Oregon's "progressive" AG sided w/ Louisiana in Supreme Court to maintain a KKK-law that silenced Black jurors & led to unconstitutional convictions. When even Kavanaugh disagreed she fought again in the Court to limit their ruling. She still has power to right her injustice.
The Edwards v. Vannoy decision is the culmination of years of effort by Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum to maintain the racist stain of non-unanimous jury verdicts. She could have done different every step of the way. Few in Oregon have any idea.
There are hundreds of people still in prison in Oregon who were unconstitutionally convicted by non-unanimous juries. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum @ORDOJ can & should stop blocking people from getting new trials.
All Oregon advocates are asking for from Ellen Rosenblum is she stop opposing requests from hundreds still in prison. That she listen to her community, the local ACLU, Human Rights Watch, people & families directly impacted. That way, local DAs can then decide whether to retry.
These demands do not change because of the Supreme Court case, just as her power to act does not change. Fundamental to our Democracy is that the Constitution sets the floor. States can always provide more rights. More critical today than ever. We are not bound by Kavanaugh.
Here's the critical point made by Terrence Hayes. A man Ellen Rosenblum sentenced to 13 years following a non-unanimous verdict:
"We don’t have to rely on the Supreme Court — states have the power to provide retroactive justice."
“[The Edwards ruling] makes it clear now that Ellen Rosenblum is the decision maker on this and if there’s gonna be movement, it’s going to come from her and not the Supreme Court.” If she really cared she’d act right now to allow for fair trials. oregonlive.com/pacific-northw…
Please follow @stillinprison, visit stillinprison.org for more information & to take action, and join a growing chorus & coalition dedicated to justice asking Oregon's Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum to use her power to topple this racist legal monument once and for all.
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In 2019, Governor Cuomo hired *500 more cops* to exact violence & mayhem on the subways. Here’s just one example as maskless NYPD cops pushing a man out of the subway after asking them to wear masks at the beginning of COVID.
For all new to NYC Mayor Eric Adams & being appalled by him, his corruption, & general weirdness, this thread is for you.
I’ve been following his behavior since his run for office in 2021. Here’s some truth on the worst mayor in NYC History. Receipts in no particular order:
NYC Mayor Eric Adams lied about the fact that he carried around a photo of a fallen police officer. After he lied about it, he had his staff make him a fake, weathered looking photo for him to start carrying around. You cannot make this up! rollingstone.com/politics/polit…
In his *very first act as Mayor* Eric Adams expanded solitary confinement on Rikers. City Council condemned him. He shot back: "Unless you’ve been a cop your opinion doesn’t matter."
Pushed ahead. 2 years later, claimed he was “against solitary.”
As Trump works to punish people he despises, NY prosecutors & @GovKathyHochul doing the same: fighting to kill “discovery reform.” A law simply requiring prosecutors to turn over evidence to defense. Their gripe: Too much work to collect, copy, & send it to the defense. Really.
Marvin spent 11 months on Rikers. For drug possession. Prosecutors withheld the most critical piece of evidence: drug lab. The pressure to plead got better of him. Today, prosecutors have to turn over evidence earlier. His case would have been dismissed.
Craig was charged w/ hindering prosecution. Then: NY "discovery" laws prevented him from learning the accusations. He was acquitted, but late disclosure of evidence kept him locked up for close to a year. Now: prosecutors want to return to this injustice.
This may be the most important post you read today.
As Trump takes office & pledges mass deportations, below is a shareable film series written *by immigrants for immigrants* on how to safely defend against ICE.
Feeling helpless? Here’s something you can do to help. Read on:
Protect your neighbors from Trump. Share:
🚨If ICE is outside your door, don’t panic & remember: YOU HAVE RIGHTS. Don’t open the door. Ask to see a warrant. ICE can’t enter w/o one.
My new op-ed is now live. In it, I explain how it's *legal to execute an innocent person* in the U.S. How that's a feature, not bug of the system. And what we can do about it now. Hint: Robust public defense. Teen Vogue again leading the way with truth. teenvogue.com/story/robert-r…
It is legal in the U.S. to execute an innocent person. Indeed, the Supreme Court has twice ruled it is perfectly constitutional to do so bc the value of expediency & finality in the legal process is more important than truth, justice, & even human life.teenvogue.com/story/robert-r…
As a civil rights attorney who served as a public defender, I saw how killing an innocent person was the most extreme example of a legal process designed *not to achieve justice, fairness, or truth, but enable unjust outcomes & erect every obstacle toward redress.
There is no evidence that police in the subways are lowering crime. What we do know: NYPD is swallowing up valuable resources, harassing New Yorkers, making needless arrests, & engaging in violent & reckless confrontations on the subway.
City records show a $151 million increase in 2023 for NYPD overtime pay for subway policing. NYC went from spending $4 million in 2022 on NYPD overtime pay for subway policing to $155 million in 2023.
In addition to the $150mil+ extra spent on NYPD for subway policing in overtime alone in 2023,
NYC Eric Adams ordered NYPD in March 2024 to send an another “800 police officers specifically to keep watch on turnstiles." apnews.com/article/new-yo…