04/12/2023
Although I no longer practice much criminal law, I spent14 years as a public defender in NYC at the Legal Aid Society, and my heart is with NYSACDL, LAS, and all others who oppose rolling back critical criminal discovery reform enacted in NYS in 2019. For years I practiced under NY's old "blindfold" regime, only receiving substantial discovery on the eve of, or sometimes even the day of, a hearing or a trial. Such a framework is not consistent with due process and fundamental human rights: you should be allowed to know the state's case against you in order to make meaningful decisions about whether to plea or contest the charges. If you're an NY resident, contact your state assembly members, state senators, and Governor Hochul's office to say, "NO" to rolling back discovery reform.