Criminal Justice Advocates and Public Defenders Launch Initiative to Uphold Key Discovery Legislation

In New York, a coalition of criminal justice organizations and public defenders has launched a vigorous campaign to support the state’s current discovery law, emphasizing its crucial role in ensuring fair trials. This law, pivotal to criminal proceedings, mandates prosecutors to share evidence with defense attorneys swiftly, thereby promoting transparency and justice. The campaign emerges in response to suggestions from some lawmakers and law enforcement officials who argue that these requirements might overburden police and prosecutors. They contend that the law, implemented in 2019, could be fine-tuned to alleviate these pressures without compromising its core … Read more

Utah Lobbyist Advocates for Balance in Criminal Justice Laws Amid Tough Legislative Battles

Salt Lake City, Utah — As the annual legislative session unfolds in Utah, Steve Burton is a familiar figure in the corridors outside the House chambers. Here, Burton, a lobbyist for the Utah Defense Attorney Association, works tirelessly to ensure that lawmakers hear the often sidelined voices of the defense. The Utah Defense Attorney Association, where Burton is employed, benefits from state funding aimed at fostering informed lawmaking by ensuring that all sides of an issue are represented. As a defense lawyer himself, Burton is acutely aware of the uphill battle he faces in his … Read more

Governor Hochul Proposes Key Adjustments to New York’s Criminal Discovery Laws in Effort to Balance Fairness and Prosecutorial Efficiency

Albany, N.Y. – New York Governor Kathy Hochul and state prosecutors are advocating for critical refinements to the state’s legal policies surrounding bail reform and discovery laws, areas which have stirred substantial controversy and criticism for their impact on crime rates and judicial fairness. Originally enacted in 2019 and subsequently modified, bail reform has become a focal point in discussions about state justice reforms, paralleled by the lesser-known but equally significant changes to discovery laws. These discovery laws, pivotal in the processes of criminal prosecution, determine how and when evidence must be shared between the … Read more

President Trump to Enact Laken Riley Act, Authorizing Pre-Conviction Detention and Deportation for Non-Citizen Criminal Suspects

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is set to enact the Laken Riley Act, marking his administration’s inaugural legislative venture. This new law, slated for signature later today, mandates the detention and potential deportation of undocumented individuals accused of theft and violent crimes prior to any court conviction. The law, named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia who was tragically killed in February 2024, swiftly moved through a Republican-majority Congress with some bipartisan support. Jose Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan national residing illegally in the U.S., was convicted of her murder and sentenced to … Read more