Call 212-577-3300
News
At The Legal Aid Society our Civil, Criminal Defense, Juvenile Rights, and Pro Bono practices work tirelessly in and out of the courtroom to defend our clients and dismantle the hidden, systemic barriers that can prevent them from thriving in New York City. We seek to be a beacon of hope for those who feel neglected —regardless of who they are, where they come from, or how they identify. Our experienced teams provide comprehensive services, support, and advocacy that protect rights, keep families and communities together, and in many cases, saves lives. We have an intrinsic connection to the daily lives of New Yorkers. Here are a few of the places we made a difference, provided context or added valuable perspective this week:
COVID-19 Response
LAS calls for halt to arrests and release of, protection for incarcerated New Yorkers
NY Post: NYC corrections union says inmate visits should stop over coronavirus NY Daily News: End visits to keep NYC jails free of coronavirus, correction officers’ union chief says North Jersey: Coronavirus in prisons? Not yet, but officials grapple with preventing cases NY Daily News: City Hall suspends visits to city jails amid concerns over the coronavirus NY1: NYC Correction Investigator Dies of Coronavirus Bronx Justice News: DOC Investigator Dies of Coronavirus City Limits: The Coronavirus Thread: Call for Arrest Moratorium as DOC Worker Dies THE APPEAL: New York Department of Corrections Investigator Dies from COVID-19 NY Daily Mail: Legal Aid Society asks for a freeze on arrests in New York to combat the pandemic THE APPEAL: The Coronavirus Response: Spotlight on State and Local Governments Law 360: Public Charge Rule Oral Arguments Delayed Due To COVID-19 Gothamist: Department Of Correction Staffer With COVID-19 Dies Daily Mail: Hundreds of prisoners could be released up to six months early to ease overcrowding Inside City Hall: De Blasio Isn’t Knocking Down Idea of Putting NYC on Lockdown Amid Coronavirus Guardian: Courts across the US halt as New York’s soldier on SI Live: Public defenders call for stop to NYPD arrests, release of some prisoners NY Times: ‘We Are Not a Hospital’: Inside a Prison Bracing for the Coronavirus City Limits: The Coronavirus Thread: City Cases Top 800; Mayor Considering ‘Shelter-in-Place’ Scary Mommy: ICE Arrests Need To Stop NOW To Prevent The Spread Of Coronavirus NY1: City Explores Releasing Vulnerable Inmates from Rikers NY Daily News: Suspects with coronavirus symptoms to stop appearing in NYC criminal courts THE CITY: Defenders Plead For Rikers Parole Hearings to go to Video NY Daily News: Coronavirus prompts Legal Aid, Manhattan D.A., to call for release of state parolees Queens Daily Eagle: Advocates call for ICE to halt courthouse arrests during COVID-19 outbreak Queens Daily Eagle: Jail oversight board calls on city to release detainees to stop COVID-19 Daily Mail: Coronavirus infects prison employee at Sing Sing The Appeal: Washington D.C. Continues Low-Level Arrests Amid Pandemic The Appeal: An Urgent Please for Compassionate Release as Conronavirus Spreads NBC News: While the coronavirus pandemic lasts, we must stop filling prisons Gothamist: Correction Officer On Rikers Island Tests Positive For Coronavirus City & State: Will coronavirus spring people from jail? NJ Record: ICE detainees go on hunger strike in N.J amid coronavirus fears, lawyers say NY Daily News: Rikers Island inmate has contracted coronavirus: officials The Intercept: Coronavirus Has Arrived at Rikers Island: Inside NYC Jails The Crime Report: NYC Mayor Pressured for COVID-19 Jail Safety Plan MIC: Coronavirus arrives at Rikers, sparking calls for better jail protections Bkylner: As Coronavirus Spreads, Can The City Protect Its Inmates? NY Daily News: Coronavirus prompts Legal Aid, Manhattan D.A., to call for release of state parolees THE CITY: Little Relief for Jails’ Most Vulnerable as Pandemic Grows
Evictions halted due to coronavirus
Queens Daily Eagle: Mayor can order marshals to halt evictions amid coronavirus emergency NEWSWEEK: NYC Temporarily Halts Evictions as Coronavirus Spreads Throughout State Commercial Observer: New York State Halts Evictions and Foreclosures Indefinitely Queens Daily Eagle: City orders marshals to halt evictions ‘indefinitely’ amid COVID-19 emergency QNS: New York State stops evictions indefinitely to minimize courts traffic amid coronavirus Curbed: ‘It’s a confusing situation’: New York’s move to halt evictions lacks clarity
LAS files suit on behalf of woman handcuffed by NYPD as she gave birth
Patch: NYPD Cuffed Pregnant Woman In Labor To Hospital Bed: Lawsuit Guardian: New York woman was shackled to bed during childbirth, lawsuit says Gothamist: Woman Sues City After NYPD Handcuffs Her During Active Labor
LAS calls for firing of officers involved in marijuana planting scheme
The Intercept: A New York Police Officer Was Caught on Camera Apparently Planting Marijuana Daily Mail: NYPD cop’s bodycam footage appears to show the moment he ‘planted marijuana Staten Island Advance: Legal Aid wants two cops fired over second controversial arrest
More LAS in the news
City Limits: Emergency Grants Can Help Stop Homelessness — if You Have a Lawyer Politico: Public defenders seek oversight on crime statistics, accuse NYPD of inflating charges The Verge: The NYC Subway’s New Tap-to-Pay System has a Hidden Cost – Rider Data NY Post: Cops probe potential hate crime against City Council candidate Newsday: NYPD says it plans to use facial recognition technology AMNY: Legal Aid Society dubious of new NYPD facial recognition provision Gotham Gazette: As NYCHA Teeters, Calls for More Funding in City and State Budgets Curbed: New York will offer mortgage relief during coronavirus pandemic. What about rents? NYLJ: Cuomo, Prosecutors, Meet Over Bail Reform, but No Deal Is Reported NY Daily News: Cuomo huddles with advocates and law enforcement about proposed bail reforms WNYC: New York Court Arraignments: No Video and No Social Distancing Causing Jitters City Limits: City Must Equip Street Homeless to Fight the Virus Gothamist: The NYPD Is Sitting On Seized E-Bikes That Could Be Returned to Workers Politico: Homeless advocates call for more support amid criticism of city’s response Politico: Lander presses for expedited paid sick leave law for gig workers NYT: Coughing Lawyers. Uneasy Jurors. Can Courts Work Under Coronavirus?