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 wins dismissal of charges for wrongfully convicted client James Davis

NYDN: Brooklyn prosecutors drop charges against man who spent 17 years in prison
Patch: DAs Move To Throw Out 2 NYC Murder Convictions
BK Reader: Wrongly Convicted: Brooklyn Man James Davis Coming Home After 17 Years Behind Bars
Bklyner: DA Drops Murder Charges After Wrongfully Convicted Man Spends 17 Years in Prison

LAS condemns $159 Million in secret NYPD surveillance contracts

Wired: The NYPD Had a Secret Fund for Surveillance Tools
NYDN: NYPD flouts law requiring disclosure of surveillance technology: advocates
Tag 24: NYPD Spent Nearly $160 Million on Surveillance THrough a Secret Fund 
Politico: NYPD flouts law requiring disclosure of surveillance technology: advocates
Daily Dot: Documents reveal NYPD’s secretive ‘surveillance slush fund’
Brooklyn Daily Eagle: What’s Breaking Daily: Condemning NYPD Secret Surveillance
RT: NYPD spent $159mn on facial recognition, ‘stingray’ cellphone trackers & X-ray van spy tools
Government Technology: NYPD Not Sharing Enough Info Despite Surveillance Tech Law
Engadget: NYPD secretly spent $159 million on surveillance tech
Biometric: NYPD’s $159M ‘surveillance slush fund’ used to buy facial recognition software

LAS calls on NY legislature to reconvene as Supreme Court rules/eviction moratorium expires 

Politico: Supreme Court blocks part of New York’s pandemic eviction ban
NY1: After court ruling, Hochul wants to strengthen eviction ban
Inman: Supreme Court partially blocks New York’s eviction ban
TheRealDeal: Scramble to stop evictions after Supreme Court cripples NY moratorium
Hill Reporter: Supreme Court Guts Part of New York State’s Eviction Moratorium
Bushwick Daily: Can My Landlord Do That? The Renter’s Guide to New York Housing Law
Law360: NY Lawmakers Question Agency Head On Rent Relief Funding
The Real Deal: Rent relief will miss eviction moratorium deadline for many
Center Square: Groups weigh in on New York’s delayed rental assistance rollout
Washington Post: Federal judge keeps CDC eviction moratorium in place
CBS2: Some New Yorkers Worried After Court Blocks Park Of State Eviction Moratorium
NYDN: Hochul, lawmakers vow action in wake of Supreme Court eviction ban ruling

More LAS in the news

PIX11: Judge orders NYC to stop moving homeless out of hotels and into shelters
Brownstoner: Residential Redevelopment of Bedford-Union Armory Moving Quickly
The 19th: Domestic violence survivors often suffer economic abuse, too
AMNY: Op-Ed | New York City must do more about homeless policy amid COVID-19
USA Today: Domestic violence survivors often suffer financial abuse, too
NYDN: Queens DA balks at releasing documents from investigation of murder of jogger
PBS News: Domestic violence can also take the form of economic abuse
NBC4: 25-Year-Old Inmate Found Dead in Cell at NYC’s Rikers Island