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. Enough is Enough: Combating Sexual Misconduct | Notice of Non-Discrimination | Legal Notices | CUNY Copyright | Text Only View | 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. But we know that wrongful convictions happen. George covers Brooklyn for THE CITY with a focus on criminal justice and housing. Read More. Eric Gonzalez, right, the Brooklyn district attorney, in 2020. Please register prior to March 10th. Legal Aid Society Wrongful Conviction Unit. 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. In that case, officers were found to have planted evidence, falsified records and rewarded informants with drugs. Two men who died of drug overdoses after leaving Manhattan gay bars last spring died by homicide, according to findings from New York Citys chief medical examiner. Anthony should not have to suffer further years in prison while a hearing and likely appeal wend their way through the legal system even as prosecutors possess evidence showing that Anthony belongs home today with his wife and kids.. The group Families of the Wrongfully Convicted, along with lawyers from the Legal Aid Society, argued that the Conviction Review Unit established in 2014 under the late Brooklyn DA Kenneth . However, three days into the trial, Hale told the judge that Graves was nowhere to be found and asked for a material witness order, which allows law enforcement to take a witness into custody to ensure that they appear in court. With a backlog of 100+ potential clients, The Legal Aid Society will hire a Post-Graduate Fellow to work on the project, and the Defenders Clinic will add a paralegal. Campos was convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life. Join us April 14-15, 2023 in Phoenix, AZ for two days of powerful plenary and breakout sessions. The Legal Aid Society's Wrongful Conviction Unit represents those wrongfully committed once all appeals have been exhausted. 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. Legal Aid has secured a group discount at Aloft Long Island City. The Legal Aid Society will be hosting its Wrongful Conviction Day event over Zoom on Oct. 6. 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. Hale was the trial prosecutor. His then-wife, Kisha Sims, said she expected that he would be acquitted and had been planning a coming home party for him. Sims with his sons, Antoine and Anthony Jr., in 2015 | Keisha Sims. White Plains, NY 10601. This is a very important role; the work of this committee is of extraordinary importance, not just to the Muslim community, but to all communities in New York. Apparently the quickest way to corral the populace into *smart cities* with relentless surveillance is to SCOTUS Rejects J&J's Appeal of $302M Deceptive Marketing Penalty. As deputy chief of the homicide bureau under Hynes, Hale participated in an office-wide practice of deceiving judges in criminal cases, witness coercion, and intentional suppression of evidence, according to a federal lawsuit recently filed by exoneree Emmanuel Cooper. The site contains instructions and forms for applying for commutations and pardons. Although offered a scholarship to read engineering in the United States, he decided to take up medicine at University of . 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. 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 . but did not discuss the year that she supervised the Conviction Review Unit before the Bureau was created. For some victims, the impact of the wrongful conviction may be comparable to or even worse than . Legal Aid Society . At the time, all we knew was that he had been forced to give up his green card. He served more than 25 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Iowa State Public Defender Wrongful Conviction Division Des Moines, IA. The Clinic frequently works with the Criminal Trials, Appeals and Case Closed units of The Legal Aid Society. Cooper was imprisoned for the 1992 murder of a subway token clerk. If you are looking to donate, get involved, or get assistance, find and connect to your local Network organization here. The woman had told the authorities that Mr. Sandino warned that she would go to jail and lose custody of her children if she refused. 199 Water Street. Beginning in 2021, the NYC District Attorneys offices have begun dismissing our clients cases where the officers involved in the prosecution were convicted of crimes relating to corruption. Two Legal Aid attorneys are also vital members of the Defenders Clinic team: Erin R. Tomlinson 10 as a Fellow and Visiting Attorney, and Bahar Ansari 06 as an adjunct professor. Legal Services NYC Website. They dont want to hurt their friends or make their friends look bad. | translate }}, {{ "How do I add all the resources in my area?" The Legal Aid Society 4.3. 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. Quick hits with little oversight, said Charles Linehan, a former Manhattan prosecutor who has run the Brooklyn district attorneys conviction review unit since January. At the Legal Aid Society of Westchester County, Sherry concentrates her practice on Criminal Defense. 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. Nearly 75% of Defender Clinic students intern at The Legal Aid Society. To me that's just an inherent dual loyalty," said Elizabeth Felber, a supervising attorney at the Legal Aid Society's wrongful conviction unit. Conviction review units have exonerated more than 500 people from across the country. Phone. When Anthony Jr. was about eight years old, Sims recalled, he told his father that he would get Graves for what he had done. Mark Hale, right, was chief of the Brooklyn District Attorneys Conviction Review Unit from 2014 until his retirement in 2021. Even if he was not part of the review process, youre still asking a subordinate to make a finding about his superior., Conviction review units, said Sims, should not even be housed in prosecutors offices. Civil law is the law that controls non-criminal issues.Civil lawsuits generally do not result in jail time or "punishment." Instead, the outcome of a civil case is usually an order from a judge that one person pay another person money to make up for harm that they caused, handling a family law (custody, divorce, etc.) I believe that many of them are not the same people that they were when whatever offense was committed, and theyre deserving of clemency as well.. More than half of wrongful convictions can be traced to witnesses who lied in court or made false accusations. The Legal Aid Society's Parole Revocation Defense Unit has an immediate opening for a Staff Attorney. 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 . Legal Aid Society (1) The Legal Aid Society (1) Get fresh Wrongful Conviction jobs daily straight to your inbox! For Elizabeth Felber, the director of the Legal Aid Society's Wrongful Conviction Unit, . Each summer the WCU will host two CUNY Law students who will receive paid public interest internships. Wrongful convictions have likely always been present in Canada's criminal justice system to some degree. Extra Extra: Did someone shortchange this East Hampton 'honor-system' egg stand? DNA; Non-DNA; 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. Their scientists will collaborate with the Delivering Justice Project to determine the most appropriate DNA testing and analysis. NYS Attorney Elizabeth Sack Felber The Legal Aid Society 199 Water St, New York, NY . Mr. Franco, who was fired by the Police Department, is awaiting trial in Manhattan. Defendants offered guilty pleas in 34 exonerations and gave false confessions in 24 cases. 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 . Name: The Legal Aid Society; Industry: Legal Practice; Location: New York, NY, United States; Employees: 1000-5000 Description: The Legal Aid Society is the nation's oldest and largest provider of legal services to the indigent. To Jabbar Collins, that conflict of interest makes it imperative that a CRU is led by someone outside the office. he did not see who shot the victim and did not know who did. Indianapolis, IN 46202. Tenant/landlord issues. After taking office in 2014, Thompson expanded the Conviction Review Unit, fulfilling a. people from across the country. Convicted but innocent: wrongful conviction and . Keith Brown makes $142,000 representing his Long Island district and about half a million representing corporate real estate interests. The Wrongful Conviction Unit continues to grow in size and outreach since its inception in 2019. It reflects a broader push to scrutinize police testimony and a recognition of the catastrophic effects that even misdemeanor convictions can have on people. 2023 The Legal Aid Society. In court filings and statements to the media, the Brooklyn DAs office has said Hale recused himself from reviewing Sims case. But the CRUs preliminary review may have been undermined by a fundamental conflict of interest: Mark Hale, who led the unit from its creation in January 2014 until July of this year, was the lead prosecutor in Sims murder trial. I think thats a farce, said Collins. WCU hears directly from incarcerated persons seeking help, many have been in prison for over 20 years, and in many cases, evidence was collected but never tested. While it may not undo the harm caused to you. 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. On Wednesday, Eric Gonzalez, the district attorney in Brooklyn, asked a state judge to vacate the first 15 convictions under his purview, all of which involved felonies and several of which resulted in prison time, according to the prosecutors office and the Legal Aid Society. About Us. New York Focus 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. Pro Bono Scholar, Wrongful Conviction Unit at The Legal Aid Society Our work Our Family Law and Domestic Violence Practice provides legal services to survivors of domestic violence throughout New York City. (formerly Bashian & Farber, LLP), from November 2017 to September 2019, where she practiced criminal defense, general civil litigation and trusts & estates. How did it get to that point? Find job opportunities near you and apply! 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. Find job postings near you and 1-click apply! 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. His testimony was key in 43 of the cases on the Brooklyn list. A new head of the unit, Sims and his attorneys hope, will give his case a fair review. Donate today, Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations. In a statement through his attorneys, he told New York Focus that he thought if he accused Graves in the letter, it would just seem like I was looking for a scapegoat., I wrote in bold letters, I AM INNOCENT, Sims said in his statement to New York Focus. Read our cookies policies here. . 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. Coopers appellate criminal defense attorney and civil attorney is Tom Hoffman, the same person representing Sims. , the Brooklyn DAs office has claimed that Hale did not review Sims case. 207 followers 207 connections. Last year, a New York Supreme Court judge vacated his conviction and, several months later, the DAs office dismissed the charge. Freeing the innocent and preventing wrongful convictions worldwide. Westchester County District Attorney's Office. Subscribe to The Legal Aid Society's newsletters for campaign updates, case victories, client stories, and more. (Yes!)" The next day, the jury acquitted Sims of intentional murder and convicted him of depraved indifference murder. Heres what you should know about the new sealing law and the sealing process. Inside the restaurant, Sims says he saw Graves take out a small shotgun, point it at the cashier, Li Run Chen, and shoot. Founded in 1876, the Society provides a full range of civil legal services as well as criminal defense work, and juvenile rights representation in . 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. According to Coopers civil complaint, two eyewitnesses said they recognized the assailant and it was not Cooper. Suite 111 530 West New York Street . CLEAR offered assistance [], Stay connected: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn, Human Resources | Information Technology |Communications & Marketing | Consumer Information (ABA Required Disclosures), Plan an Event at CUNY Law | Student Handbook | CUNY Law Giftshop So its easy to sweep things under the rug, its easy to rubber stamp things., Sims was 24 when he was convicted. Skip to Job Postings. Heres what you should know to prevent wrongful discrimination. Prior to joining the Legal Aid Society, Sherry was Of Counsel Bashian P.C. Subscribe to The Legal Aid Society's newsletters for campaign updates, case victories, client stories, and more. Lastly David heads Legal Aid's Wrongful Conviction Unit. A conviction may be classified as wrongful for two reasons: 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. Involved and accomplished at a range of pro-bono initiatives.Skilled in Legal Writing, Advocacy Appeals, Legal research Constitutional Law, Civil law, Criminal Law, Human rights law, Terrorism law, Evidence law, and Alternative Dispute Resolution. Copyright 2022 The City University of New York School of Law | 2 Court Square, Long Island City, NY 11101-4356 | Phone: 718-340-4200 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. contribute to wrongful convictions, and the best practices that address these factors. 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. New York, NY 10013. It was based almost entirely on Julius Graves recantation of his testimony in 2002. They almost do more damage in terms of eroding peoples trust and confidence in the system..