Category Archives: Criminal Justice
NY high court rejects prison phone rate refund lawsuit
The New York State Court of Appeals dismissed a lawsuit last week brought by prisoners’ families seeking refunds for the exorbitant phone rates it cost them to speak to their loved ones behind bars. The class action suit, Walton v. … Continue reading
Filed under Activism, Criminal Justice
Inmates To Work For Nonprofits With Details To Be Worked Out In Assembly
By Kieran K. Meadows State and local inmates will soon be able to work for nonprofit agencies again—and this time it will be legal. New York voters approved a ballot proposition in the recent general election that allows prisoners to … Continue reading
Filed under Criminal Justice
NYCLU files lawsuit seeking access to info about police shootings
The New York Civil Liberties Union sued the NYPD last week to obtain more information and facts about police shootings. The organization is seeking access to two internal police reports: one prepared immediately after a shooting of a civilian, and … Continue reading
Filed under Activism, Criminal Justice, Law, NYC, Race
Documentary film about lawyer William Kunstler opens in New York
This weekend, the documentary film, “Disturbing the Universe,” about self-described radical lawyer William Kunstler, has its New York City premiere at Cinema Village. The film, directed and produced by two of his daughters, Emily and Sarah, for their production company, … Continue reading
Filed under Activism, Criminal Justice, Law, Media/Journalism, NYC
Police panel to look through lawsuits for bad apples in blue
The New York City Police Department has put together a review panel to look through civil lawsuits that allege police misconduct in order to find out if cops are committing perjury, or are involved in corruption or other wrongdoing. This, … Continue reading
Filed under Criminal Justice, Law, NYC
NYPD accused of racial profiling — by other members of the NYPD!
Most of the time, when we think of racial profiling, we think of an incident in which white cops stop (and-frisk, search, or at times do something worse to) a black or Latino individual. The usual back-and-forth ensues: the victim … Continue reading
Filed under Criminal Justice, NYC, Race
Despite record homicide-low, many murder trials seen in Brooklyn Court
A flurry of low-profile murder cases have been congesting the Brooklyn State Supreme Court in recent weeks, The New York Times reports. But it quickly points out that this happens every once in a while—in fact, three times a year—at … Continue reading
Filed under Criminal Justice, NYC
Mayoral candidates talk about stop-and-frisk at debate
Police in the U.S. stop more than one million people on the street each year. Civil liberties critics say that the stop-and-frisk tactic employs racial profiling. It’s hard to argue with the numbers—most stops are of black and Latino men. … Continue reading
Filed under Criminal Justice, Law, NYC, Politics, Race
