New York Civil Rights & Criminal Defense Lawyers
Firm News
New Executive Orders Target Cashless Bail: What NYC Defendants Need to Know
On August 25, 2025, President Donald Trump signed two executive orders that pose a critical threat to bail reform—particularly in jurisdictions like New York, California, and New Jersey, which have embraced cashless bail or substantially limited its use. By linking federal funding to bail policy compliance and circumventing local reforms, these moves could radically alter pretrial detention practices nationwide. 1. Federal Funding at Stake The first order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to compile a comprehensive list of state and local jurisdictions that have adopted cashless or…
NYC to pay 1,300 people wrongfully arrested, beaten during 2020
The killing of George Floyd by a police officer in 2020 sparked a wave of racial injustice protests across America. Many people took part in these demonstrations to speak against the brutal actions of police officers. In response, cities deployed law enforcement to quell these protests. But some of these officers engaged in the very violence denounced by the protests through unlawful arrests and beatings. However, justice was served last week when New York City agreed to pay over $13 million to settle a civil rights class…
Manhattan DA drops 300 convictions tied to cops guilty of crimes
Wrongful arrests and criminal convictions represent the dark side of the U.S. justice system. But a recent move by Manhattan’s top attorney takes one bold step toward addressing this injustice. Last week, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg threw out more than 300 criminal convictions tied to NYPD police officers found guilty of crimes. The nine officers involved were convicted of several on-the-job offenses such as taking bribes, lying under oath, illegal gun sales and planting drugs on suspects – they’re no longer on the force following their…
New York man exonerated after spending 24 years in prison
A New York man who spent 24 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit walked out of a Putnam County courtroom a free man on Feb. 27 after a jury returned a not guilty verdict after just a few hours of deliberation. The man’s fate was left in the hands of a jury because the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office insisted on a retrial when the man’s 1997 conviction was overturned. Reluctant witness The man was convicted of abducting, raping and murdering a 12-year-old…
Sivin, Miller & Roche, LLP delivers justice despite pandemic
Written by Brendan Gilmartin, Legal Intern at Sivin, Miller & Roche, LLP The ongoing global pandemic and social distancing guidelines have caused trials to be adjourned across the entire United States, but especially so in New York, a state hit hard by the pandemic early in 2020. While the need to abide by social distancing guidelines to save lives and reduce strain on vital healthcare resources is of utmost importance, delaying trials can pose special difficulties for plaintiffs-side trial lawyers who are often reliant on witness memories…
VIDEO ARRAIGNMENTS IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19: A CONCERN
Blog by David Roche, on behalf of Sivin, Miller & Roche LLP: Like every other institution and organization, the criminal courts of New York City are figuring out how to adapt and function in the drastically changed world of the Coronavirus pandemic. The criminal courts with which we have long been accustomed – with crowded courtrooms full of lawyers, court officers, clerks, and audience members – are dangerous breeding grounds for spread of the virus; and, needless to say, cramped holding pens and jail cells full of…
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