At The Legal Aid Society our Civil, Criminal Defense, Juvenile Rights, and Pro Bono practices work tirelessly in and out of thecourtroom 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 continues to call for independent leadership of City jails

Reason Magazine: Under Scrutiny for New Deaths, Rikers Officials Shut Down Communication
Democracy Now: NYC to Stop Reporting Prison Deaths as Investigator Probes Death at Rikers
Queens Daily Eagle: Rikers Detainee’s Death Disputed
Hip Hop Wired: Deaths At NYC Jails No Longer Being Reported To Media
Blavity: NYC Department of Correction Stops Informing Press About Deaths Of Incarcerated People
NYT: Federal Monitor Overseeing Rikers Takes Aim at Head of N.Y.C. Jails
Gothamist: Adams administration thumbs nose at Rikers oversight team about jail deaths, violence
NYDN: Stabbings, slashings at Rikers Island, other NYC jails have risen since 2016

Manhattan DA vacates 316 convictions involving discredited NYPD officers

NYDN: Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg moves to vacate 316 convictions connected to crooked cops
NYT: Over 300 Cases Tied to Convicted N.Y.P.D. Officers Are Tossed Out
AMNY: Manhattan DA vacates 316 convictions obtained by nine cops found guilty of corruption
CBS880: Manhattan DA vacates 316 convictions tied to crooked NYPD cops
PIX11: Bragg vacates convictions tied to rogue NYPD officers convicted of criminal conduct
Gothamist: Judge tosses hundreds of convictions tied to NYPD officers accused of misconduct
Associated Press: NYC prosecutor drops over 300 convictions tied to officers found guilty of crimes
Daily Mail: NYC’s Alvin Bragg drops 300 convictions linked to nine crooked officers

Monitor: NYPD’s Neighborhood Safety Teams show concerning patterns

NYT: N.Y.P.D. Anti-Crime Units Still Stopping People Illegally, Report Shows
CBS2: Independent monitor says too many people are stopped, frisked, and searched unlawfully
AMNY: Anti-gun teams using illegal, discriminatory stop-and-frisk tactics, says federal monitor
PIX11: NYPD Neighborhood Safety Teams making unlawful stops, search: report
Patch: New Harlem Cop Team Performed Illegal Stop-And-Frisks, Study Finds
Gothamist: NYPD unit tasked with preventing gun violence illegally stops people at high rates

More LAS in the news

NYT: There are Better Ways to Solve a Housing Crisis Than This
AMNY: Op-ed | Housing as a human right begins with Right to Counsel
NYT: Can Technology Solve the M.T.A.’s Persistent Fare Evasion Problem?
SI Advance: Woman lowered energy bills after installing solar panels. She shares her journey.
Law360: NY Legal Aid Orgs. Cheer New Law Ditching Civil Notarization
Queens Daily Eagle: Despite wrongful conviction ruling, Queens DA refuses to drop murder case
NYDN: NYC ‘respite centers’ now house some 2,500 migrants, often for days
City Limits: At Queens ‘Respite Center,’ Asylum Seekers Make a Choice: Stay or Go?
Crain’s: Pipe explosion at asylum center calls new migrant sites into question
Politico: City housing plans rely on Albany
El Diario: Instan a la Gobernadora a promulgar ley que elimina requisito notarial en cortes civiles
City Limits: The Job That “Almost Was”: Advocates on the Loss of NYC’s Chief Housing Officer
CBS2: New York City sues 31 state localities for refusing asylum seekers
NYDN: NYC sues dozens of NYS counties, towns and officials over refusal to house migrants
The City: City Council Passes Bill To Restore Reentry Services to Trans Women on Rikers Island