Monthly Archives: January 2017
New York Agrees To Pay $75 Million to Settle Lawsuit over Illegal Summonses Lacking Probable Cause
On January 23rd, New York City’s Law Department agreed to pay $75 million to settle a federal class-action lawsuit accusing the city’s Police Department of issuing close to one million criminal summons which were without any legal justification over the course of eight years (thus far). Specifically, a federal judge found that “probable cause… Read More »
It Could Become a Crime to Declaw Cats in New Jersey
On January 23rd, New Jersey State lawmakers will vote on whether to send Governor Christie a bill that would make it illegal for veterinarians to declaw cats in the state; a procedure known as onychectomy. Specifically, although there would be exceptions for medical purposes, any veterinarians (or anyone else) found engaging in the practice,… Read More »
New Jersey’s Push to Legalize Sports Betting Highlights Interesting Constitutional Questions
January 17th marked the deadline for when the U.S. Supreme Court was to decide whether or not it would hear the state of New Jersey’s appeal on legalizing sports betting within state borders. Yet, instead of making the official decision, the Court instead announced that it would wait for the U.S. Solicitor General to… Read More »
Guilt by Association: Can People Be Charged with A Spouse’s Crimes?
On January 17th, the New York Times featured an article on the criminal prosecution of Noor Zahi Salman, the wife of the man who opened fire at a nightclub in Orlando last year, killing 49 people. Seven months after the nightclub incident, Salman is now being prosecuted under anti- terrorism laws as a result… Read More »
Criminal Conspiracy Charges Brought Against Volkswagen
On January 7th, the FBI arrested Volkswagen executive Oliver Schmidt for conspiracy charges related to the company’s diesel vehicle performance on emissions tests; specifically, conspiracy to defraud the United States. The arrest is part of a broader criminal investigation into the company’s efforts to convince regulators that excess emissions were caused by technical issues… Read More »
In The U.S., Being Homeless Has Become a Crime
In the latest news detailing what many are calling a huge injustice, the homeless are now being given citations by police officers for setting up camp in abandoned lots; lots that are, in many cities like New York, the only places the homeless have to go. According to the federal government, more than 30… Read More »
Cuomo Vetoes Legislation That Would Have Addressed Criminal Defense Injustice Issues
Over the New Year’s weekend, Governor Cuomo vetoed two important pieces of legislation that would have reformed two New York criminal defense laws that currently promote injustice for innocent people. One of these laws would have decriminalized certain types of pocket knives and the other would have provided funding for court-appointed legal representation for… Read More »
Juvenile Defendants Still Denied Right to Counsel
December 2016 marked a seminal anniversary, whereby, fifty years ago, our U.S. Supreme Court enshrined a juvenile’s right to counsel; a right that is still overlooked in our justice system. Today, we still fail to provide many teenagers on trial with competent (or any) counsel in many instances, even though the right to effective… Read More »