Upon retrial, Hunt was offered a sentence of time served if he would admit guilt. Marijuana Legalization in New York is effective as of March 31, 2021. So its easy to sweep things under the rug, its easy to rubber stamp things., Sims was 24 when he was convicted. Alfonzo Riley, a paralegal in TheLegal Aid Societys Wrongful Conviction Unit, was recently profiled by The Appeal. Hale then obtained a material witness order for Graves fiance as well, even though she was never called to testify at trial. During trial, a state witness testified that police had coerced him into implicating Campos, that he had later recanted his statement to Hale, and that he had failed a lie detector test. Section II looks at the role cognitive biases play in wrongful convictions. Three weeks later, all his charges were dropped. Individuals who believe they qualify for clemency should apply online with the Governor's Office. Find job postings near you and 1-click apply! When he was convicted, she told New York Focus, she thought that was the end of my world.. Despite his obligation to correct false testimony by witnesses, Hale did not challenge Graves claims. 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 }}, {{ "How do I save resources on the app?" At trial, the States star witness was Graves, who testified that Sims had shot the victim. Sims also says he told all his appellate attorneys that he saw Graves commit the crime; his one surviving appellate attorney confirmed this to his current counsel. Anthony Sims case shows the conflict of interest inherent in Conviction Review Units led by former prosecutors, critics say. Read our cookies policies here. The gun used in the murder was kept in the apartment where Graves lived. All Rights Reserved. If you are looking to donate, get involved, or get assistance, find and connect to your local Network organization here. Although offered a scholarship to read engineering in the United States, he decided to take up medicine at University of . All Rights Reserved. Hammurabi's Law-"Eye for an eye mentality"-The king set clear laws to better govern his . 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 . After taking office in 2014, Thompson expanded the Conviction Review Unit, fulfilling a campaign promise and earning a wave of laudatory national media attention. The 378 cases mostly low-level drug and traffic offenses relied on the work of 13 police officers who were later convicted of crimes. New York Focus A 1990 graduate . On appeal, the conviction was overturned due to the wrongful admission of the interrogation. The police stated that if I do not appear tomorrow morning at the trial, they are going to release Anthony and charge me with the murder, he said in his 2002 affidavit. He served more than 25 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Of the Brooklyn cases, 331 were misdemeanor convictions and 47 were felonies. For some victims, the impact of the wrongful conviction may be comparable to or even worse than . The Legal Aid Society will be hosting its Wrongful Conviction Day event over Zoom on Oct. 6. | Brooklyn DA. Heres what you should know about the new sealing law and the sealing process. These convictions continue to hang around people and impact them in all kinds of ways, Mr. Gonzalez said. I expected the CRU to interview me, which would give me a chance to answer their questions and give a detailed account of seeing Julius shoot the victim., The CRU did not contact Sims to learn more about his claims. The expertise of renowned forensic scientists at the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science, with decades of experience in post-conviction work will enhance this collaboration. Quick hits with little oversight, said Charles Linehan, a former Manhattan prosecutor who has run the Brooklyn district attorneys conviction review unit since January. According to Sims and his attorneys, Hale committed additional misconduct when he failed to disclose that the Brooklyn DAs Office was paying for Graves and his family to enter a witness relocation program. I want to support him now because hes another one of the many individuals thats in there for something he didnt do, said Cooper. | translate }}, {{ "Why should I sign up for an account?" 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. The Wrongful Conviction Unit. Thirty-four of those cases were linked to Detective Kevin Desormeau, who was convicted in 2018 for lying about an alleged cocaine sale in Jamaica, Queens. In 2013, controversy over Hynes tactics helped Kenneth Thompson defeat Hynes. 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 correctional . They rejected him. After his testimony, however, the Brooklyn DAs office dropped the violation of probation. Before the murder, he said, I had everything going for me., I remember looking forward to coming home because my sons would hear me in a hallway, he said. . Each summer the WCU will host two CUNY Law students who will receive paid public interest internships. After three days of deliberations, the jury sent a note to the court saying that they were deadlocked. 2023 New York Public Radio. Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Interpreter Must Show Evidence of Fees in Same Geographic Area. 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. When a crime occurs, the person is considered a danger to society. Admission & Aid Overview; Undergraduate Admission; Under New Yorks 2021 legalization law, several old and new penal law marijuana convictions will be automatically expunged. The next day, the jury acquitted Sims of intentional murder and convicted him of depraved indifference murder. When he was convicted, she told New York Focus, she thought that was the end of my world., In 2013, controversy over Hynes tactics helped Kenneth Thompson defeat Hynes. SCOTUS Rejects J&J's Appeal of $302M Deceptive Marketing Penalty. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 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 The Legal Aid Society. wcu@legal-aid.org. Then, he was unmasked as a quack. matter, or that someone stop behaving in a way that interferes with another . Students in the Defenders Clinic advocate for transformative justice in the face of mass incarceration. Sims and Kisha divorced in 2018, but say they have remained close friends. 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 reported in May. No physical evidence linked Sims to the crime. It was founded in 2012 in conjunction with the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law. Keith Brown makes $142,000 representing his Long Island district and about half a million representing corporate real estate interests. An early example is the potential wrongful conviction and execution of Patrick Whelan for the 1868 murder of one of the "Fathers of Confederation," Thomas D'Arcy McGee. At the time, all we knew was that he had been forced to give up his green card. As a result, the Unit has been able to take on more clients, reinvestigate their cases and advocate for their exoneration and release. To find out if The Exploitation Intervention Project is able to assist you in having your trafficking-related convictions vacated and the records sealed, contact Leigh Latimer at 646-385-5025 or lelatimer@legal-aid.org. In the Clinics Second Look Project: Beyond Guilt, students work diligently on parole and clemency cases to locate and review court documents and records, re-investigate cases, and prepare motions and advocacy petitions. Units 1 and 2- Heritage and Rights and Freedoms Types of public and private law categories Public: Criminal, Consitiutional, Adminastrative Private: Tort, Labour, Family, Property, Contract, Early history of law - who the people were (Hammurabi, Moses etc. pay $21,500 to each of hundreds of demonstrators, shows that the Police Department paid $121 million. It has assisted 75 people with parole and clemency applications of which 25 are now home. 5 The National Registry of Exonerations, "Exonerations in 2018" (Apr. Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2023. Juvenile Rights Practice Entry Level Staff Attorney- Fall 2023. You will get this benefit if you were convicted of possessing up to 16 oz or selling up to 25 grams. Campos was convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life. 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., In Sims 2016 letter to the CRUwhich he wrote himself, without legal counselhe said that he was innocent and included Graves recantation, but did not say he had witnessed Graves kill the victim. I. Read More. The collaboration between the Defenders Clinic and The Legal Aid Societys Wrongful Conviction Unit will help the next generation of social justice attorneys develop vital lawyering skills while increasing access to post-conviction legal representation. They almost do more damage in terms of eroding peoples trust and confidence in the system.. Mr. Bowens, now 56, was the central police officer in 134 of the cases that the Brooklyn prosecutors aim to dismiss. The Legal Aid Society is built upon one simple but powerful belief that no New Yorker should be denied the right to equal justice. The loss of that evidence could affect cases and people The Legal Aid Society represents who may have been wrongly convicted. To Jabbar Collins, that conflict of interest makes it imperative that a CRU is led by someone outside the office. 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. Visit website. 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. 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. At The Legal Aid Society our Civil, Criminal Defense, Juvenile Rights, and Pro Bono practices work tirelessly in and out of thecourtroom to defend our clients and dismantle the hidden, systemic barriers that can prevent them from thriving in New York City. 2023 The Legal Aid Society. The NYC health commissioner explains how City Hall plans to support supervised injection sites and other portions of a new initiative to reduce overdose deaths 15% by 2025. After taking office in 2014, Thompson expanded the Conviction Review Unit, fulfilling a. people from across the country. Try our guided search" | translate }}, {{ 'Get the free One Degree App' | translate }}, {{ 'Use our apps to find and save resources 24/7' | translate }}, {{existingAffiliation.organization_name}}. 2023 The Legal Aid Society. Browse Resources . Our goal is to get them each to agree to vacate our clients convictions most of whom are serving life sentences. Hes now 46. Seven have been exonerated since his first term began in November 2017, but two others were exonerated while Gonzalez was acting DA. Two additional witnesses did not identify Cooper from a photo array. Content may not be reproduced without permission. Tenant/landlord issues. Prior to joining the Legal Aid Society, Sherry was Of Counsel Bashian P.C. Inside the restaurant, Sims says he saw Graves take out a small shotgun, point it at the cashier, Li Run Chen, and shoot. The project team will then locate and test evidence. When a wrongfully convicted individual is exonerated, the original crime victim may experience feelings of guilt, fear, helplessness, devastation and depression. 199 Water Street Identifying and understanding the causes of wrongful convictions is critical to maintaining the integrity of our justice system. 5. Legal Services NYC. After being in prison for three decades, he was finally granted clemency and released in early 2019. In the year following Sims trial, Graves and his family received more than $22,000. The new head of Brooklyns Conviction Review Unit should be someone with no prior connection to the office, in order to avoid any conflicts of loyalty or unconscious bias, Felber told New York Focus in a statement. Mr. Franco, who was fired by the Police Department, is awaiting trial in Manhattan. The CRU will contact the convicted . All Rights Reserved, Wrongful Convictions, Appeals, Clemency & Sealing, Empowering People with Disability & Health Issues, Lifting the Voices of Children & Adolescents, Supporting Survivors of Violence & Navigating Divorce, Alfonzo Riley Uses His Second Chance to Seek Clemency for Others. Legal Aid Society Wrongful Conviction Unit, Iowa State Public Defender Wrongful Conviction Division. 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. (formerly Bashian & Farber, LLP), from November 2017 to September 2019, where she practiced criminal defense, general civil litigation and trusts & estates. "Most of our cases are 20 to 30 years old and the DNA technology has . 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. 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 . Or email: wcu@legal-aid.org. The Legal Aid Society can assist with wrongful convictions, applications for commutation and pardon, and the sealing of past criminal records. The WCU is also currently collaborating with private firms and criminal justice advocates, such as Jeffrey Deskovic and Derrick Hamilton. In response to that request, Katz, who formed a conviction integrity unit when she took office as district attorney last year, launched a review and found that 10 of the 22 flagged officers had contributed to convictions in Queens. Iowa State Public Defender Wrongful Conviction Division Des Moines, IA. The concerns over his cases sparked the broader review in Brooklyn, as prosecutors began to examine past cases handled by other officers who were similarly charged and convicted of misconduct that was directly related to their jobs. Today, DNA testing has developed to a point where reinvestigation, reanalysis, or retesting of biological evidence can help prove innocence. ), what are the main parts of each system? Record Sealing From 2014 until Thompsons death in the fall of 2016, Brooklyns unit exonerated 21 people. After taking office in 2014, Thompson expanded the Conviction Review Unit, . September 16, 2020 / David Brand / Communities, . If you are seeking legal assistance for yourself or a loved one, we encourage you to read through our FAQs and reach out to your local Network organization. Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering (Warren L. McCabe; Julian C. Smith; Peter Harriott) . The site contains instructions and forms for applying for commutations and pardons. Pro Bono Scholar, Wrongful Conviction Unit The Legal Aid Society Feb 2023 - Present 1 month. 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 The lawsuit, against the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB), the New York State Department of Homes and Community Renewal (DHCR), and individual landlords, now includes . Since 2015, the DNA Unit of the Legal Aid Society in New York City has held an annual, two-day forensic conference for defense attorneys called Questioning Forensics. 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 . The collaboration between the Defenders Clinic and The Legal Aid Society's Wrongful Conviction Unit will help the next generation of social justice attorneys develop vital lawyering skills while increasing access to post-conviction legal representation. This case presents a number of disputed factual and legal issues which are appropriately resolved in a court of law and not in the media, the statement said. So, I appeared the next day and did whatever it was they wanted.. Alfonzo Riley, pictured above, worked with the Defenders Clinic on his clemency application; he was granted clemency from Governor Cuomo in 2018 after 30 years in prison. The expungements are the result of a campaign by the Legal Aid Society, the Exoneration Project, and other organizations focused on overturning wrongful convictions, which asked prosecutors across the city in May to investigate cases involving 22 NYPD officers who were convicted of crimes at some point in their careers. Each of the NYC DA offices are currently reinvestigating our cases. Speakers have ranged from scientists and academics to practicing attorneys. A jury of my peers found me guilty with the evidence that was presented to them and not the true facts., At the time, his sons were 4 and 5-years-old. In January of 2021, two attorneys joined the WCU: CUNY Law alum Antonia Codling 90 and Christine Bella. The Legal Aid Society's Parole Revocation Defense Unit has an immediate opening for a Staff Attorney. Extra Extra: Did someone shortchange this East Hampton 'honor-system' egg stand? Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily. We are excited that this collaboration with the Wrongful Conviction Unit will provide more access to legal advocacy for incarcerated New Yorkers, while also growing CUNY Laws relationship with the Legal Aid Society, one of our closest partners, said Nicole Smith Futrell, Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Defenders Clinic. The justice system can be overwhelming. The Wrongful Conviction Unit continues to grow in size and outreach since its inception in 2019. 5 Legal arrangements have come into existence with the need for protecting the human honour. 2023 The Legal Aid Society. In 2016, Sims wrote a letter to the Brooklyn DAs conviction review unit, or CRU, asking them to investigate his case. Our services focus on providing support to survivors as they re-build after abuse. . It will be held in-person in NYC on March 23 and 24 at the City of New York Law School in Queens, New York (CUNY). Emily Niedzwiecki. All Rights Reserved, Wrongful Convictions, Appeals, Clemency & Sealing, Empowering People with Disability & Health Issues, Lifting the Voices of Children & Adolescents, Supporting Survivors of Violence & Navigating Divorce, Discrimination Based on Arrest & Conviction Records, What You Need to Know About Marijuana Legalization in New York, What You Need to Know About Marijuana Expungement, What You Need to Know About Loitering & Prostitution Records, What You Need to Know About Sealing Your Criminal Convictions, What You Need to Know After Your Convictions Have Been Sealed, What You Need to Know About Discrimination Based on Arrest and Conviction Records. Whether it be financially or safety, they are putting themselves in a position of mistrust. They cannot be made over the phone. 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. Myself and a multidisciplinary team of students reviewed criminal cases in Western Australia for possible wrongful conviction. 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. but that police had threatened to charge him with Chens murder unless he testified against Sims. A hearing before Chun is scheduled for next month. How can I contact you?" Update (9/4): This article previously stated that the Brooklyn CRU exonerated seven people during DA Gonzalezs current tenure. Mr. Danese was convicted of disorderly conduct in 2009 after he arrested a teenage boy on Halloween and abandoned him half-naked in a desolate Staten Island marsh. The Legal Aid Society, one member of the 2021 group, urged the city's district attorneys to continue reviewing potentially wrongful convictions "on an ongoing basis and with full transparency . How did it get to that point? Riley also believes that there are many others who deserve the second chance that he received. . Alfonzo Riley, a paralegal in The Legal Aid Society's Wrongful Conviction Unit, was recently profiled by The Appeal.. Riley was incarcerated for his role in a 1988 drug deal that ended in a homicide. But this is not enough to protect an applicant to the CRU from an inherent conflict of interest, said Collins, who met Sims twenty-five years ago while they were both incarcerated in New York. Cooper said he felt he could not have the CRU review his case when Hale was running it. 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. In certain cases, video As a result of harmful changes to immigration law and policy, Legal Aids clients are increasingly unable to access justice before the USCIS and the immigration courts. This article has also been updated to clarify that the CRU also moved to vacate 90 convictions based on the testimony of disgraced NYPD narcotics detective Joseph Franco. Freeing the innocent and preventing wrongful convictions worldwide. . Graves only agreed to testify after his fiance was arrested, according to a statement he gave in 2002, which he has since recanted. The article has been updated to account for the one exoneration produced in that year. New York, NY 10038. Previously a reporter for Courthouse News, he has appeared as a guest on NewsNation, NBC, MSNBC, CBS's "Inside Edition," BBC, NPR, PBS, Sky News, and other . He said he forgave him years ago, during a family visit. Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island Trial Offices, the Homicide Defense Task Force Unit, Wrongful Conviction Unit, Parole Revocation Unit, and the Criminal Appeals Bureau. Nobody is currently incarcerated as a result of these convictions, and none of the 13 officers involved in the cases remain on the force. Hale was the trial prosecutor. These positions require . Legal Aid Society Wrongful Conviction Unit New York, NY. Wrongful conviction lawyers have submitted the case to the Queens DA's Conviction Integrity Unit. 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. PHOTO CREDIT: Eagle Photo by Noah Goldberg. All rights reserved. About Us. The Clinic has had tremendous success in securing parole release and sentence commutation. Brooklyn Prosecutors Seek to Throw Out Scores of Convictions, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/07/nyregion/brooklyn-prosecutors-convictions.html. 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.