The Wrongful Conviction Unit continues to grow in size and outreach since its inception in 2019. Address. Professors and Defenders Clinic Co-Directors Steve Zeidman (left) and Nicole Smith-Futrell (right) discuss their work on clemency. If you are innocent and have exhausted all appeals for a conviction in New York City, write to The Wrongful Conviction Unit and request our questionnaire to be considered for representation: The Wrongful Conviction Unit 2023 The Legal Aid Society. At the time, all we knew was that he had been forced to give up his green card. Founded in 1876, the Society provides a full range of civil legal services as w. Admission & Aid Overview; Undergraduate Admission; Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez is searching for a replacement for Hale, and defenders are urging him to hire someone from outside the DAs office to lead the unit. Miscarriages of Justice: A Symposium on New Strategies for Wrongful Update (9/4): This article previously stated that the Brooklyn CRU exonerated seven people during DA Gonzalezs current tenure. While working to seek exoneration of our clients, we have successfully advocated for the release of incarcerated clients who have gone before the parole board but maintained their innocence. It's the daily routine for Elizabeth Felber, Alfonzo Riley and Thomas McCall the trio that runs the Legal Aid Society's new Wrongful Conviction Unit, a small new bureau for New York City . If you are looking to donate, get involved, or get assistance, find and connect to your local Network organization here. Sims experience wasnt an aberration. Suite 111 530 West New York Street . But at trial, Sims defense counsel said that Graves, not Sims, was the perpetrator. Graves testimony was essential for the prosecutions case. Hochul Projects Horse Racing Renaissance, Declines to Share Evidence. The grant will be managed by the Research Foundation of CUNY. Conviction Review Unit. The Cop Accountability Project (CAP) of the Criminal Defense Practices Law Reform and Special Litigation Unit empowers organizations and communities across New York City to hold police accountable for human rights violations. 2023 Indianapolis, IN 46202. Despite his obligation to correct false testimony by witnesses, Hale did not challenge Graves claims. Ideally, the new head should have criminal defense experience, to be able to bring a fresh perspective to the unit.. The audience is typically ~100-200 defense attorneys from around the United States. 4 The National Registry of Exonerations, "Basic Patterns" (Nov. 2016). Eric Gonzalez, right, the Brooklyn district attorney, in 2020. The total is expected to rise to 496. Although he did not pull the trigger and was actually nowhere near the shooting, he was charged under New York's controversial felony murder law and sentenced to 71 years to life. In April 2021, Mr. Gonzalez asked the court to dismiss 90 convictions involving Mr. Franco. I always just wanted to run in the back and just run with my dad and just hide, like, Dad, Im staying with you, Anthony Sims Jr., now 27, told New York Focus. A conviction may be classified as wrongful for two reasons: Michael Pep's email & phone number - CEO at The Legal Aid Society Alfonzo Riley, a paralegal in TheLegal Aid Societys Wrongful Conviction Unit, was recently profiled by The Appeal. There are many more men and women incarcerated in New York who I believe deserve clemency and who have moved toward transforming their lives from whatever moment or mistake that led to their incarceration, Riley said. Conference themes in the past have included how to litigate a forensic DNA case, the PCAST report, and the NIST Mixture Foundation Review. Founded in 1876, the Society provides a full range of civil legal services as well as criminal defense work, and juvenile rights representation in . Brooklyn Prosecutors Seek to Throw Out Scores of Convictions, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/07/nyregion/brooklyn-prosecutors-convictions.html. The loss of that evidence could affect cases and people The Legal Aid Society represents who may have been wrongly convicted. Emily Niedzwiecki. He previously worked for WNYC and Gothamist, and has published stories with NPR, ProPublica, Esquire, and The Intercept among other outlets. Last spring, several defense and civil rights organizations sent a letter to the citys five district attorneys and the special narcotics prosecutor, identifying 20 police officers who had been convicted of crimes and two others who had engaged in work-related misconduct. Jobs; Salaries; Messages; Profile; . c/o The Legal Aid Society Additionally, each year, the Defenders Clinic hosts an experienced attorney on leave from The Legal Aid Society as a Fellow and Supervising Attorney. George covers Brooklyn for THE CITY with a focus on criminal justice and housing. The Legal Aid Society's Parole Revocation Defense Unit has an immediate opening for a Staff Attorney. 2023 The Legal Aid Society. Inside the restaurant, Sims says he saw Graves take out a small shotgun, point it at the cashier, Li Run Chen, and shoot. Elizabeth Felber, supervising attorney for the Legal Aid Societys Wrongful Conviction Unit, said she hopes the next head of the unit, Hales replacement, comes from the defense community, as has been the practice in other jurisdictions in New York, such as Queens and Westchester. Under New Yorks 2021 legalization law, several old and new penal law marijuana convictions will be automatically expunged. Elizabeth Felber, a supervising attorney at the Legal Aid Societys wrongful convictions unit, thanked Katz, who is the first District Attorney in the city to seek to overturn convictions in response to the mass exoneration campaign Felbers organization helped spearhead.Felber also directly addressed the 60 people who had their convictions purged, some of whom she said served prison sentences, lost jobs, and had licenses suspended as a result. The Wrongful Conviction Unit was created to address the population of prisoners who have exhausted all possible avenues of defense and are still fighting for their freedom. Elizabeth Felber, supervising attorney with the wrongful conviction unit at the Legal Aid Society a lawyers organization that represents 11 defendants whose cases will be vacated and dismissed this week noted several collateral consequences of the convictions: loss of public housing, barriers to employment, and deportation. Innocence Network Earlier this year, Graves told the Daily News that Sims killed the victim. The Defenders Clinic is on a mission to loosen the crushing hold of incarceration and criminalization in New York State by educating law students to be tireless and skilled criminal legal advocates. New York, NY 10038. But Graves 2002 statement said that he did not see who shot the victim and did not know who did, but that police had threatened to charge him with Chens murder unless he testified against Sims. Iowa State Public Defender Wrongful Conviction Division Des Moines, IA. Lawyers, scientists, and policy advocates speak on topics of interest to the defense communityeverything to basics of DNA transfer to Bayesian networks, to cross examination techniques to litigating trade secrets. Criminal Defense Practice Investigative Intern - Summer 2023 Sims request to the CRU did not present any of the new claims that his attorneys have included in the current petition to vacate Sims conviction, including evidence of Hales misconduct and eyewitness testimony that Graves was the shooter. Clemency. Visit Us. All members of the Legal Aid community have a shared responsibility to support and comply with policies and protocols to protect the health and safety of our . Sims trial counsel has since died. Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member and writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Queens DA Melinda Katz Moves To Expunge 60 Convictions Linked To Corrupt NYPD Officers, We rely on your support to make local news available to all, Overdose prevention centers save lives but remain in legal limbo, as NYC moves toward expansion, Overdoses of two men leaving Manhattan gay bars last spring found to be homicides, A man is dead after an encounter with police in New Jersey, Suspect arrested in connection with NJ State Trooper shot in leg. The move is part of an expansive effort by prosecutors across the city to review cases, even decades old, that involved discredited police officers. Defense attorneys point to Hales control of the unit as a key reason for the slow pace of exonerations, New York Focus and The Appeal. DECISION AND ORDER BRENDA K. SANNES Chief District Judge. Chao Tzee Cheng - Wikipedia September 16, 2020 / David Brand / Communities, . Help us raise awareness about the causes, costs, and remedies of wrongful conviction each year on October 2. t the time, his sons were 4 and 5-years-old. Each summer the WCU will host two CUNY Law students who will receive paid public interest internships. Section II looks at the role cognitive biases play in wrongful convictions. These convictions continue to hang around people and impact them in all kinds of ways, Mr. Gonzalez said. CAB also prepares pardon applications for clients who have rehabilitated themselves but are facing deportation. To Jabbar Collins, that conflict of interest makes it imperative that a CRU is led by someone outside the office. The Exploitation Intervention Project works with trafficking survivors to help them vacate criminal convictions related to their trafficking and seal the records of those arrests. | translate }}, {{ 'Find and save resources 24/7 from anywhere' | translate }}, {{ 'Get the free One Degree App. These positions require . Elizabeth Felber, director of the Wrongful Conviction Unit at The Legal Aid Society, said the people whose cases were tossed endured "hardships that should have never been allowed to happen . Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily. 5 of the Worst Wrongful Convictions - Criminal Element Nearly 75% of Defender Clinic students intern at The Legal Aid Society. Emergency services Emergency financial assistance Medical emergency Mental health emergency . At the Legal Aid Society, Riley is part of a team that reviews claims of innocence, working to help to those who were wrongfully convicted achieve the vindication they seek and deserve. The mission of the Wrongful Conviction Division is to identify and litigate claims of actual innocence in post-conviction proceedings. ), what are the main parts of each system? The Legal Aid Society is among the first state public defender organizations working in-house to explore our clients lives through video to convey their character, aspirations, traumas, difficulties, and often, transformation. Collins was wrongfully convicted in 1995 in Brooklyn; his own investigation led to his exoneration in 2010. Today, DNA testing has developed to a point where reinvestigation, reanalysis, or retesting of biological evidence can help prove innocence. By the numbers, there are 39,683 incarcerated persons in New York State prisons with many of them serving lengthy prison sentences. PHOTO CREDIT: Eagle Photo by Noah Goldberg. The strength of our criminal justice system depends on its accuracy its ability to convict the guilty and to clear the innocent. Another 20 were tossed because they hinged on the work of Detective Sasha Cordoba, who pleaded guilty in 2018 after prosecutors found she made repeated false statements in a gun possession case in Washington Heights in Manhattan. New York, New York, United States . Clemency Strong legal professional with a . Wrongful Convictions, Appeals, Clemency & Sealing, Empowering People with Disability & Health Issues, Lifting the Voices of Children & Adolescents, Supporting Survivors of Violence & Navigating Divorce. Collins was wrongfully convicted in 1995 in Brooklyn; his. | translate }}, {{ "Is One Degree free? 9, 2019). Wrongful Convictions | National Institute of Justice So, I appeared the next day and did whatever it was they wanted.. In April, the CRU also moved to vacate 90 convictions based on the testimony of disgraced NYPD narcotics detective Joseph Franco. Zlib - n/a - Index 463 contract of employment (continued) inducing or Provided at no cost, it protects those who do not have the means to defend their rights in the criminal justice system: the detained, arrested or imprisoned; those suspected, accused of, or charged with a criminal offence; and victims . Requests for review must be done by letter or email. Legal Aid has secured a group discount at Aloft Long Island City. Many of the other officers had been convicted of crimes like perjury, disorderly conduct or civil liberties violations, including Oscar Sandino who pleaded guilty to forcing a woman he arrested to perform oral sex on him in a Queens police precinct bathroom in 2008. Public defenders and advocates for criminal justice reform say Sims case highlights an inherent problem with the Brooklyn CRU and similar conviction review units in DAs offices across the country, in which prosecutors serve as the gatekeepers for potentially innocent people seeking to overturn convictions that resulted from their own misconduct. 8th Annual Questioning Forensics Conference - legalaidnyc.org The Legal Aid Society will be hosting its Wrongful Conviction Day event over Zoom on Oct. 6. Quick hits with little oversight, said Charles Linehan, a former Manhattan prosecutor who has run the Brooklyn district attorneys conviction review unit since January. Include a mailing address for the CRU to contact the convicted person or their attorney. Her proof: an industry-commissioned study that she refuses to release. Rarely did any of the 167 inmates he testified against escape the death penalty. To me that's just an inherent dual loyalty," said Elizabeth Felber, a supervising attorney at the Legal Aid Society's wrongful conviction unit. Legal Aid: NYPD must account for evidence destroyed in fire From 1990 to 2013, the Brooklyn DAs office was run by Charles Hynes, under whom more than 100 people were wrongfully convicted, in some cases serving decades in prison before being exonerated. About | The Legal Aid Society Of Westchester County Dr. James Grigson: The Man Called "Doctor Death" - Soapboxie It was at that point, I forgave him, said Sims. Nobody is currently incarcerated as a result of these convictions, and none of the 13 officers involved in the cases remain on the force. In another case, Hale prosecuted Vladymir Campos, 22, for the 1997 murder of 16-year-old Felix Gonzalez. The Wrongful Conviction Unit continues to grow in size and outreach since its inception in 2019. Visit website. Riley also believes that there are many others who deserve the second chance that he received. CRUs are tasked with investigating convictions secured by their own officeoften the colleagues, friends and supervisors of CRU staff. | translate }}, {{ "I still have a question. Hes now 46. Supervising Attorney - Wrongful Conviction Unit at The Legal Aid Society Sidwell Friends High School, Northwestern University, Benjamin Cardozo School of Law View profile View profile badges In 2016, Sims wrote a letter to the Brooklyn DAs conviction review unit, or CRU, asking them to investigate his case. The 378 cases mostly low-level drug and traffic offenses relied on the work of 13 police officers who were later convicted of crimes. In fact, Hale told the jury during closing arguments: Now you heard the summation of the defense Mr. Tims [Sim defense attorney] wants you to believe that Julius Graves is the perpetrator of this crime.. Provided direct support to NYC Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner - former long-time attorney-in-chief of NYC Legal Aid Society - including assisting with City Hall and senior staff . I know in my heart and God knows that I am not capable of what I was convicted of, Sims said, according to a court transcript. The office spent 10 months reviewing every Brooklyn conviction in which the 13 former officers were involved, flagging for dismissal cases in which they served as the primary witnesses. He did so much damage to everybody., After dismissing the charges against Cooper, Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Ruth Shillingford called for an independent investigation into the circumstances that led to his wrongful conviction, saying, There has got to be an evaluation of what happened in every case. He and Graves then ran out of the restaurant. It is my belief Mr. Graves will indicate he in fact saw the defendant shoot and kill the deceased in this case. The site contains instructions and forms for applying for commutations and pardons. It has assisted 75 people with parole and clemency applications of which 25 are now home. The U.S. Department of Justice has granted CUNY School of Law, in partnership with The Legal Aid Society, nearly $500,000 to establish a project that will review and litigate select wrongful conviction claims of New Yorkers incarcerated in state prisons. More than half of wrongful convictions can be traced to witnesses who lied in court or made false accusations. {{ "Empowering you to find what you need" | translate }}, {{ "It's always 100% free" | translate }}, {{ 'Search for resources' | translate }} >, {{ 'Learn how to use One Degree' | translate }} >, {{ "One Degree amplifies your work" | translate }}, {{ "View tools & resources" | translate }} >, {{ "We're a 501(c)(3) technology-driven non-profit" | translate }}, {{ 'Learn more about us' | translate }} >, {{ 'Learn about our impact' | translate }} >, {{ 'How do I search for resources on the One Degree app?' A PRDU Staff Attorney represents clients accused of violating their conditions of release at administrative parole revocation hearings and recognizance hearings held in the criminal courts, federal detention facilities, hospital prison wards and, where applicable, local . Legal Aid Society Wrongful Conviction Unit New York, NY. Visit Our Campus Discovering our campus is a breeze, whether you're a high-schooler thinking about attending DU, an admitted student learning your way around, or a teacher or counselor setting up a group visit. Sims said he told his trial counsel that he saw Graves commit the crime and asked to testify, but that the lawyer advised him not to testify. Chao Tzee Cheng was the son of a professor in cultural studies and a school principal.Of Cantonese origin, he later migrated to Singapore with his parents and received his education at Catholic High School and Victoria Continuation School.