The Legal Aid Society
@LegalAidNYC
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The nation’s oldest public defender, delivering #JusticeInEveryBorough via free legal services, advocacy, and community empowerment. Founded in 1876.
New York City
Joined September 2012
We strongly disagree with this ruling. As of 6 PM tonight, 160 NYers citywide remain in custody 24+ hours after their arrest, which is some progress, but 160 NYers too many. We'll continue to monitor this situation and we are ready to appeal if necessary.
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#BREAKING: We just filed an emergency lawsuit against the NYPD to secure the release of 108 New Yorkers currently detained illegally in violation of New York's 24 hour arrest-to-arraignment requirement. #FreeThemNow #BlackLivesMatter
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Update: As of this morning, 295 NYers in Manhattan alone have been languishing in detention for 24+ hours, deprived of their right to quickly see a judge and needlessly placed at increased risk of contracting COVID-19. Total count held 24+ hours citywide is now roughly 400 NYers.
#BREAKING: We just filed an emergency lawsuit against the NYPD to secure the release of 108 New Yorkers currently detained illegally in violation of New York's 24 hour arrest-to-arraignment requirement. #FreeThemNow #BlackLivesMatter
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***Gov. Cuomo Refuses To Permit Vaccinations at Prisons, Local Jails Even as COVID-19 Claims More Lives of People in Custody***. "We demand that the Governor reverse his policy to ensure.that our vulnerable clients receive the vaccine immediately.". More:
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#BREAKING: NYS Supreme Court has ORDERED the @NYGovCuomo Administration to offer ALL incarcerated New Yorkers access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Cc: @NeighborhoodDef @BronxDefenders @BklynDefender @NYCLU . Full decision:
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#BREAKING: We are demanding that the NYPD instruct its officers to remove any covering that obstructs public view of any officer’s badge. NYers need to be able to identify officers who commit acts of misconduct to hold them accountable.
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🚨#KnowYourRights Information For New Yorkers Protesting NYPD Brutality🚨. Please share this info and stay safe. Contact us with any questions at (212) 577-3300 or send us a DM.
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***BREAKING: Feds recommend Justice Dept. pursue charges against #DanielPantaleo, NYPD cop involved in Eric Garner's chokehold death***.
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#BREAKING: Effective Monday, March 16 at 5PM, all eviction proceedings and pending eviction orders shall be suspended statewide until further notice.
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"This is very clearly a political decision by the NYPD to harass peaceful protesters without a legal means to do so. This is exactly what everyone in New York City should be worried about.".
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“Internal NYPD files show that hundreds of officers who committed the most serious offenses — from lying to grand juries to physically attacking innocent people — got to keep their jobs, their pensions, and their tremendous power over New Yorkers' lives.”
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#BREAKING: We just secured a ruling vacating the conviction of Jason Serrano, a Legal Aid client who was the target of a NYPD marijuana planting scheme during a routine traffic stop in March of 2018.
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Update: 217 NYers in Manhattan have still yet to see a judge within 24 hrs - a clear violation of law. NYPD also continues to arrest people despite law prescribing the issuance of appearance tickets. NYers now languishing in cages, at an increased risk of contracting COVID-19.
#BREAKING: We just filed an emergency lawsuit against the NYPD to secure the release of 108 New Yorkers currently detained illegally in violation of New York's 24 hour arrest-to-arraignment requirement. #FreeThemNow #BlackLivesMatter
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#BREAKING: We just secured Emmanuelle Cooper’s innocence - our client who was wrongfully convicted of a '92 murder & spent 27 years in prison. The evidence supporting Mr. Cooper's innocence was overwhelming, & we hope this outcome provides him some closure.
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In the face of the Trump Admin’s pending #ICEraids, we have expanded our Immigration Helpline to operate 7 days a week. Please call 1-844-955-3425 for essential legal assistance if you or a family member need help. For more information, visit: #AbolishICE
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#BREAKING: We just filed a lawsuit against the NYPD on behalf of five plaintiffs who were unlawfully arrested and detained on low-level offenses instead of receiving an appearance ticket as required by law during the George Floyd demonstrations last summer.
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#BREAKING: @LegalAidNYC wins emergency petition filed today in the #SDNY staying #ICE from deporting #PabloVillavicencio. Cc: @Gregoire1125 @MaketheRoadNY
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#BREAKING: Our clients in ICE detention aren't receiving basic disinfectants, hand sanitizer, or even toilet paper. This is a public health emergency that ICE has proven unequipped to handle. We're demanding the immediate release of ppl currently detained by ICE.
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Hey @BrooklynDA, arrest and charge these cops IMMEDIATELY. Get them off the street and away from New Yorkers.
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.@NYDailyNews: Members of Central Park 5 advocating for law limiting deceptive interrogation tactics and other sweeping criminal justice reforms.
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🚨🚨ICE ALERT🚨🚨 Agents just spotted outside Queens Criminal Court. If you are a non-citizen with a court date today, please contact your attorney.
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We are calling on @bronxdaclark to dismiss charges pending against Destin Burgess, a LAS client who is frequently subjected to illegal stop-and-frisk searches by the NYPD.
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He spent 27 years wrongly convicted of murder. He wants to spend the rest of his life encouraging inmates to read.
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#BREAKING: We just won the release of 106 incarcerated clients - New Yorkers especially vulnerable to #COVID19 - from technical parole holds at Rikers Island. Cc: @TMLuongo @CoreyStoughton @marie_defender @Michelle_Mc_G #FreeThemNow
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#BREAKING: @NYCMayor to tell #NYPD to stop arresting New Yorkers for smoking pot in public Cc: @erinmdurkin
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#BREAKING: We just unveiled our Cop Accountability Clinic to help those community members who witnessed or experienced NYPD misconduct during the recent demonstrations to file complaints with the CCRB and/or Notices of Claim for potential civil lawsuits.
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#BREAKING: Our new report shows what our clients and communities have known all along - the NYPD's social distancing enforcement disproportionately targets Black & Latino neighborhoods despite other neighborhoods getting more 311 social distancing calls.
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#BREAKING: We just won the release of another 51 incarcerated clients - New Yorkers especially vulnerable to #COVID19 - from technical parole violation holds at Rikers Island. #FreeThemNow
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🚨🚨ICE ALERT🚨🚨 Agents just spotted outside Brooklyn Criminal Court. If you are a non-citizen with a court date today, please contact your attorney.
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We just unveiled the most comprehensive database on law enforcement misconduct in NYC - "Law Enforcement Lookup (LELU)" - which includes more than 450,000 NYPD, DOC disciplinary and other records.
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“An investigation by The New York Times has found that on more than 25 occasions since January 2015, judges or prosecutors determined that a key aspect of a New York City police officer’s testimony was probably untrue.”
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"It was déjà vu all over again. It's like a reoccurring nightmare,” - @RealGwenCarr. #ICantBreathe
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#BREAKING: Working with Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, we just secured the immediate release of George Bell who was wrongfully convicted of a double murder in 1997 and incarcerated for over 24 years.
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“The fact that pregnant women and women in labor would be subject to the most draconian treatment imaginable, particularly when they stand accused of a misdemeanor, speaks volumes about the macho culture of police departments and corrections.”
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#BREAKING: We are demanding the release of ten pregnant women who are all currently incarcerated at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility. Several of these women have preexisting conditions and two are due to give birth this month. Cc: @NYGovCuomo @NYSDOCCS .
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BREAKING: NYC Defenders call for immediate release of vulnerable incarcerated New Yorkers in response to #COVID19. "A coronavirus outbreak in our overcrowded, poorly maintained jails and prison facilities would be devastating, swift, and deadly."
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"The killing of George Floyd was the last straw for me, and it captured many of the issues facing Black people in America. We were met with the same kind of brutal force that police unleashed on George Floyd in his final minutes," - @Jarrett_Q.
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The Rittenhouse case is a devastating reminder of the power and privilege that comes with whiteness. Black and Latinx people, including many of the New Yorkers we represent, fare worse for accusations of far less severity and are never treated with such humanity.
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BREAKING: We just released a list of active NYPD service members who garnered the highest lawsuit payouts and the most civil rights lawsuits alleging police misconduct over the last decade. Read more via @theintercept: .
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#BREAKING: @NYGovCuomo SIGNS LEGISLATION TO ESTABLISH NATION'S FIRST COMMISSION ON PROSECUTORIAL CONDUCT Cc: @shaunking.
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#BREAKING: The NYPD tried to frame our client for marijuana possession. He was forced to take a plea completely unaware of exculpatory evidence captured on BWC footage. We filed a motion today to vacate that conviction. More:
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#BREAKING: We just filed a lawsuit to release 116 incarcerated New Yorkers at a high risk of COVID-19 from Rikers Island, other NYC jails. More: #FreeThemNow
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#BREAKING: We just filed a class action lawsuit against the de Blasio Administration for its failure to provide students who reside in City shelters access to reliable internet service so they can attend school remotely.
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#BREAKING: We are preparing a lawsuit against the City over its plan to force homeless NYers with disabilities from the Harmonia shelter in Manhattan to other facilities scattered around New York City that lack necessary services to accommodate their needs.
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“It’s the story of many other people, it’s not just my story,” Ms. Headley said in an interview. “My story is the only one that made it to the surface.” #JusticeForJazmine
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#WATCH how NYPD officers plant marijuana on unsuspecting New Yorkers to justify a stop and search. Judge Tamiko Amaker vacated Mr. Serrano’s conviction based on this egregiously unconstitutional conduct.
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#BREAKING: We are calling on the NYPD to fire officers Long and Saha for brutally attacking our client, Joseph. We also demand that the @ManhattanDA dismiss charges pending against him immediately in the interest of justice.
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Legal Aid analysis shows rampant NYPD misconduct continues to cost New Yorkers millions of dollars each year.
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BREAKING: We’re suing ICE for illegally arresting immigrants at courthouses across New York. In order for our judicial system—a pillar of our democracy—to operate effectively, it is fundamental that all immigrants have equal access to courts. #ICEOutofCourts
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#BREAKING: @NYC_DOI probe finds 'one-quarter' of @CorrectionNYC officers hired in 2016 had 'red flags,' should never have gotten jobs.
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#BREAKING: James Davis, our client who was wrongfully convicted in 2006 of murder, has been released from DOC custody. We now call on KCDA Eric Gonzalez to drop the remaining baseless charges against James so that he can move on with his life.
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“A rookie cop whose dad is an NYPD chief avoided getting fired after an off-duty arrest for groping a woman at an Atlantic City casino, police sources told the Daily News.”
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❗️Last night, @NYCMayor signed Executive Order 402, which will suspend critical protections of NY’s Right to Shelter laws, as well as tenant due process rights.❗️. We are currently evaluating order and considering all of our options, including litigation.
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#BREAKING: Families with children from a BK shelter are being forced to move - in the midst of a pandemic - just days away from the start of school. If these families are not provided ALL the accommodations that they deserve, we will sue the City.
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#BREAKING: The Legal Aid Society wins class action against DHS to preserve critical humanitarian relief for migrant youth fleeing abandonment, abuse, and neglect. More below:.
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#BREAKING: US Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit issued an order this morning denying the Trump Administration's request for a stay of our and @NewYorkStateAG's #PublicCharge preliminary injunctions. These two are the only two nationwide PIs still in effect.
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"Now, more than ever, with police violence raging unchecked in cities across the country, New York must live up to its progressive ideals by ending police secrecy." #Repeal50A.
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A persistent culture of impunity at @NYPDnews is costing New Yorkers millions. Newly released data reveal surging payouts in lawsuits alleging police officer misconduct.
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#BREAKING: We just secured a ruling which orders the Hochul Administration to reopen New York's Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) portal within three business days or by Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at the latest.
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“New York City taxpayers spent a whopping $230 million to pay off 6,472 lawsuits settled against the NYPD in the last fiscal year. ”
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#BREAKING: We just secured the release of eight pregnant women from NYS Bedford Prison. However, two more remain incarcerated at the facility. We demand their immediate release. Cc: @NYGovCuomo @NYSDOCCS
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"This budget deal is not a people’s victory. It’s a retreat into fear, with accounting gimmicks standing in for the real thing.".
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#BREAKING: A package of new City Council bills aims to make the NYPD’s disciplinary process more transparent — and to give prosecutors next-day access to arresting officers’ disciplinary records as they review criminal cases.
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#BREAKING: @NYGovCuomo plans to sign a bill that creates a watchdog commission over prosecutors, the first such panel in the U.S., according to people familiar with the matter.
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"Currently, there are 219,000 incarcerated women in prison, & 80% of those women are mothers. A reported 2.7 million children have an incarcerated parent in the US, & at least 10 million children have experienced parental incarceration in their lifetimes."
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“I’m tired of waiting. After four years of intense pain and suffering, my family deserves better — and so does all of New York City and people across the nation who protested and demanded justice for my son.” #EricGarner
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#BREAKING: #PabloVillavicencio has been ordered released from #ICE detention. #FamiliesBelongTogether Cc: @jaewilliams527 @Gregoire1125 @MaketheRoadNY
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#BREAKING: We just secured the release of 16 incarcerated NYers - clients held pretrial or on a technical parole violation at Rikers Island - who are especially vulnerable to COVID-19. #FreeThemNow.
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#BREAKING: A federal judge just issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from requiring asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while they await an immigration court hearing #NoBanNoWallNoRaids
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"When people have made mistakes and served their time, they've been rehabilitated, when they come back out they should be able to participate fully in our democracy. Serving on juries, being able to vote are all part of being citizens."
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We’re calling for an immediate moratorium on NYPD arrests. “We are in the midst of a pandemic and our last priority should be to cycle New Yorkers through our broken criminal justice system, separated from their families, communities, and quality services.”. More:
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NEW: Legal Aid analysis reveals high cost of NYPD misconduct. $631,268,818 since 2018 to be exact. If projections hold, 2024 will yield a $140,000,000 taxpayer bill, the largest in years. Imagine if this money went to community investments instead…. More:
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We’re devastated to lose Amy, who gave so much of herself to our clients, so selflessly. She was an inspiration to a generation of lawyers, and her passing is heartbreaking.
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The Black Journalists Therapy Relief Fund has helped 80 Black writers afford mental health treatment. DONATE TODAY so we can continue supporting reporters on the frontlines.
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#BREAKING: We just filed a notice of appeal for the emergency lawsuit brought this past week re: clients detained illegally by the NYPD in violation of New York’s 24 hour arrest-to-arraignment requirement. More:
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BREAKING NEWS: Legal Aid analysis exposes the astronomical costs of NYPD misconduct on New Yorkers. 🔎📈. Several settlements involve officers with a history of misconduct. NYPD culture is a threat to public safety and the people’s money. Read more….
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Xenophobic pleas to “close the border” have no place in NYC, let alone City Hall. Immigrants define New York City. We will always welcome, celebrate, and support any person seeking to start anew in our city, and no administration will undermine this long-standing commitment.
NEW: on possibility of right to shelter changing in NYC, chief advisor to @NYCMayor, Ingrid Lewis Martin says in the meantime “we need the federal government, the congress, the senate and the president to do their job, close the borders.” #PIXonPolitics @PIX11News
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“The only reason this woman is in a cage is that she can’t afford bail. And as soon as she’s in that cage, she’s at great risk for sexual assault, discrimination, and abuse. She’ll be separated from her family and taken from her job.”
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Let this sink in for a minute: "Since 2000, American police have killed at least 1,000 people with Tasers." Cc: @shaunking
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#BREAKING: Relatives of those who died at hands of police push for repeal of NYS law shielding release of cop disciplinary records #Repeal50A
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“In all, 89% of all New Yorkers arrested for smoking marijuana last year through Nov. 23 were either black or Hispanic, while just 7% were white, according to figures posted by the @CrimJusticeNYC.”
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#ICYMI: Also this past week, we secured Emmanuelle Cooper’s innocence, our client who was wrongfully convicted of a 1992 murder and spent the subsequent 27 years in NYS prison.
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***Legal Aid Condemns Governor Cuomo for Excluding Incarcerated New Yorkers from COVID Vaccine Distribution Plan, Despite Cases Spiking Across State***. More:
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#NYS has waited long enough to #RaiseTheAge. Put politics aside and prioritize families. 16 and 17-year-olds are not adults!.
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"This nightmare should not have lasted 52 days and it shouldn't last one more day," - @jaewilliams527 for @LegalAidNYC. #FreePablo
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"The problem with Rikers is Rikers. It's beyond reform, it's beyond repair, and the DOC's reign of terror has to come to an end."
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