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:

Public Defenders File Suit to Delay Court Re-Opening, Cite High Risk

NY Daily News: Lawyers For Indigent Challenge ‘Rushed and Unnecessary’ Reopening of NYC Criminal Courts For In-person Hearings
Law 360: NYC Tenant Bar, Judge Clash Over Looming In-Person Trials
Brooklyn Daily Eagle: NYC Public Defenders Threaten to Sue State to Stop In-person Criminal Proceedings
Law360: Legal Aid Sues To Stop Criminal Courts Reopening In NYC
Queens Daily Eagle: Public Defenders Sue State To Stop In-person Criminal Proceedings During COVID Crisis
El Diario: Por Riesgo aContagio Por COVID-19, Se Oponen a Qque Comparecencias en Las Cortes Sea en Persona
Staten Island Advance: Courts Showdown: Public Defenders Sue Over Re-Opening Plan; Court Officers’ Union Also Opposes
Queens Daily Eagle: NYC Public Defenders Threaten to Sue State to Stop In-person Criminal Proceedings
American Bar Association: New York City Public Defenders File Suit To Halt In-person Court Appearances
ABA Journal: New York City Public Defenders File Suit To Halt In-person Court Appearances
NYLJ: New York City Defenders Sue Court Administrators Alleging Reopening Is Causing Bias Against Disabled
Chief Leader: Public Defenders, Court-Officers Union Seek Delay in Courts’ Reopenings
Brooklyn Daily Eagle: Public Defenders Sue State to Stop In-person Criminal Proceedings During COVID Crisis

NYPD Officers Commit Assault On Homeless Subway Rider, Victim Charged

Raw Story: WATCH: Homeless Man Begs For Mercy During ‘Brutal Attack’ by NYC Cop — And The Gets Charged With Felony Assault
Gothamist: Cops Punch Homeless Man On Subway, Then Manhattan DA Charges Him With Assault
Patch: NYPD Must Fire Officer Who Punched Man On Subway: Defense Lawyers
NY1: Video Shows Cop Punching Man on Manhattan Subway
THE CITY: DA Vance Drops Assault Charges Against Subway Rider Punched by Police
Daily Mail: Homeless Man Who Was Punched By A NYPD Cop and Dragged Off A Subway For ‘Taking Up More Than One Seat’ is Charged With Assault Because He ‘Kicked The Officer In The Hand’
Pix 11: Video Shows Police Punch Man on Subway; Manhattan DA Charges Man With Assault
VICE: Felony Charge Dropped Against Homeless Man Dragged Off Subway by NYPD and Punched
NY Post: NYPD Body-cam Footage Shows Officer Punching, Dragging Man Off Train
THE CITY: Video Shows Cop Punching Man on Manhattan Subway. DA Vance Charges Rider With Assault
NBC: Bodycam Shows Cops Punching Subway Rider for Taking Up More Than One Seat: Atty
NBC: NYPD Officer Seen Punching, Choking, Macing Homeless Subway Rider in Violent Arrest Video
Bronx News 12: Legal Aid Society Calls for Firing of 2 NYPD Officers After Body Cam Footage Released of Arrest
WCBS: Video Shows Homeless Man Punched, Dragged Off Subway Train By Police
The Blaze: Bodycam Video Shows NYPD Cop Punching, Choking, and Macing Homeless Man
1010 Wins: VIDEO: Homeless Man Punched, Dragged Off Manhattan Subway Train By Police
NY1: Felony Charge Dropped Against Man Punched and Dragged by Officer During an Arrest
NBC New York: Man Hit, Choked and Maced by NYPD in Violent Arrest Video Plans to File $40M Lawsuit
Pix 11: Pressure Mounts to Discipline Cops Who beat Up And Maced Homeless Man
Telemundo: Desamparado es Abofeteado y Estrangulado Durante Violento Arresto en el Subway: Video

More LAS In The News

Gothamist: 1,300 Protesters Still Face Fines And Jail Time For Violating De Blasio’s Curfew
NY Daily News: Judge Overseeing NYPD’s Stop and Frisks Reforms Will Not Tackle Racism in COVID-19 Enforcement
City Limits: Cops are Using Fear to Fight Reform
Staten Island Advance: Grand Jury Dilemma? D.A., Private Attorneys Ready To Start Next Month; Public Defenders Balk
Chronicle of Social Change: Brooklyn DA Details Shocking Police, Prosecutor Misconduct Behind 25 Wrongful Convictions and 426 Years of Prison Time
City & State: Queens Power 50
NY Daily News: NYC Courts Could Face Wave of Post-pandemic Eviction Cases
The Nation: Defending One Brooklyn Brownstone Is Just the Beginning
NYT: The N.Y.P.D. Has Rejected Reform for Decades. It Can’t Anymore.
AMNY: Bedlam in Bayside: Inside the Fallout From Pro-cop, BLM Protests in Queens Neighborhood
Queens Chronicle: Clock Ticking For Renters, Congress
Gothamist: Mayor De Blasio Says 1,300 New Yorkers Arrested For Violating His Curfew Should Still Face Charges
New Yorker: How a Coalition of New York Activists Revealed Police-Department Secrets
City Limits: Phase 3 Employees Demand Better Workplace Protections As COVID-Reopening Progresses