Over at Simple Justice, Scott Greenfield is lamenting the fact that courts are requiring criminal suspects to leap ever higher obstacles to invoke their rights when being questioned by police. Roland didn’t invoke when he said, “I ain’t signing shit without my attorney”? To successfully invoke the right to counsel, the suspect’s desire to have an attorney present during his … [Read more...] about What Are the Magic Words?
Criminal Defense
The Bronx Defenders Get Some “Corrective Action”
A resolution of sorts has arrived at the Bronx Defenders, with lawyers Kumar Rao and Ryan Napoli both resigning from the firm as a consequence of the controversy over their involvement in the "Hands Up" rap video. News reports say that Executive Director Robin Steinberg has been suspended for 60 days without pay, and that Steinberg and her organization will be under increased … [Read more...] about The Bronx Defenders Get Some “Corrective Action”
A Very Good Point About the “Hands Up” Controversy From Radley Balko
In his article about the Bronx Defenders' involvement with the "Hands Up" rap video, Radley Balko makes explicit something I had in the back of my mind when I wrote my post, but that I couldn't quite articulate: In the Bronx Defenders, we have group that knows how to work the system. It has irreplaceable institutional knowledge of the city’s bureaucracy, its courts and its … [Read more...] about A Very Good Point About the “Hands Up” Controversy From Radley Balko