News
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Senate Passes Bail Legislation
The State Senate passed legislation (on April 18, 2012) allowing judges to consider the safety of alleged victims and their families when setting bail. In opposing the bill, NYSACDL President Richard Willstatter notes that prosecutors [...]
Posted Friday, April 20th, 2012
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Forensic Science Accreditation Assessment Information Available
Materials provided to the New York State Commission on Forensic Sciences which include accreditation assessments, records of laboratory errors, problems with personnel proficiency exams, and how individual labs address problems are now available online: http://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/pio/openmeetings.htm. [...]
Posted Thursday, April 12th, 2012
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NYSDA Funding Restored
SUCCESS! The call for restoration of funding for NYSDA’s Public Defense Backup Center has paid off. Last week, NYSDA reported that it has received over $2 million in requested funding in the final budget. NYSDA’s [...]
Posted Thursday, April 12th, 2012
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Effective Assistance Includes Plea Advice
Recognizing that the plea bargaining process is an integral part of the criminal justice system, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that the Sixth Amendment guarantee to effective assistance of counsel extends to the plea [...]
Posted Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012
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Challenge to Queens DA’s Pre-Arraignment Interrogation Practice
NYSACDL joins the American Civil Liberties Union, the New York Civil Liberties Union, the New York State Defenders Association and others as amici challenging the Queens District Attorney’s Office practice of conducting pre-arraignment interviews of [...]
Posted Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
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Gideon’s Legacy
In his article published in the Albany Times Union, NYSACDL past-president Ray Kelly reminds us of the importance of the Gideon decision and the urgent need to address inequities and lack of funding for indigent [...]
Posted Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
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NYSACDL Joins Call to Investigate NYPD Surveillance of Muslims
NYSACDL has joined advocacy, civil rights, community, and faith groups to voice concern over the New York Police Department’s surveillance of the Muslim community without regard to suspicion of wrongdoing. In a March 19, 2011 Letter [...]
Posted Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
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NYSACDL Speaks Out on Sentencing Disparity
NYSACDL President Richard Willstatter responded to a recent New York Times article, “Wide Sentencing Disparity Found Among U.S. Judges” in a Letter to the Editor which was published recently in the Times. Imposing a sentence [...]
Posted Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
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NYSACDL Opposes DNA plan
NYSACDL opposes the governor’s proposal to require DNA samples from every person convicted of any crime, even a misdemeanor. Any claimed law enforcement objective in collecting DNA data from those convicted of relatively minor crimes [...]
Posted Thursday, February 23rd, 2012
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State of the Judiciary Address
February 14, 2012 – Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman Delivered the State of the Judiciary AddressChief Judge Jonathan Lippman delivered the State of the Judiciary Address today outlining an impressive agenda for the year. The Address [...]
Posted Tuesday, February 14th, 2012