Monthly Archives: July 2020
Federal Government Rushes to Execute First Death-Row Prisoners in 17 Years, Ignoring The Rule of Law
In July, the federal government resumed federal death penalty executions after nearly two decades, and executed two prisoners – Daniel Lee Lewis and Wesley Purkey – after seeking emergency orders from the US Supreme Court under very controversial circumstances, including pending appeals, opposition from the victims’ family, judge, and prosecutor involved, and/or with competency… Read More »
Federal Authorities Invade US Cities & Arrest Peaceful Protesters Without Probable Cause or Warrants
In July, the federal government began deploying Department of Homeland Security and US Customs and Border Protection personnel into US cities to arrest protesters, including Portland, Oregon, relying on the justification (Trump’s executive order) that it is necessary to protect US monuments and federal property from vandalism, and legal under the rules and regulations… Read More »
Changes to New York’s Criminal Justice Reform, Part II: Bail
After enacting sweeping reforms when it comes to monetary bail in 2019, in response to backlash from some law enforcement and prosecutorial special interest groups, the New York legislature once again enacted sweeping reforms this year, resulting in changes to the bail statute that went into effect on July 2. Below, we discuss some… Read More »
Changes to New York’s Criminal Justice Reform, Part I: Discovery
Prosecutors in the Manhattan US Attorney’s Office recently came under fire by one US District Judge due to allegations that they had violated New York state discovery laws in purposely withholding evidence favorable to the defense. The case involved criminal defendant Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad, who was accused of conspiracy to violate US sanctions… Read More »
The Permanent & Collateral Consequences of Having a Criminal Record In New York
Almost 80 million people in the United States have criminal records, including the seven million currently estimated to be in prison or on parole. For the many who are released, it is unquestionably difficult to secure employment, housing, healthcare, and more, especially with the pandemic causing an economic crisis, resulting in lifelong consequences of… Read More »
What’s Next for Fixing Qualified Immunity & Better Protecting Criminal Defendants from Police Misconduct
Many had high hopes for the US Supreme Court potentially doing away with qualified immunity, which shields police officers from being held accountable in instances of police brutality after violating individuals’ constitutional rights, including when those violations result in death, unless there is an existing judicial decision with substantially similar facts establishing that the… Read More »