary restraining order enjoining the vote. Voting had gotten underway at 9 a.m. and only 15 minutes were left on the clock when the injunction was issued. The tally never got underway."In this urgent episode of Working People, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speaks about this unprecedented attack on union democracy and workers' free speech rights with three ALAA members: Allie Goodman, an attorney in the Family Defense Practice at Bronx Defenders; Michael Letwin, a former public defender at Legal Aid in Brooklyn for 37 years who also served as president of ALAA – UAW Local 2325 for 13 years; and Dany Greene, who has worked as a public defender for six years, four of which were spent at Bronx Defenders, where they helped found and organize the BXD Union, and who now works at an appellate office focusing on criminal appeals.Read the transcript of this podcast here.Post-Production: Jules TaylorHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer:Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews

October 3, 2023 - State lawmakers unanimously backed the creation of a program to test out maternal infant care centers to improve treatments provided to babies demonstrating withdrawal symptoms. We talk about the latest approaches to this problem with Miriam Mack, of The Bronx Defenders, and Dr. Matt Holm, a pediatrician in the Bronx.

In this week's episode, our guest is Robin Steinberg, the founder of the Bail Project and three other high-impact organizations: the Bronx Defenders, the Bronx Freedom Fund, and Still She Rises. Have questions/comments/suggestions? Email our Podcast Manager at mdebnath@give.org. Don't forget to follow or subscribe and leave a comment on iTunes.

Is there space for compassion in the justice system? How does a public defender and a leader find the courage to care, and to fight for justice at an individual and systemic level? In today's episode we speak with Robin Steinberg who is having a huge impact in creating access to justice for thousands of people. Robin Steinberg is founder of the Bail Project, the Bronx Defenders, the Bronx Freedom Fund, and Still She Rises. She has taught at leading law schools across the US, and received multiple awards for her work. She's also author of the brand new book, The Courage of Compassion: A Journey from Judgment to Connection, published by Simon Sinek's Optimism Press.

Robin Steinberg is the founder and CEO of The Bail Project, a national effort to combat mass incarceration by transforming the pretrial system in the United States. Over a 35-year career as a public defender, Robin represented thousands of low-income people in over-policed neighborhoods and founded three additional high-impact organizations: The Bronx Defenders, The Bronx Freedom Fund, and Still She Rises. Robin has also taught trial advocacy and other courses at Columbia University Law School and UCLA School of Law. Robin is a frequent commentator on criminal justice issues and has contributed opinion pieces to the New York Times, the Marshall Project, and USA Today.The Courage of Compassion BookMy New Show: I'll Have You KnowSubscribe HereGet my new book 'The Path of an Eagle: How To Overcome & Lead After Being Knocked Down'.► AMAZON US► AMAZON AUS► AMAZON UKCONNECT WITH JAY & THE STORY BOX► INSTAGRAM ► TWITTER ► FACEBOOK ► WEBSITE SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE! ► Apple Podcast ► Spotify ► YouTube Enjoying The Show? Consider Subscribing To YouTube & Apple Podcasts, Please Leave A 5-Star Rating and Review over on Apple Podcasts.► Support The Show Here:Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/thestorybox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New York where community organizers are moving forward legislation that would require the family policing system to inform families of their rights as the system removes children from the home. The legislation would guarantee families a Miranda-like access to their rights so they are able to move forward as informed as possible while navigating that system. We're joined by Sarah Duggan, the Manager of Communications and Storytelling with JMACforFamilies, a New York-based non-profit working to dismantle the family policing system while simultaneously investing in community support that keeps families together. We're also joined by Desseray Wright, an impacted parent and advocate at the Bronx Defenders, which is an organization that is radically transforming how low-income people in the Bronx are represented in the justice system and, in doing so, is transforming the system itself. Learn more about JMAC for Families: https://jmacforfamilies.org/ Learn more about the Bronx Defenders: https://www.bronxdefenders.org/ —- Subscribe to this podcast: https://plinkhq.com/i/1637968343?to=page Get in touch: lawanddisorder@kpfa.org Follow us on socials @LawAndDis: https://twitter.com/LawAndDis; https://www.instagram.com/lawanddis/ The post New York's Family Policing System Fails to Inform Families of Rights w/ Sarah Duggan and Desseray Wright appeared first on KPFA.

When most in the Public Defender world think about the Bronx Defenders, they think of an office at the forefront of imagining a new path forward for Public Defense. Despite this, the Bronx Defenders sat as outlier amongst the New York City Public Defender Offices as one of the last who were not unionized. Today, Hunter spoke with Babatunde Aremu, President of the new Bronx Defenders Union, to discuss the interesting history of the office's relationship with unions, his work as a civil public defender, and the example other offices can learn from the leadership at the Bronx Defenders willingness to accept the unionization without a fight.   Guest: Babatunde Aremu, Union President and Civil Action Attorney, Bronx Defender   Resources Contact the Bronx Defender Union BXDunion@gmail.com Bronx Defenders www.bronxdefenders.org   Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com    

Join NAASW and Haymarket for a panel discussion that will explain the harms of CAPTA and discuss what can be done about it. The so-called Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), does not prevent and it does not treat. Instead, it targets our most vulnerable neighbors, particularly those living in poverty and especially Black, Latinx, and Indigenous families. Through policies like mandated reporting, social workers, medical professionals, and other community helpers are made agents of the surveillance state and part of the machinery of family policing, regulation, separation, and destruction. Join NAASW and Haymarket for a panel discussion that will explain the harms of CAPTA and discuss what can be done about it. Panelists: Joyce McMillan is a thought leader, advocate, activist, community organizer, and educator. Her mission is to remove systemic barriers in communities of color by bringing awareness to the racial disparities in systems where people of color are disproportionately affected. David P. Kelly, JD, MA, is Co-Director of the Family Justice Group. For over a decade he served in the United States Children's Bureau, holding positions as Special Assistant to the Associate Commissioner, Senior Policy Advisor on Courts and Justice and overseeing the Children's Bureau's work with the legal and judicial community. Prior to joining the federal government, David was an Assistant Staff Director at the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law and served as Senior Assistant Child Advocate at the New Jersey Office of the Child Advocate. Matt Holm, MD, community pediatrician, Melrose, Bronx, NY Miriam Mack is Policy Director of The Bronx Defenders' Family Defense Practice. She received her J.D. from Boston University School of Law. Prior to joining The Bronx Defenders, Miriam was a legal fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, focusing on issues of racial and reproductive justice. Richard Wexler, executive director National Coalition for Child Protection Reform, author, Wounded Innocents: The Real Victims of the War Against Child Abuse (Prometheus Books: 1990, 1995). Jey Rajaraman joined Family Integrity & Justice Works in January 2022. Prior to that, she served as Chief Council and a supervising attorney of Legal Services of New Jersey's Family Representation Project (FRP). FRP provides parents in child abuse or neglect and termination of parental rights litigation with information, advice and representation. Additionally, the FRP provides advice and representation to youth in DCPP's care, both those who have become parent defendants themselves and those who are seeking aging-out services from the Division. Jey is a member of the ABA Parent Counsel Steering Committee. Jey is also an adjunct professor at Seton Hall Law School. Angela Olivia Burton is a public service lawyer with an emphasis on supporting the leadership of people with lived experience in the family policing and juvenile criminal punishment systems. Her recent publications include Toward Community Control of Child Welfare Funding: Repeal the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act and Delink Child Protection from Family Wellbeing, with Angeline Montauban and Liberate the Black Family from Family Policing: A Reparations Perspective, with Joyce McMillan. This event is sponsored by the Network to Advance Abolitionist Social Work and Haymarket Books. Watch the live event recording: https://youtube.com/live/29MnYIDextQ Buy books from Haymarket: www.haymarketbooks.org Follow us on Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/haymarketbooks

It was a great victory for a Jewish employee who faced workplace hostility and an anti Israel email blast, when the Bronx Legal Aid group, The Bronx Defenders settled with a $175, 000 payout to the victim. In addition the settlement also included an official apology, and the staff having to undergo bias and sensitivity training. Is this the beginning of something big for victims of antisemitism? Will this discourage the recent wave of rising antisemitism?  Baila Sebrow, Producer and Host of The Definitive Rap Show sat down with Dov Hikind, an Orthodox Jew, American politician, activist, and radio talk show host. Dov is a former Democratic New York State Assemblyman representing Brooklyn's Assembly district 48, having held this position for 35 years – from January 1983 until December 2018. He is the Founder of Americans Against Antisemitism. Americans Against Antisemitism is a grassroots coalition that mobilizes supporters to take social action against anti-Semites. Dov discussed what happened to the Jewish staffer victim with regard to antisemitic  working conditions, when it was reported, and ultimately how it came be that the victim was actually vindicated? He was happy to report that the perpetrator of Fima Zlatsin, the Jewish victim of an unprovoked attack on a New York City subway this past summer was found and arrested.  Also discussed was about the many recent Arab terror attacks in Israel, and that we have now seen a move where Hungary will be the first European country to establish its embassy in Jerusalem.  Dov shared his opinion about New York City Mayor Eric Adams who is not a believer in the “separation of church and state has achieved new fans, particularly Orthodox Jews and Evangelical Christians because he ripped removal of school prayers.

It was a great victory for a Jewish employee who faced workplace hostility and an anti Israel email blast, when the Bronx Legal Aid group, The Bronx Defenders settled with a $175, 000 payout to the victim. In addition the settlement also included an official apology, and the staff having to undergo bias and sensitivity training. Is this the beginning of something big for victims of antisemitism? Will this discourage the recent wave of rising antisemitism?  Baila Sebrow, Producer and Host of The Definitive Rap Show sat down with Dov Hikind, an Orthodox Jew, American politician, activist, and radio talk show host. Dov is a former Democratic New York State Assemblyman representing Brooklyn's Assembly district 48, having held this position for 35 years – from January 1983 until December 2018. He is the Founder of Americans Against Antisemitism. Americans Against Antisemitism is a grassroots coalition that mobilizes supporters to take social action against anti-Semites. Dov discussed what happened to the Jewish staffer victim with regard to antisemitic  working conditions, when it was reported, and ultimately how it came be that the victim was actually vindicated? He was happy to report that the perpetrator of Fima Zlatsin, the Jewish victim of an unprovoked attack on a New York City subway this past summer was found and arrested.  Also discussed was about the many recent Arab terror attacks in Israel, and that we have now seen a move where Hungary will be the first European country to establish its embassy in Jerusalem.  Dov shared his opinion about New York City Mayor Eric Adams who is not a believer in the “separation of church and state has achieved new fans, particularly Orthodox Jews and Evangelical Christians because he ripped removal of school prayers.

60 years ago, Clarence Gideon changed the legal landscape of America forever. Thanks to his self-written petition to the Supreme Court, it was finally recognized at the federal level that any person charged with a felony who cannot afford to hire was entitled to one under the 6th Amendment. Soon, that right would be extended to a person facing any possibility of confinement, and thus, our modern understanding of Public Defense was born.   On today's episode, Hunter spoke with to members of the Bronx defenders to reflect on the legacy of Gideon. Justine Olderman, Executive Director, and Wesley Caines, Chief of Staff, are part of the team at the Bronx Defenders trying to take the lessons from the past to drive new innovations in Public Defense. From the perspective of the attorneys and the formerly incarcerated, today's episode attempts to look at the strategic end state Public Defense hopes to achieve and the what it will take to achieve it.   Guest: Justine Olderman, Executive Director, Bronx Defenders Wesley Caines, Chief of Staff, Bronx Defenders     Resource Bronx Defenders https://www.bronxdefenders.org/staff/justine-olderman/ Follow Wesley on Twitter https://twitter.com/bm_mansamusa Follow Justine on Twitter https://twitter.com/jolderma Inquest Series on Public Defense https://inquest.org/tag/public-defenders/     Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com    

Today, Hunter spoke with Sharone Mitchell Jr., Chief Public Defender in Cook County about a few extremely timely topics: Guns and Bail Reform.   Born and raised in Chicago, Sharone understands the needs of his community and you can easily see how his experience helps to inform the way he pushes for and speaks about reform in Cook County. At the center of those pushes are tackling the issue of gun violence in the city without feeding America's addiction to mass incarceration. Hunter really enjoyed the nuanced conversation about the ways in which gun violence and possession can be addressed without further harming poor Black and Hispanic communities in the city.   Lastly, Hunter and Sharone took a deep dive on the newest massive criminal justice reform legislation in Illinois, the Pre Trial Fairness Act, what it does, how it helps, and how people are already blaming it for everything before the Act even goes into effect.   Guests: Sharone Mitchell Jr., Chief Public Defender, Cook County   Key Topics and Takeaways: From Growing up in Chicago to Being the Chief Defender [5:30] What People Misunderstand About Those in the Legal System [9:00] Why Sharone Wanted to Be a Public Defender [11:00] Differences and Similarities Between Cook County Public Defense and the Rest of the State [16:05] The Nuance of the Gun Control Debate [24:00] The Realities of Gun Restrictions in Cook County [29:00] Why it is So Difficult to Fight the Status Quo on Gun Possession [38:00] The Details of the Illinois Pre-Trial Fairness Act [46:50] Resources:    NYSRPA v Bruen   BRIEF OF THE BLACK ATTORNEYS OF LEGAL AID, THE BRONX DEFENDERS, BROOKLYN DEFENDER SERVICES   6th Amendment Center Report on Illinois   Sharone's Piece in the Nation on the impact of Gun Laws   Sharone on First Person podcast   Recent Op-ed pieceby two Cook County Assistant Public Defenders   Recent Block Club Chicago storyon some of the issues   Recent Injustice Watch storyon even more issues with gun possession charges   Here is a basic overview of the Pretrial Fairness Act. The state is ending money bond on Jan. 1, but there are other important reforms. Follow the Cook County PD Office on Twitter    Follow Sharone on Twitter    Contact Hunter Parnell:   hwparnell@publicdefenseless.com   Instagram   Twitter   www.publicdefenseless.com

En la última seman de enero, abogados y defensores de inmigrantes adviertieron de un posible brote de COVID-19 entre los inmigrantes detenidos en el centro penitenciario del condado de Orange, NY. Para saber cuáles son las condiciones para los inmigrantes detenidos, invitamos a Karla Ostolaza, directora general de inmigración en Bronx Defenders, que es una de las organizaciones que hace partedel “Proyecto de Unidad Familiar de los Inmigrantes de Nueva York” (New York Immigrant Family Unity Project o NYIFUP por sus siglas en inglés).

Dec. 6, 2021 - In November, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation creating a commission to recommend improvements to the education system in New York's prisons, but the simple answer is government funding to increase accessibility, according to Wesley Cains, chief of staff for The Bronx Defenders, who earned two college degrees behind bars.

This week, Roqayah and Kumars are joined by immigration attorney and returning guest Sophia Gurulé, policy counsel and staff attorney with the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project at the Bronx Defenders, a public defender nonprofit in New York City. Sophia was also involved in the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project in Dilley, Texas where she helped provide legal services to asylum-seeking women and children and advocated for an end to family detention. Sophia sheds light on the Biden administration's mass deportation of Haitian refugees and how right-wing judges anointed by the Federalist Society are keeping the most draconian Trump policies in place. The gang also picks up where Sophia's last interview left off, discussing Biden's immigration plan and its shortcomings, Bill Clinton's immigration legacy and the history of the prison-to-deportation pipeline, and why movements for climate justice, workers' rights and prison-industrial complex abolition can't shy away from the demand to abolish borders. You can follow Sophia on Twitter @s_phia_ and find out more about the work of organizations like Haitian Bridge Alliance, Grassroots Leadership and Black Alliance for Just Immigration. If you want to support the show and receive access to tons of bonus content, subscribe on our Patreon page for as little as $5 a month. Also, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the show on iTunes. We can't do this show without your support!!!

What would it take to make Detroit a “just city” – an actual sanctuary of justice for its residents? Amanda Alexander, founder and Executive Director of the Detroit Justice Center is working on exactly that. Based on a wide range of experiences – from learning alongside ACT-UP AIDS activists, to spending time in newly post-apartheid South Africa, to the Movement for Black Lives – Alexander combines her background as a historian and an attorney to reimagine safety and justice in Detroit.In this episode of Shades of Freedom, Alexander weaves together her own experiences, and the long history of global civil rights movements, to discuss what's going on right now in Detroit, including innovative supports for community members that prevent contact with the legal system in the first place, shifting funds from a focus on policing to prevention, and supporting communities to define and create their own safety.Guest BiographyAmanda Alexander, founding Executive Director of the Detroit Justice Center, is a racial justice lawyer and historian who works alongside community-based movements to end mass incarceration and build thriving and inclusive cities. Originally from Michigan, Amanda has worked at the intersection of racial justice and community development in Detroit, New York, and South Africa for more than 15 years.Amanda is a Senior Research Scholar at University of Michigan Law School, where she has taught Law & Social Movements and was an attorney in the Child Advocacy Law Clinic. She was a 2015-2018 member of the Michigan Society of Fellows with appointments in Law and Afro-American & African Studies. As a Soros Justice Fellow, Amanda launched the Prison & Family Justice Project at University of Michigan Law School to provide legal representation to incarcerated parents and advocate for families divided by the prison and foster care systems.Amanda serves on the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration, appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to develop ambitious and innovative strategies to reduce Michigan's jail population. She has served on the national steering committee of Law for Black Lives, and is a board member of the Center for Constitutional Rights and the James and Grace Lee Boggs Center to Nurture Community Leadership.Amanda's advocacy and research have won the support of an Echoing Green Fellowship, Law for Black Lives/Movement Law Lab Legal Innovator Fellowship, Social Science Research Council Fellowship, Ford Foundation Doctoral Fellowship, and other fellowships and grants. She is the recipient of the NAACP-Detroit's Great Expectations Award, the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative's Racial Justice Cultivator Award, and the A. Philip Randolph Institute's Community Builder Award.Amanda received her JD from Yale Law School, her PhD in international history from Columbia University, and her BA from Harvard College. Previously she has worked with the Detroit Center for Family Advocacy, the Bronx Defenders, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the Centre for Civil Society in Durban, South Africa. Her writing has been published in The Globe & Mail, Detroit Free Press, Michigan Journal of Race & Law, Harvard Journal of African-American Public Policy, Michigan Child Welfare Law Journal, Journal of Asian and African Studies, Review of African Political Economy, and other publications.As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, The Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of The Aspen Institute.Visit us online at The Aspen Institute Criminal Justice Reform Initiative and follow us on Twitter @AspenCJRI.

Join Law for Black Lives, Amna Akbar and Derecka Purnell for a discussion about what it means for lawyers to build the power of the law. Law for Black Lives is a national community of radical lawyers and legal workers committed to transforming the law and building the power of organizing to defend, protect and advance Black Liberation across the globe. ---------------------------------------------------- Speakers: Amna Akbar is a professor of law at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. She writes about policing and social movements, with a focus on grassroots demands for social change. Derecka Purnell is is a human rights lawyer, writer, and organizer. Since graduating from Harvard Law School, she has worked to end police and prison violence nationwide by providing legal assistance, research, and trainings to community based organizations through an abolitionist framework. Derecka is currently a columnist at The Guardian and Deputy Director of Spirit of Justice Center. She is the author for the forthcoming book Becoming Abolitionists: Police, Protests, and the Pursuit of Freedom. Marbre Stahly-Butts, Executive Director of Law for Black Lives works closely with organizers and communities across the country to advance and actualize radical policy. Marbre is currently a member of the Advisory Committee for National Bail Out Collective, the group behind Black Mama's Day Bail Out. She currently serves on the Leadership Team of the Movement For Black Lives Policy Table and helped develop the Vision for Black Lives Policy Platform. Since graduating from Yale Law School in 2013, Marbre has supported local and national organizations from across the country in their policy development and advocacy. She joined the Center for Popular Democracy as a Soros Justice Fellow in Fall 2013. Her Soros Justice work focused on organizing and working with families affected by aggressive policing and criminal justice policies in New York City in order to develop meaningful bottom up policy reforms. While in law school, Marbre focused on the intersection of criminal justice and civil rights and gained legal experience with the Bronx Defenders, the Equal Justice Initiative and the Prison Policy Initiative. Before law school Marbre received her Masters in African Studies from Oxford University and worked in Zimbabwe organizing communities impacted by violence and then in South Africa teaching at Nelson Mandela's alma mater. Marbre graduated from Columbia University, with a BA in African-American History and Human Rights. ---------------------------------------------------- This event is co-sponsored by Haymarket Books and Law for Black Lives. Watch the live event recording: https://youtu.be/Jxvem9THmsc Buy books from Haymarket: www.haymarketbooks.org Follow us on Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/haymarketbooks

This week we're joined by fellow immigration attorney Sophia Gurule from the Bronx Defenders to talk about deportation abolition, how to frame our push for immigration reform, and more.   

What you will learn.  Our show begins with Karen discussing the breaking news of the verdict in the Chauvin murder trial (we taped the show the morning after the jury reached its guilty verdict).  Karen discusses the cognitive dissonance she feels as a criminal defense attorney, believing that the jury reached a correct and just verdict but describing the awkward tension being a defense attorney but routing for the prosecution.  Karen discusses her views on what the defense attorney did well and where she believes mistakes were made.  She talks about the decision not to put Chauvin on the witness stand.After discussing the Chauvin trial, Karen goes on to describe her background and pathway to becoming a successful criminal defense trial lawyer.  She joined the New York Legal Aid Society directly out of law school.Karen married a fellow trial lawyer, who she describes as her mentor and the best courtroom lawyer she has ever seen.Karen talks about how she initially tried to model herself on her husband's courtroom style, but later became a better lawyer when she was able to find her own voice.After trying cases for a number of years, Karen was invited to attend the National Criminal Defense College, which, at the time, was located in Macon, Georgia.  Karen describes how the curriculum in Macon was eye opening for her and taught her new a new vocabulary and approach to trying cases.  When Karen returned to the Bronx she established a trial skills program based in part on what she had learned in Macon.In her trial skills program, Karen began to develop innovative approaches to both trying cases herself and teaching trial skills.  She brought in improv actors to help lawyers improve their ability to improvise and think quickly on their feet, which is particularly important during cross examination.  She brought in storytellers to teach lawyers to become better at constructing and weaving compelling narratives. She even trained with a voice coach to improve how she used her voice in the courtroom.More recently, Karen became the Dean of the National Criminal Defense College, which has now moved its headquarters to Karen's home state of Rhode Island.  Karen also works as the Legal Training Director of the Criminal Practice at the Committee for Public Counsel Services in Massachusetts, where she trains lawyers in trying cases.About Karen Smolar https://www.publiccounsel.net/dir/bos-train/karen-smolar/Karen Smolar is the Legal Training Director of the Criminal Practice at the Committee for Public Counsel Services in Massachusetts. Before coming to the Commonwealth, she worked as a criminal defense attorney since graduating from law school in 1992. For the last 19 years, Karen was the Trial Chief at the Bronx Defenders in New York City. At CPCS, she works with the Training Unit developing and conducting legal and skills trainings for the public defenders and bar advocates across the state. She also works with other practice areas at CPCS as they conceptualize training across all practice areas. While at The Bronx Defenders, in 2007, Karen created Defenders' Academy , an national, innovative trial skills program for public and private attorneys across the nation. The program continues to this day and is the only one of its kind in the country that focuses on the intersection between trial skills and performance work and welcomes attorneys from criminal, family and civil practices.In August of 2017, Karen was appointed to become the Dean of the National Criminal Defense College after serving as a committed faculty member for over ten years. She has also taught Trial Advocacy as an adjunct professor at St. John's School of Law and Seton Hall Law School. She has lectured on various topics for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the New York State Defenders Association and other defenders offices, nationally. She has also been a guest trainer at various state-wide public defender training programs across the nation. ​About ElawvateThe Elawvate Podcast – Where Trial Lawyers Learn, Share, and Grow is where the practice of trial law meets personal growth. To succeed as a trial lawyer and build a successful law firm requires practice skills, strategic thinking and some amount of business and entrepreneurial savvy. Elawvate is a place to learn and share skills and strategies for success.But it is also a place to dig deeper and achieve personal growth.Those who succeed as trial lawyers at the highest levels cultivate character, principle, integrity, leadership, courage, compassion and perseverance. We learn and draw inspiration from those who have achieved this success.For more about Elawvate, visit our website at www.elawvate.fm.  You can also join our Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/398030871291513For more information or to contact the hosts, see:(Rahul Ravipudi (https://www.psblaw.com/ravipudi.html )(Ben Gideon | https://gideonasen.com/attorney-benjamin-gideon/

Sam Jacques was raised in the Lower East Side of Manhattan where he attended/volunteers at many grassroots community programs. Sam attended Cardinal Hayes High School in Bronx, New York, where he was a student athlete. Sam went on to Becker College in Worcester, MA where he studied sports management. Prior to working at The Bronx Defenders, Sam worked at The Boys' Club Of New York as a Coordinator for the Saturday Night Lights program. Saturday Night Lights is a partnership program with the Manhattan District Attorney's office to provide youth with productive time management skills and out of the criminal justice system. Sam also worked at Project Renewal Men's Shelter as a RA where he supported the needs of all clients. In Sam's spare time he serves as a community activist and developed a program called I Can Do Better where he shows his passion for helping those in need.​ During this episode, I sit down with Mr. I Can Do Better, Sam Jacques, to discuss his growing up as a youth in Manhattan's Lower East Side. We also discuss the PTSD associated with the death of his long time friend, Charlie Fernandez and the birth of the I can do better movement. Click on this link for access to this podcast on other platformsLinktr.ee/just.hek Thank you for tuning in and and watching. Stay tuned for the next episode of #jhjustanotherpodcast --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/justhek/message

Criminal Injustice returns with new episodes on February 9, 2021. Until then, we're reposting some of our favorite interviews. This episode originally appeared November 19, 2019. In the U.S., our prisons are full of people raised in the poorest neighborhoods, who only had access to the worst schools. So what happens when they can enter a first-class college program – inside prison? On this episode, Wesley Caines, an alum of the program and now Chief of Staff at Bronx Defenders, and Lynn Novick, award-winning documentary filmmaker, discuss College Behind Bars ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8ec3QpnaiU ) , premiering Nov. 25 and 26 on PBS. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

While we're on hiatus, we're replaying some of our most popular tracks to help people meet this moment of renewed interest in changing the criminal legal system. Within three years of release, about two-thirds of people released from prison are rearrested. Wesley Caines, the Reentry and Community Outreach Coordinator at the Bronx Defenders, tells us about the traumas of going to prison and the ways in which we set people released from prison up for failure.

Insha Rahman is the director of strategy and new initiatives at the Vera Institute of Justice. She believes that mass incarceration is solvable.  At Vera, Rahman’s work is focused on prosecutorial reform, bail, and decarceration, with an emphasis on developing advocacy-related strategies and accountability. Prior to Vera, Rahman worked as a public defender at The Bronx Defenders. She currently serves on the boards of the New York Civil Liberties Union, Brooklyn Community Bail Fund, and the New York State Appellate Division's Indigent Defense Organization Oversight Committee. Here are a few of the resources mentioned in this episode: 13th, Ava Duvernay Locking Up Our Own, by James Foreman Solitary, by Albert Woodfox How Conservatives Learned to Love Prison Reform, March/April 2014, Mother Jones Prison reform: A smart way for states to save money and lives, January 2011, Washington Post

"My daughter said to me the other day, 'I want to be a police officer, Daddy, so I can be a good one and make changes.' I said, 'That's good, baby. Listen to all the conversations that are happening because you don't have to make this decision yet. Originally, she wanted to be a teacher. My mother is a teacher. I'm kind of a teacher in how I articulate things to my community. Now with everything going on, I think she's kind of re-thinking things and trying to figure out her purpose in all of this. She's also hearing about the children of the future. She said that to me yesterday, 'Daddy, I keep hearing them say 'children of the future' and that's me, right?' She's understanding that she's going to be the one and her generation are going to be the ones to change this indefinitely. We're moving the big boulders out of the way but they're going to come through and they're going to clean up the dirt and get the rubble out. They're going to get something growing here." Nova Church is a captain for The Bronx Sole. If his voice sounds a little bit familiar to you, it's because he was one of the leaders who spoke at Coffey's run to protest. If you haven't listened to that episode yet, we highly recommend checking it out. In this episode, we continue the conversation amid the Black Lives Matter movement about the changes that we're pushing for as a community. Nova expands on his call to action and what he wants to see from all of us. He also shares some insight into how he started getting active in running, why helping improve the health of the Bronx keeps him motivated and the unity among the Bronx running division. People said 'The marathon continues' when Nipsey Hussle died but Nova is someone who is living that daily. Follow Nova Church on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/nova.church/ Follow The Bronx Sole on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/bronxsole/ Nova's suggested charity: The Bronx Defenders is a public defender nonprofit that is radically transforming how low-income people in the Bronx are represented in the justice system and, in doing so, is transforming the system itself. For more information visit: https://www.bronxdefenders.org/ ❤️ Please consider supporting our work. We want to continue pushing out the podcast on a bi-weekly basis and bring you quality audio for our guests. we're simply asking for you to set aside a few dollars that might go toward a coffee or dollar slice to support our work. In return, we'll do our best to put together exclusive episodes, interviews and maybe some video for those supporters. The NYC running community is awesome and we'd appreciate the assistance: www.patreon.com/runnersofnyc

On this week on ShaqTV, we touched on various topics, ranging from our weekly breakdown, as well as the on going global pandemic that has affected each and everyone one of us. In conclusion, like always we gave our most honest and raw opinion on the topics. This is what ShaqTV is all about, having conversations about topics that are culturally relevant. #InfinitePersonality #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd

Wesley Caines is the Chief of Staff at the Bronx Defenders and an alum of the Bard Prison Initiative or BPI and Dyjuan Tatro, works at the Bard Prison Initiative as their Government Affairs Officer and he’s also an alumnus of the program.  Wes and Dyjuan joined host Josie Duffy Rice to talk about their reading recommendations. For show notes and more information please check out theappeal.org.

How does the world of private practice work successfully with that of nonprofits? Ultimately both sides want to do good and find the best results for their pro bono clients in desperate need of representation and resolution. Pursuing Justice sits down with Brenna DeVaney, Director of Skadden’s global pro bono practice; Jennifer Kroman, Director of Cleary Gottlieb’s pro bono practice; and Annie Pineda, Director of Pro Bono at The Bronx Defenders, to glean best practices for building successful working relationships.Please note: CLE is not offered for listening to this podcast, and the views and opinions expressed within represent those of the speakers and not necessarily those of PLI.

In the U.S., our prisons are full of people raised in the poorest neighborhoods, who only had access to the worst schools. So what happens when they can enter a first-class college program – inside prison? On this episode, Wesley Caines, an alum of the program and now Chief of Staff at Bronx Defenders, and Lynn Novick, award-winning documentary filmmaker, discuss College Behind Bars, premiering Nov. 25 and 26 on PBS. Support Criminal Injustice at $5/month to unlock extra bonus episodes and more on the Members feed: patreon.com/criminalinjustice

As cannabis use is legalized in more and more jurisdictions across the country, child protective systems aren't always keeping pace. Allegations of drug use are still raised in family court, particularly against parents of color, and those who admit using cannabis are often subject to heightened surveillance. We are joined today by Miriam Mack and Elizabeth Tuttle Newman, staff attorneys from the Bronx Defenders, to discuss the lessons to be gleaned from states like New York and Colorado.

Can a law that dates back to Reconstruction in the 19th Century be used to fight back against the perpetrators of racial violence that erupted in Charlottesville two years ago?   Aaron Freiwald, Managing Partner of Freiwald Law and host of the weekly podcast, Good Law | Bad Law, is joined by Michael Bloch, an attorney at Kaplan, Hecker & Fink LLP, to discuss his work on “the Charlottesville Case,” a lawsuit representing the victims of the Charlottesville riots when neo-Nazis and white supremacists plotted to commit acts of horrific racial violence in August 2017.   Eight victims of that violence filed suit, in conjunction with the nonprofit Integrity First for America (IFA), to send a clear message to every hate group in the country: “Americans will not give in to violence and hate.” The lawsuit seeks to ensure that the tragic events of Charlottesville never happen again, “… not on the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia, and not anywhere else in the United States of America.” Michael’s firm is representing the Plaintiffs in this new litigation.   Aaron and Michael discuss this case and what it may mean for the future. Michael talks about the legal strategies of the case, the decision to use an 1871 law, the relevance of this case and more. Is there a new boldness today for hatred? Can Charlottesville be seen as a catalyst for such emboldened bigotry? Michael explains that this case is about accountability, emphasizing the importance of understanding what happened and how the law can be a tool to fight back.   A graduate of Harvard Law, Michael is an experienced trial attorney. Having spent over seven years as a public defender at the Bronx Defenders, Michael represented hundreds of clients charged with criminal matters at all stages of litigation. Prior to working as a public defender, Michael worked at Williams & Connolly LLP in Washington, D.C., concentrating in the areas of commercial litigation and legal malpractice defense. At Harvard, Michael represented clients charged with crimes in Roxbury District Court as part of the Criminal Justice Institute. He also worked with the NAACP representing a client in post-conviction proceedings as part of the Death Penalty Clinic.   To learn more about Michael, please visit his bio on Kaplan Hecker’s website here. Or check out his twitter, @MichaelBloch15. To learn more about Kaplan, Hecker & Fink you can follow them on twitter, @kaplanhecker.   To learn more about Integrity First For America, you can visit their website here. You can also follow them on Twitter, @IntegrityforUSA.   *IFA is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to holding those accountable who threaten longstanding principles of our democracy – including our country’s commitment to civil rights and equal justice.   Host: Aaron Freiwald Guest: Michael Bloch   Follow Good Law | Bad Law: YouTube: Good Law | Bad Law Instagram: @GoodLawBadLaw Website: https://www.law-podcast.com

Episode 21 Guest: Asia Piña, MSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcastDownload transcript   In this episode, I talk with Asia Piña, who is an Early Defense Social Worker for the Family Defense Practice at Bronx Defenders, in the Bronx, New York. Asia explains how she works with a team of social workers, parent advocates, and attorneys to best defend parents who are being charged with abuse and neglect of children. We discuss the disproportionate numbers of Black and Brown children, as well as children in poverty, who are removed from their parents, and how racism and systemic oppression set the framework of many child welfare policies and practices. Asia describes that the beautiful, diverse families in the Bronx who love their children, feel like they are under constant surveillance by the state, in the form of the New York Police Department (NYPD) and Administration for Children’s Services (ACS). She also talks about how she got into this work, practicing self-care, and shares a message for students interested in working in the child welfare system. I hope you enjoy the conversation.   Twitter @BronxDefenders Facebook @bronxdefenders  Instagram @bronxdefenders info@bronxdefenders.org

The price of freedom Cash bail was initially conceived as a way to incentivize the accused to come to court at their appointed court dates. As the criminal legal system expanded during the tough-on-crime years, cash bail was set at amounts that low income people could not afford. Even though they had yet to be convicted of a crime, they were forced to go to jail because they could not afford bail. One way to get out is to plead guilty to a small offense so that they can go home, but that adds significant complications down the road. The cost to our society Our society pays a steep price from allowing the current cash bail system to continue as it is. American taxpayers spend 14 billion dollars each year to hold people in jail cells who have not been convicted of a crime. The collateral consequences are estimated to be as high as 140 billion dollars per year. Most disturbing is that only 2 percent of the Bail Project’s clients actually receive a jail sentence. In fact, when people are fighting their cases from a position of freedom, judges and prosecutors are willing to engage in alternatives to incarceration as sentences. A new system A new system to ensure people appear at appointed court times must come from a perspective of humanity and respect. Over a decade’s worth of data in the Bronx shows that effective court reminders do work. Further, the needs of the accused have to be addressed, such as transportation fare or emergency child care, especially for low income people. Most importantly, any new system must involve a presumption of innocence, and can no longer be a two-tier system that favors those who can afford to pay for the price of their freedom. Find out more: Robin Steinberg is the founder and CEO of The Bail Project, an unprecedented national effort to combat mass incarceration by transforming the pretrial system in the U.S. Over a 35-year career as a public defender, Robin represented thousands of low-income people in over-policed neighborhoods and founded three high-impact organizations: The Bronx Defenders, The Bronx Freedom Fund, and Still She Rises. Robin is a frequent commentator on criminal justice issues and has contributed opinion pieces to The New York Times, The Marshall Project, and USA Today. Her publications have appeared in leading law and policy journals, including NYU Review of Law & Social Change, Yale Law & Policy Review, and Harvard Journal of African-American Public Policy, and she has contributed book chapters to How Can You Represent Those People? (Palgrave 2013) and Decarcerating America (The New Press 2018). Robin is a Gilbert Foundation Senior Fellow of the Criminal Justice Program at UCLA School of Law. Follow The Bail Project on Twitter @bailproject.

This week, Roqayah and Kumars are joined by immigration attorney Sophia Gurulé who works for the non-profit legal advocacy group, The Bronx Defenders. Sophia has also participated in the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project in Dilley, Texas for which she helped provide legal services to asylum-seeking women and children.  Sophia describes how the Bronx Defenders, which represents over 30,000 people each year, is creatively redefining public defense through a holistic approach and how this has helped communities impacted by the criminal and immigration system find authentic and effective representation. We learn about the challenges facing public defenders and their clients, from a lack of resources to a system that is designed to instill fear into asylum seekers who are seeking reprieve. Sophia helps us understand what's at stake for her clients and other undocumented people who are facing an increasingly inhumane detention process. We also talk about the importance of highlighting the ways each recent US President, Republican or Democrat, has ratcheted-up the brutality relative to their predecessors. While Trump is certainly the worst yet, the immigration policies of Clinton and Obama paved the way for the nearly unimaginable cruelty we are enacting today. You can follow Sophia on Twitter @s_phia_ to keep up to date with her work. You also can find more information on The Bronx Defenders at bronxdefenders.org and on Twitter @BronxDefenders. And support your local bond fund!  If you want to support the show and receive access to tons of bonus content, subscribe on our Patreon for as little as $5 a month. Also, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the show on iTunes. We can't do this show without your support!!!

Fomer Staff Attorney,Criminal Defense Division at Still She Rises: A project of the Bronx Defenders. Former Certified Legal intern at San Diego Federal Defenders. Dial 646 716-5525 and press the 1 button.

Ify and Turquoise discuss NY Times' article on Republican women being told to sit out this election, roundup of yesterday's primary and the wins for diversity, highlights of LGBTQ guberantorial candidates, Bronx Defenders petition at www.InDefenseOf.US, Trump and McConnell continue to stack federal courts, and more.

The vast majority of cases brought to the attention of New York City's child protection system are cases of neglect, not abuse. Neglect is a subjective term that is applied quite differently in the city's poor neighborhoods than in its rich ones. Letting your child wander independently down the sidewalk in Park Slope is a funny anecdote. In the South Bronx, where more than 30% of our city's foster children hail from, this is often considered posing imminent risk to a child's life- and can result in that child being forcefully removed from their parent. In this episode, our guest Emma Ketteringham explains why our city's child protection system deserves to be subject to the same critique as our country's system of mass incarceration, why it hasn't been and its effect on families in NYC's poorest neighborhoods. Emma is the managing director of the Family Defense Practice at the Bronx Defenders, a public defender organization determined to give their clients the high quality, multi-disciplinary representation that residents of more privileged neighborhoods have come to expect from private attorneys. Emma manages 50 lawyers, advocates, and social workers who represent over 85% of parents involved in child protection cases in the South Bronx. Drawing from her impressive professional experience as a public interest lawyer, historical and political knowledge and personal reference library of straight up facts, Emma paints us a clear picture of how the system fails to serve the parents and children it was built to protect. We also learn more about the incredible progress the Defenders have made and how we can help address one of the most important social and feminist issues our city faces. Oh, Alexis and Emma also throw you some book recommendations and some commentary on what makes Cardi B so great. As always, you can find links to everything referenced in this episode on our website.

There are a shocking 2.2 million Americans behind bars right now, but how can we cure America of its epidemic of mass punishment? Leaders across the criminal justice movement share an array of reform ideas, including improving prison conditions, creating effective youth re-entry programs, changes to the parole model, alternatives for mental health and drug addiction issues, and models of new industries to replace the prison economy. Speakers include Nicole Zayas Fortier, counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, Robin Steinberg, founder of the Bronx Defenders, and Judith A. Greene, a former Soros Senior Justice Fellow and criminal justice expert, both contributors to Decarcerating America, The New Press volume, edited by Ernest Drucker. Nicole Zayas Fortier, Advocacy & Policy Counsel at the Campaign for Smart Justice, American Civil Liberties Union Judith A. Greene, Former Soros Senior Justice fellow; Contributor, Decarcerating America: From Mass Punishment to Public Health Robin Steinberg, Founder, Bronx Defenders; Contributor, Decarcerating America: From Mass Punishment to Public Health

Recorded in October 2017 - Robin Steinberg ’82 is a leader and a pioneer in the field of indigent defense. She is the CEO of The Bail Project, a national organization modeled after The Bronx Freedom Fund, which she co-founded with David Feige in 2007. Steinberg is the founder and former executive director of The Bronx Defenders, a community-based public defender office serving low-income New Yorkers in the Bronx since 1997. She helped develop The Bronx Defenders’ model of holistic defense, a client-centered model of public defense that uses interdisciplinary teams of advocates to address both the underlying causes and collateral consequences of criminal justice involvement. She is also the director of Still She Rises, Tulsa, the first public defender office in the nation dedicated exclusively to the representation of mothers in the criminal justice system. Steinberg received her BA from UC Berkeley and JD from New York University School of Law. She is currently a senior fellow of the Criminal Justice Program at UCLA School of Law, where she works with faculty and students on bail reform initiatives and research.

Emma Ketteringham, Managing Director of the Family Defense Practice at the Bronx Defenders, tells us how her clients fear the knock of of a child protective services case worker far more than stop and frisk by the police.

Within three years of release, about two-thirds of people released from prison are rearrested. Wesley Caines, the Reentry and Community Outreach Coordinator at the Bronx Defenders, tells us about the traumas of going to prison and the ways in which we set people released from prison up for failure.

Robin Steinberg, founder of the Bronx Defenders, talks about her work as a public defender for indigent clients and describes ways that law students can get involved in “shaping” the justice they want to see in the world. This speech was the keynote address at UVA Law’s “Shaping Justice” conference. UVA Law professor Josh Bowers introduces Steinberg. (University of Virginia School of Law, Feb. 4, 2017)

In episode 51 of Breaking Walls, we attend the debut gallery event for Brooklyn-based art collective Noumenal Space. InARTguration took place on 1.19.2017, the evening before President Donald Trump's inauguration at a Brooklyn Boulders location in Long Island City, Queens, New York. This event was designed to help spread awareness and unity within the art community during a very socially uncertain time. Proceeds from the event were donated to charities like Planned Parenthood and The Bronx Defenders. You'll hear from founders Caitlin-Marie Miner, Andy Ongulous, as well as Brooklyn Boulders' head of marketing Joe Aaron Caravaglia, illustrator Jenna Stempel, and architects Franklin Rojas and Anner Recinos. LINKS Jenna Stempel’s work for Harper Collins and others can be viewed at www.jennastempel.com Anner can be followed on IG @anner.r.more Franklin @im_1_ofakind Both Anner and Franklin were recently featured in a Brooklyn Boulders blog post (http://brooklynboulders.com/blog/meet-3d-artists-anner-more-franklin-rojas/) To learn more about Brooklyn Boulders, please go to BrooklynBoulders.com Noumenal Space links: Website: www.noumenal.space Instagram @noumenal.space Twitter @noumenalspace Email We@noumenal.space Event Sponsors: Beer: Six Point Beer: LIC Beer Project Space: Brooklyn Boulders Queensbridge Caitlin Miner Links: Website: www.caitiedid.com Instagram: @caitiedid.studios Twitter: @CaitlinMarieM To subscribe to these podcasts on iTunes, Search for Breaking Walls. The WallBreakers are on all social media outlets @TheWallBreakers. The WallBreakers can also be reached by email at hello@TheWallBreakers.com

Supreme Court of Canada rules police may conduct a limited search of a suspect's mobile phone without obtaining a prior search warrant. The Supreme Court of Canada also agrees to hear the federal government's appeal of the Alberta Court of Appeal's decision that Omar Khadr who confessed to five crimes including murder during his trial at Guantanamo Bay prison must be permitted to serve his remaining time in a provincial prison. The federal government wants Khadr to serve his time in a federal prison. A 45 year old Winnipeg man who intervened in a domestic dispute between a 33 year old male and his girlfriend will not face criminal charges after becoming embroiled in a physical exchange with the 33 year old (Marlon Dean Laronde) who was punched, fell and died. The Crown Attorney calls it a homicide but says the 45 year old man intervened only because he was concerned about the woman's safety. And a New York rap song/video is calling for and depicting the murder of NYPD officers. Participating in the video are public defender lawyers known as the Bronx Defenders who have received more than $40 million from the City of New York. NYPD is furious. Guest: Scott Newark, Former Alberta Crown Attorney, former executive director of the Canadian Police Association and post 9/11 security advisor to the Ontario and federal governments. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman discusses what our courts and politicians must do to live up that promise, on the 50th anniversary of the Court's Gideon v. Wainright decision, in a freewheeling conversation with host Stephen Handelman on "Criminal Justice Matters." Also on the program: Kumar Rao, an attorney with The Bronx Defenders; and Damon Joe, a 19-year-old CUNY student whose future was saved when a public defender took his case.

Rebecca founded Racing Horse Productions in 2005. Rebecca is a lecturer on law at Harvard Law School teaching two classes in human rights and film.  In law school, Rebecca interned as an investigator at the Bronx Defenders and continued to do investigative work at the Special Court for Sierra Leone, after working there, she returned to Sierra Leone to begin production on War Don Don, a film which profiles the trial of a leader of a separate warring faction. Between trips to Sierra Leone, she has also been adjunct faculty at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and the Human Rights Institute at American University.  More recently, Rebecca has completed the documentary film, Code of the West, about the state of Montana is becoming the first in the US to repeal its medical marijuana law.  Rebecca has received coverage with an article published in the NY Times and Code of the West has launched a popular Kickstarter campaign for the film.

Lantern, a leading on-demand cannabis e-commerce marketplace and home delivery platform, who as of today has officially launched its fifth social equity incubator program, The New York Cannabis Project. Akele Parnell, Head of Equity Partnerships at Lantern fills us in. This incubator provides New York's social equity entrepreneurs with the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to succeed and become leaders in the emerging New York cannabis industry. The New York Cannabis Project has also collaborated with the Bronx Defenders and The Bronx Community Foundation to support the launch of The Bronx Cannabis Hub, advocated for by Senator Chuck Schumer. The hub will provide New Yorkers with information about economic opportunities in the cannabis industry and tools to navigate the application and licensing process.