2019 was a productive year inside & out of court. Proud to have been able to share my public defender perspective in a range of forms of media, start new initiatives, & help shape advocacy for major policy wins. Tonight, I’ll be adding highlights to this thread. Happy New Year! 
In January, I worked with Nilda to share her story. Survivor of gang & domestic violence, separated from her 2 y/o & caged for 2 months before reunited in NY. @ItsBennyBlanco @CalvinHarris & @Miguel honored her w/ a song. @jakeschreier retraced her journey.
We (@BklynDefender) teamed up w/ @RAICESTEXAS to start a fund to help the million+ people, like Nilda, who were in the country & fighting for legal status. No money for basic necessities. Immigration fees. Not allowed to work & little access to counsel. Whiletheywait.org
People paid attention & gave. Can’t wait to share more about who weve been able to help so far. Then I was blown away when Fiona Apple learned of the fund from my Twitter & pledged 2 yrs of royalties. Then “called bullshit” on the system. She’s a hero.vulture.com/amp/2019/09/fi…
Launched a campaign to overhaul NY’s archaic discovery laws. For decades, prosecutors allowed to withhold evidence until after trial began. Outlier in country. Partnered w/ grassroots partners & communities we represent. Worked w design geniuses @hyperakt. Justiceisblindfolded.com
Anchoring the campaign was a film I got to produce: In the Dark. In it, public defenders from around the state explained how NY “discovery” laws lead to impaired legal representation, uninformed plea decisions, wrongful convictions. Went avant garde 👇.
The NYT Editorial Board wrote a scathing rebuke & came out in favor of our legislation to overhaul discovery laws. Challenged NY to be “as progressive as Texas.” And even embedded our “In the Dark” film into the Editorial itself. nytimes.com/2019/01/15/opi…
