Recent Blog Posts
Decision Not to File Civil Rights Charges Against New York Police Officer Involved in Eric Garner’s Death Sparks Outrage
Public outcry emerged on July 16 after the Attorney General announced that federal civil rights and criminal charges will not be brought against the New York Police Department officer who caused Eric Garner’s death in 2014 by placing him in a chokehold. Reportedly, Garner repeated the phrase “I can’t breathe” 11 times during his… Read More »
New York Decriminalizes Certain Forms of Sports Betting
Approximately one year after the US Supreme Court lifted the ban that restricted sports betting, on July 16, New York joined the list of states allowing conditional wagering on sports. This makes New York the ninth state to permit and regulate sports betting after the state game commission approved the relevant regulations. However, making… Read More »
A Closer Look at The Latest Charges Against Jeffrey Epstein & Potential Defenses Here In New York
The arrest of billionaire Jeffrey Epstein for his alleged sex crimes has dominated news headlines of late. In 2007, Epstein signed an agreement with the US Attorney‘s Office in Florida, which allowed him to plead to lesser charges (state prostitution versus sexual abuse) and avoid going to prison in exchange for spending 13 months;… Read More »
New Jersey Governor Expands State Medical Marijuana Program
On July 2, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill called the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act, expanding the state’s medical marijuana program. Its main provisions increase the number of illnesses that make someone eligible to participate in the program and the amount that can be dispensed at one time from… Read More »
New Jersey State Appeals Court Clears Lower Court’s Decision, Allowing Minor Rape Suspect to Be Charged as an Adult
In July, a New Jersey state appeals court overturned a state Superior Court’s decision not to try a 16-year-old boy accused of rape as an adult reportedly because the boy comes from a “good family” and is “destined for a good college.” The suspect is accused of raping another 16-year-old who was reportedly intoxicated… Read More »
When Algorithms Determine Whether Criminal Defendants Will Spend Decades in Prison
Many people likely do not realize the significant role that criminal sentencing AI plays in our criminal justice system. What this means is that algorithms used to estimate whether a defendant is likely to commit a future crime affects sentencing and other major decisions made by prosecutors and judges, such as the possibility of… Read More »
U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Law That Vaguely Imposes Additional Prison Time for Crimes Committed with Firearms
On June 24, the US Supreme Court made an important decision in striking down a law that imposed additional criminal penalties onto sentences for people convicted of certain crimes that involve firearms. The court maintained that the law was unconstitutionally vague and violated citizens’ due process rights by failing to place people on notice… Read More »
New York Officially Fails to Decriminalize Marijuana
During the week of June 19, New York state lawmakers failed to reach consensus concerning the state’s proposal to legalize (i.e. decriminalize) the recreational use of marijuana. The legislation, titled the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, would have not only decriminalized the recreational use of marijuana, but also addressed the practice of disproportionately policing… Read More »
Will New York Could Soon Decriminalize Sex Work?
Lawmakers in New York recently proposed legislation that would not only decriminalize prostitution, but also allow for criminal records related to a number of sex crimes to be expunged. Specifically, the proposed legislation– titled the “Stop Violence in the Sex Trades Act—would remove criminal penalties for these workers with the hope of increasing workplace… Read More »
New York Officially Bans ‘Gay & Trans Panic Defense’ In Homicide Cases
On June 19, New York state lawmakers passed a ban on the use of the gay and trans panic defense in homicide cases. Specifically, the legislation will prevent criminal defendants from justifying murder as a response to discovering a victim’s gender identity or sexual orientation. Historically, criminal defendants have, in some circumstances, been successful… Read More »
