In an overwhelming victory, the New York City Board of Corrections has finally made strides to improve conditions for inmates on not only the infamous Rikers Island facility but also across all city jails in New York. On June 25, 2024, the board unanimously voted in favor of new rules to end solitary confinement. This […]
READ MOREManhattan’s Poor Are Screwed Despite A “Progressive” District Attorney
When Richard jumped the turnstile at the East 180th St., West Farms station, he was stopped and arrested before his feet hit the floor. Handcuffed and told to give up his ID, Richard wasn’t too worried.
READ MORENew York Busts Arrests For Overtime Pay
For decades, New York Police Officers have routinely padded their paychecks with overtime pay made possible by being creative with arrests and collusion.
READ MOREMichael Brown Could Have Just Stopped Running
Ferguson, Missouri ripped apart in August 2014 when a white police officer, Darren Wilson, shot and killed a black teenager, Michael Brown. Protests echoed from America’s east coast to west coast, but maybe it took a New York City playwright to put the pieces together.
READ MORERaising the Age Initiative
The New York Legislature has just passed the Raise the Age initiative. For decades, the issue was contentious and divisive. This act now provides significant protection to juvenile defendants. The key feature of this initiative is how the state will deal with 16 and 17-year-old defendants. Rather than send them to adult prisons they will […]
READ MOREWhy Do You Need a Lawyer If You Are Offered Pre-Trial Diversion
Marcy Wills was charged with felony theft. She met the criteria for pretrial diversion and started to get her life back on track. When she had trouble paying the related fees and court costs, her case was sent to trial, she was found guilty and sent to jail. There’s the catch in the pretrial diversion […]
READ MOREAbuse of Position of Trust Enhancement Applies Even to a Secretary with a Fancy Title
During the course of her employment with three different employers, Laurie Bradshaw embezzled more than $240,000. Bradshaw defrauded these three Chicago area employers by taking advantage of her position with these companies in which they entrusted her with such duties as coordinating purchases from vendors, opening a new office for one of the companies, and […]
READ MORELessons From the Prosecution and Death of Aaron Swartz
Much has been written recently about the sad case of Aaron Swartz. Described as “a brilliant young software programmer and Internet activist,” Swartz, 26, committed suicide in January. At the time of his death, Swartz was under indictment in the District of Massachusetts for wire fraud, computer fraud, and various other cyber-crime-related offenses. The indictment […]
READ MOREOur Trial Was Right Here a Decade or Two Ago
Americans love trials. Criminal trials, in particular, have been a favorite subject for both television (Law &Order, Perry Mason) and movies (To Kill a Mockingbird, The Verdict). But judges, lawyers, and litigants? Not so much. It has been widely reported here and here that the number of trials of all varieties (criminal, civil, bench, jury) […]
READ MORETop Ten Mortgage Servicing Abuses
Mortgage Abuse: And You Really Thought the Lender Was On Your Side While “Robo-signing” has made the headlines, many loan companies have identified methods to speed foreclosures and generate fees all payable by the homeowner. Many of the uppermost mortgage servicing abuses could be curtailed with a little research and caution by the potential home […]
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