Recent Blog Posts
New Jersey Supreme Court Orders New Trial for Man Convicted Of Murder Because Statements Illegally Obtained From Him
During the week of December 14, the New Jersey Supreme Court ordered a new trial for a man convicted of murder whose rights were violated while he was being interviewed by police. Specifically, the high court found that detectives had violated his rights by continuing to question him about unrelated crimes, even though he… Read More »
New Jersey Bans Wild/Exotic Animal Circus Acts
A measure signed into law by Governor Murphy on December 14—known as “Nosey’s law—makes it illegal in New Jersey to use certain exotic animals such as elephants and tigers in events such as carnivals, circuses, petting zoos, and similar setups. The bill was reportedly passed for the sake of public safety, as well as… Read More »
New York City’s New Fleet of Drones Has Civil Rights Advocates Concerned
In early December, the New York Police Department (NYPD) announced that it would soon be launching a fleet of 14 drones across the city to monitor people and “reach remote areas in crime scenes.” This has a number of civil rights advocates concerned because the policy governing the drones technically allows for their use… Read More »
First Step Act Promised To Reform Criminal Justice & Release Those Doing Unfair Time for Drug Crimes
News reports have been dominated by news headlines of the First Step Act, which, if passed by the Senate by the end of December, would make a number of changes to the criminal justice system, including eliminating mandatory minimum sentencing for a number of drug crimes, providing funding for rehabilitation programs, and instituting a… Read More »
New Jersey’s Crime Rates Plunge Post Bail Reform Law
New Jersey’s sharp decline in crime has many wondering if the new rules surrounding bail reform—otherwise known as the Criminal Justice Reform Act (or “Bail Reform Law”)—possibly had an important impact on these statistics. Specifically, violent offenses, such as homicide and robbery, are down more than thirty percent throughout the state within the last… Read More »
New York State’s Court of Appeals Finds That Immigrants Deserve Jury Trials, Regardless Of Charge
In a huge step forward for immigrants accused of crimes and threatened with deportation, on November 27, New York State’s Court of Appeals ruled that immigrants are entitled to jury trials, regardless of the severity of the crime with which they are charged, because the potential penalty of deportation is so severe. This is… Read More »
Pressure Mounts on Hill over Criminal Justice Reform
There is no question that the U.S. is badly in need of criminal justice reform, especially when it comes to reducing mandatory minimum sentencing. It is largely a bipartisan issue that both major political parties agree on. The current legislation pending in Congress—known as “The First Step Act”—is a step in the right direction;… Read More »
Hearings Scheduled To Legalize Recreational Marijuana in New Jersey
On November 26, the long-fought-for battle to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in New Jersey will take a major step when state lawmakers debate the bill to legalize its use. Debate on the law—titled “The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory and Expungement Aid Modernization Act”—begins on November 26, and is expected to be followed… Read More »
Department Of Education Proposes To Roll Back Civil Rights Protections for Victims of Sexual Assault and Harassment
On November 16, the Department of Education released a proposed rule to dramatically limit schools’ obligations to students who have experienced sexual violence. Although it preserves some important protections associated with the process, including the involvement of an impartial investigator, the opportunity to present rebuttal evidence, equal right to appeal for both parties, and… Read More »
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Calls on Administration to Recommit to Police Oversight
After former Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memorandum reducing the ability of federal law enforcement officials to curb police abuse state-by-state, on November 15, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights called on the Justice Department to recommit to police oversight, including the use of binding consent decrees in order to promote constitutional policing… Read More »
