Pappalardo & Pappalardo, LLP

Wishing you a happy Father's Day!

Prison limits self-expression. Inmates are usually forced to identify as a number and, for the most part, can only wear a standard-issue uniform. After living that way for decades, how do you rekindle a sense of personal style? Bindle & Keep, a suit maker in Brooklyn, offers free formal wear to newly exonerated men and women trying to rebuild their lives.

Replacing Prison Uniforms With Custom Suits Bindle & Keep, a suit maker in Brooklyn, offers free formal wear to newly exonerated men and women trying to rebuild their lives.

Happy Flag Day! 🇺🇸

In many courtrooms, video surveillance footage is often presented as evidence for identification of criminal defendants. Now, there's a new rule in New York for such identifications in criminal trials.

Identification of Defendants in Video Surveillance Footage In many courtrooms, video surveillance footage is often presented as evidence for identification of criminal defendants.

Brian Wharton, the retired supervising detective in Robert Roberson’s case, urged Anderson County District Attorney Allyson Mitchell to reexamine the case and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to reexamine a pending motion on Mr. Roberson’s innocence claims, which have previously been denied. Mr. Roberson’s conviction for the death of his two-year-old daughter, Nikki, centered around the now debunked theory of “shaken baby syndrome.”

Article of Interest: Retired Supervising Detective Says There Was No Crime in Robert Roberson’s Case The Death Penalty Information Center is a non-profit organization serving the media and the public with analysis and information about capital punishment.…

In plain terms, if the jury believes that a defendant has actually committed the charged offense but decides not to convict, that is jury nullification.

Jury Nullification: When Jurors Don’t Follow the Law If the jury believes that a defendant has actually committed the charged offense but decides not to convict, that is jury nullification.

The Oklahoma Survivors’ Act reduces sentences for people whose convictions stemmed from their abuse. It passed despite prosecutors’ objections and an initial veto by the governor.

Oklahoma Gives Incarcerated Survivors of Domestic Violence A New Chance at Freedom

Remembering those who gave all for the United States. Happy Memorial Day!

Veterans are now twice as likely as non-veterans to face incarceration. A 2017 study found that nearly a third reported having been arrested at least once in their lives. On average, veterans receive longer sentences than non-veterans, and they are more likely to have committed a violent sexual crime.

‘Consequences of War’–Veterans Incarcerated at Higher Rates and Face Longer Sentences The military does little to prepare soldiers, many of whom have been trained to view violence as a way to solve problems, for civilian life.

As part of plea bargaining in some states, criminal defendants are strong-armed into waiving their Fourth Amendment rights for years past when they have finished serving their sentence.

Opinion: Fourth Amendment Waivers Are Unconscionable In some states, to get a plea bargain a defendant must waive his/her Fourth Amendment rights for years past the end of his/her sentence.

Happy Mother's Day!

A new Brennan Center study of recent trends and persistent racial disparities in New York City’s misdemeanor enforcement system showcases the benefits of taking an inclusive approach to criminal justice research and policymaking.

Why Inclusive Criminal Justice Research Matters Engaging with impacted community leaders can help contextualize data and drive solutions.

Boston police are accused of failing to arrest a 'serial ra**st' for years, despite having DNA evidence implicating him. It was only after a fifth victim stepped forward that Boston police finally arrested Alvin Campbell. Since then, investigators have linked Campbell to attacks on another 10 women. Notably, Campbell's sister also happens to be the Massachusetts Attorney General.

Boston police failed to arrest 'serial ra**st' for years despite DNA evidence Experts say the case against Alvin Campbell is a striking example of how police and prosecutors often fail to take action when victims report sexual assaults, potentially allowing serial ra**sts to remain at large.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

The more than 700 claims of r**e and sexual assault recently brought by women once incarcerated in Rikers Island's jails went largely unaddressed by a federal monitor paid $21.2 million to ensure compliance with a court order to keep detainees safe.

Rikers sexual assault allegations went unexamined by $21M federal overseer R**e and sexual assault allegations weren’t under the monitor’s purview.

Happy Law Day! Law Day is a national day set aside to celebrate the rule of law. It provides an opportunity to understand how law and the legal process protect our liberty, strive to achieve justice, and contribute to the freedoms that all Americans share.

It’s easy to find videos online of people recording police encounters. But what is the legality of recording police in New York?

Recording Police Encounters – Is It Permissible? It’s easy to find many videos of people recording police encounters. But what is the legality of recording police in New York?

In 2008, Melissa Lucio was convicted of murdering her 2-year-old daughter Mariah Alvarez and sentenced to die. Lucio has spent the last 16 years on death row in Texas. Despite Lucio’s insistence that she was innocent, the Cameron County DA’s office spent years defending her conviction, seeking an ex*****on date in 2022. Now, District Attorney Luis Saenz says that Lucio’s conviction should be overturned.

A Prosecutor Asked Texas to Kill Melissa Lucio. Now He Wants Her Freed. If the courts agree to vacate the conviction, Lucio will have spent 16 years on death row for a crime that never happened.

A squatter can be a nightmare for homeowners. But now, new legislation is changing the ability for NY homeowners to fight back.

New York to Change Squatter Law With 2025 FY Budget A squatter can be a nightmare for homeowners. But now, new legislation is changing the ability for NY homeowners to fight back.

Wishing you a joyous Passover.

Happy Earth Day!

Two new lawsuits claim that county jail officials in Michigan banned in-person family visits for prisoners so they could boost revenues from an increased number of phone calls and electronic messages charged at exorbitant prices.

Lawsuits Accuse 2 Michigan Jails of Banning Family Visits to Increase Revenue The suits contend that two counties entered into agreements with telecommunications companies that would bring more money because of increased use of phone calls and electronic messaging.

Massachusetts legislators limited the use of solitary confinement in the state’s prisons in 2018. Prisoners say corrections officials simply renamed the practice and continue to widely use it. Legislators are now trying to broaden the definition of solitary confinement.

After Reforms to Solitary Confinement, Massachusetts Prisoners Say Officials Just Renamed It The state passed a law curtailing restrictive housing in 2018, but people in prolonged isolation say the practice continues and are now pushing for new reforms.

A new investigation reveals that prosecutors in Ohio repeatedly violated ethical rules and legal standards but were rarely sanctioned for their misconduct, even when it deprived defendants of their constitutional rights.

Ohio prosecutors broke rules to win convictions and got away with it About 100 prosecutors across Ohio violated standards meant to protect a defendant's civil rights in criminal trials, an investigation by NPR and its reporting partners found. Some did so repeatedly.

Wishing you a happy Eid Al-Fitr!

As communities change, laws may become unnecessary or outdated. In New York, there are several strange laws that are still on the books.

Strange Laws that Remain on the Books in New York As communities change, laws may become unnecessary or outdated. In New York, there are several strange laws that are still on the books.

New York’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) announced in a memo that they plan to institute a system-wide lockdown as a safety precaution during the April 8, 2024, eclipse. This includes every incarcerated person in DOCCS's custody - even those held in prisons outside of the eclipse's path of totality - and the lockdown will occur before, during, and after the eclipse.

Incarcerated New Yorkers Want to See the Eclipse. The State Has Responded With a Lockdown - Hell Gate During the eclipse on April 8, all of NY's prisons will be on lockdown, according to a memo from DOCCS head Daniel Martuscello, as part of the agency's "proactive approach to ensure the safety of staff, visitors, and the incarcerated population."

As of March 27, 2024, New York has expanded its move over law in order to protect everyone stopped on the side of the road from being struck by passing vehicles.

Move Over Law Has Been Expanded in New York New York has expanded its move over law to protect everyone stopped on the side of the road from being struck by passing vehicles.

Happy Easter!

Law enforcement agencies across the country routinely withhold body camera footage, even in cases involving fatal police shootings, despite transparency laws requiring their disclosure. How? Because police officials in many jurisdictions are allowed to decide for themselves what is recorded, who can see it and when it will be published.

How Police Have Undermined the Promise of Body Cameras Hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars have been spent on what was sold as a revolution in transparency and accountability. Instead, police departments routinely refuse to release footage — even when officers kill.