Civil Rights

NEW YORK, NY – A story published yesterday and updated today in The New York Times discusses several incidents that occurred over the weekend as police and protesters clashed across all five boroughs. Demonstrations against police brutality are stretching into their fourth day as police continue to crack down with what has been widely…

The New York City Council is currently considering passing the POST Act, which stands for Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology. The act is designed to allow the average citizen of New York City to have some knowledge of the surveillance methods being employed by the New York Police Department. These…

On September 9th, 2015, James Blake was exiting a Manhattan hotel when he was accosted by police officers. Mr. Blake was pushed to the ground by an officer, who claimed to suspect Mr. Blake of credit card fraud. The officer failed to explain how a non-violent offense required a violent…

In 2005, the city of New Orleans suffered massive devastation as a result of Hurricane Katrina. One of the ugliest events during that time was the severe misconduct of police officers, resulting in the deaths of three men. More than a decade later, the city has finally agreed to a…

Four separate incidents of New York corrections officers and prison guards abusing their power with inmates have made headlines in recent months in both civil and criminal court. News of indictments, jail time and monetary compensation give hope that civil rights violations against any American is unacceptable. Most recently a…

When Sandra Bland was arrested and found dead as the result of a suicide in her Texas jail cell last summer, questions arose on why the 28-year-old was taken into custody and why she was not monitored more closely. There were no criminal indictments for Bland’s death, but this week…

Less than a week ago, Bronx Assemblyman Michael Blake was a delegate at the Democratic National Convention. On Saturday, he was being pinned against a gate by a police officer after Blake tried to intervene in a dispute with officers and residents in his district. Now, the 33-year-old assemblyman who…

Protests continue throughout the nation over the deaths of Philando Castile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana, the latest black men killed at the hands of police officers. In New York City, police commissioner William Bratton is asking the public to remain calm so a peaceful and meaningful discussion…

Imagine spending over 17 years in prison for a crime you did not commit. All of the missed birthdays, holidays, and time with your friends and family while sitting in a cell after being wrongfully convicted of murder. This is what happened to five individuals in the Bronx who had…

In the past few years, the public outrage over racial discrimination throughout the New York City Police Department has reached a boiling point. Across the city protests sparked over the deaths of Eric Garner and Akai Gurley. Now, however, concerns about practices within the NYPD affecting minorities are being brought…