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The feeling of walking into Brooklyn Supreme Court this morning to meet a young man charged with a felony for possession a few forged credit cards, while people implicated in the biggest conspiracy in the history of the country continue to run the country is quite something.
Meanwhile, in Criminal Court down the block, my colleagues are representing people arrested, charged w/ crimes for drug possession, stealing food from a bodega, driving on suspended license, not paying subway fare, trespass being in a housing projects w/o living there. 2 systems.
🚨🚨ROLL CALL: All public defenders out there🚨🚨—>
What types of cases are you standing up on today, where people you represent have been criminalized & punished for conduct that pales in comparison to the crimes & conspiracies this administration has been accused of today?
What types of cases are you standing up on today, where people you represent have been criminalized & punished for conduct that pales in comparison to the crimes & conspiracies this administration has been accused of today?
Actually a perfect example:
2 years in ICE detention for allegedly stealing a gold chain.
Charged as felon in possession after thinking, understandably, his prior convictions no longer precluded possession.
A man with mental health issues sentenced to Rikers Island over $20.
Jailed on Rikers pretrial for allegedly stealing a hat from Macy’s for over a month while Trump remains president after allegedly conspiring to steal an election with a foreign power (again).
A man incarcerated pretrial on $10,000 bail he can’t afford *for being 10 minutes late to court* while William Barr continues to be the top law enforcement officer in the country after being implicated in an international conspiracy.
This. Everyday.
Person charged with gun possession. Recommended sentence by prosecutors is 5 years. Where is the NRA? Oh right, he's not white.
Police often do "welfare checks." Thought of as tool to build trust. Yet often leads to police escalation. Yesterday, this public defender represented a person dragged out of his car, bitten by a police dog while trying to get in, then charged w/ resisting.
A woman with mental illness made threats at security guards she didn’t follow through on. Facing 4 years prison.
