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:

LAS sues to end city’s illegal DNA collection and storage practices

NYT: This Database Stores the DNA of 31,000 New Yorkers. Is It Illegal?
CNN: Legal Aid Society files class action suit against New York City’s DNA database
ABC News: NYPD accused of illegally obtaining, storing the DNA samples of nearly 32,000 people
CBS2: Legal Aid Society suing New York City over what it says are illegal DNA searches
NYLJ: Legal Aid Accuses NYPD of ‘Orwellian’ DNA Collection Practices in Proposed Class Action
ABC7: NYPD accused of collecting DNA for ‘rogue’ database
Gothamist: Class-action lawsuit targets NYPD practice of secretly collecting DNA
NYDN: NYPD sued over DNA database that contains genetic profiles of ‘innocent’ New Yorkers
WNYC: Class-action lawsuit targets NYPD practice of secretly collecting DNA
Pix 11: NYPD, OCME sued over alleged illegal DNA database
NBC4: NYPD Accused of Collecting DNA for ‘Rogue’ Database
Crime Report: NYPD Sued Over ‘Illegal and Unregulated DNA Database’ of 33,000 Profiles
CBS News: NYPD accused of secretly collecting DNA from thousands of New Yorkers
AP: NYPD accused of collecting DNA for ‘rogue’ database
GenomeWeb: Call to Close Down
El Diario: Demandan al NYPD por su práctica de recolectar y almacenar datos de ADN
Patch: NYPD’s Secret DNA Database Challenged In Lawsuit
The Hill: Lawsuit accuses NYPD of secretly building ‘rogue’ DNA database
The Brian Lehrer Show: When the NYPD Secretly Collects Your DNA
The Root: Lawsuit Claims NYPD Illegally Obtained DNA Samples of 32,000 people
Black America Web: Lawsuit Suggests 32,000 DNA Samples Were Illegally Obtained By The NYPD
Legal Reader: Lawsuit: New York Police Department Harvests Arrest Suspects DNA
Vision Times: NYPD Secretly Collecting DNA of Thousands of New Yorkers, Lawsuit Alleges

LAS decries Governor’s regressive public safety plan

AP: Don’t blame bail reform for higher crime, NYC watchdog says
NYDN: Albany, don’t turn back the clock on discovery rules
Patch: BK Lawmaker Threatens Hunger Strike Over Governor’s Bail Changes
Courthouse News Service: Against NYC crime spike, comptroller says bail reform isn’t to blame
Queens Daily Eagle: Reformists Rally Against Hochul Plan for Rollbacks
City & State: Lawmakers bristle at leak of Hochul’s bail policy
Patch: Hochul’s Proposed Bail Changes Condemned By Advocates
LoHud: Hochul pitches changes to New York state’s bail reforms. But will she get them?
Yonkers Times: Gov. Kathy Hochul to Propose Changes to Bail Reform
El Diario: Frente de lucha contra plan de Hochul para revertir las reformas penales y ley de fianzas
Manhattan Times: Rejecting the Reform

LAS condemns NYPD’s return to broken-windows policing

NY1: NYPD launches ‘quality-of-life’ initiative that critics call return to ‘broken windows’ policing
Patch: Broken Windows Is Back: NYPD Targets Quality-Of-Life Offenses
Pix 11: NYC return to broken windows policing? Critics slam Quality-of-Life Enforcement Initiative
NYDN: Broken windows is back: NYPD announces new crackdown on quality-of-life crimes
Fox5: NYPD to crack down on quality-of-life offenses
ABC7: NYPD launching quality-of-life initiative; critics fear return to ‘broken windows
El Diario: El NYPD resucita iniciativa ‘ventanas rotas’ para combatir alza del crimen en NYC

More LAS in the news

NYDN: NYC judge orders immediate hearings for detainees held for parole violations
AMNY: Op-Ed | Beyond the COVID-19 emergency: Let’s end the homelessness and eviction crises
Gothamist: Number of Bronx tenants facing eviction without legal aid skyrockets
QNS: Long Island City Fortune Society awarded $10 million grant for services and advocacy
Amsterdam News: Know your rights with the NYPD’s new ‘Neighborhood Safety Teams’
NYLJ: Bronx Judge Grants Hearings to Parolees Detained Before Less is More Act Went Into Effect
The City: Know Your Rights With the NYPD’s New ‘Neighborhood Safety Teams’
Buzzfeed: Asian Sex Workers Are Calling For Decriminalizing Unlicensed Massage Work
NYDN: Rikers Island inmate died after choking on an orange — and no officer was there to help|
NYT: LTE – When a Prison Sentence Ends, but Not Imprisonment
NYDN: Adams lauds new anti-gun unit, but concedes NYPD has ‘Titanic’ task
ABC7: NYPD adds more Neighborhood Safety Teams to crime-ridden areas
Pix 11: Additional NYPD safety teams roll out after violent weekend in NYC
NY Daily News: NYC correction officers calling in ‘sick’ from work surged on weekends and holidays
The City: Coming State Budget Pits Progressive Programs Against Spending Caution
Politico: State rent subsidy proposal gaining momentum
Our Time Press: Legal Aid Society Cautious about NYPD Neighborhood Safety Teams Program
Habitat Mag: Comptroller Says 421-a Tax Break is a $1.8 Billion Waste
Washington Post: History of public defender role during Jackson hearings