PUBLIC ADVOCATE INTRODUCES RESOLUTION CALLING ON STATE TO PASS 'CLEAN SLATE ACT'

 

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams introduced a City Council resolution in support of the Clean Slate Act, state legislation that would automatically seal conviction records after someone has completed their sentence, is off of parole or probation, has not incurred any new charges or convictions in New York State during the waiting period, and the conviction to be sealed is not a sex offense - after a period of three years for a misdemeanor and seven for a felony conviction. 

"A past criminal offense, no matter how far back in one's personal history or how much they've changed since then, serves as an permanent impediment in many spaces and denies people the opportunity to move on, to improve their lives and communities," said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. "While we work to reduce contact with the criminal justice system, and provide alternatives to incarceration, it is absolutely vital that once someone's sentence is served, they have full and fair opportunity to participate in society without burdens and barriers to prevent that. By sealing old records, we can provide a clean slate, reduce recidivism, and give people a second - or very often a first - chance. I urge the City to pass this resolution in support of these efforts, and the state legislature and Governor to move quickly to pass the Clean Slate Act."

The Clean Slate Act, sponsored by Assembly Member Catalina Cruz and State Senator Zellnor Myrie, is cosponsored by 42 Assembly Members and 20 State Senators. In 2017, the state enacted legislation which made 600,000 eligible to have their records sealed through an application process, but only 2,500 have completed this process as a result of unnecessary barriers. The Clean Slate Act makes this process automatic, rather than initiated by the applicant. 

The presence of a criminal record frequently hinders formerly incarcerated people from obtaining employment, housing, and education. This makes the re-entry transition difficult and increases the risk for recidivism. Recent research indicates that a year following their record being cleared, people are 11 percent more likely to be employed, and earn wages more than 20 percent greater than prior to records being cleared. Additionally, greater employment access for formerly incarcerated individuals strengthens economic growth. According to new polling, a significant majority of New Yorkers support this legislation. 

This resolution in support of the Legislature passing, and Governor signing, the Clean Slate Act is part of the Public Advocate's ongoing work to ease re-entry and prevent recidivism for formerly incarcerated individuals, including through the passage of the Fair Chance Act of 2015, which prevented asking job applicants about criminal history prior to a conditional offer of employment, and the 2020 expansion of that law. He is currently working to pass Intro 1881, which would help formerly incarcerated individuals successfully pursue education and employment opportunities by providing them with several official identification documents upon release.

"We are grateful that the Public Advocate has introduced this resolution calling on Albany to finish what they started and pass the Clean Slate Act," said Garrett Smith, Statewide Organizer at Center for Community Alternatives. This legislation transcends politics -- it is a moral imperative. The impact of the criminal legal system does not end once someone returns home from prison. In New York, a conviction record means a lifetime of blocked opportunities from housing, employment and education. The state must end this cycle of perpetual punishment by passing the Clean Slate Act, which would seal conviction records and provide more than 2 million New Yorkers the second chance they deserve."

"For far too long, communities of color in New York have suffered from the perpetual punishment of having a criminal record," said Zaki Smith, Policy Entrepreneur at the Next100. "Our communities have been serving a life sentence without being sentenced to one. Our debt has been paid. It is time that we be able to move on with our lives. We applaud Public Advocate Jumaane Williams for introducing this resolution and call on state lawmakers to act on Clean Slate immediately."

"The Clean Slate Act will provide automatic sealing of criminal convictions for millions of New Yorkers and is a critical step towards repairing the harm caused by decades of over-policing and underinvestment in communities of color in the Bronx," said Scott Levy, Chief Policy Counsel at The Bronx Defenders.  "The resolution introduced today by the Public Advocate sends a strong message that New York City stands firmly behind speedy passage of the Clean Slate Act and ensuring that criminal conviction records don't stand in the way of people accessing safe and stable housing, employment, and education.  In this moment of national reckoning, the Clean Slate Act represents an investment in the Bronx's future, in its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and in its resilience."

"Stale conviction records needlessly stand in the way of finding a good job, a license to practice a trade and a stable place to live for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers," said David Jones, President and CEO of the Community Service Society of New York.  "Records sealing under the Clean Slate New York Act is essential to ensuring that New Yorkers move beyond the perpetual punishment a conviction record creates, and have a place in New York's pandemic recovery and in the life of our great city and state. We commend the New York City Council for supporting this vital legislation."

VISION ZERO: AS CLASSROOMS RE-OPEN, MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES EXPANDED TRAFFIC SAFETY ENFORCEMENT NEAR SCHOOLS

Increased police presence near schools to focus on failure to yield to pedestrians After new DOT analysis, Mayor renews call on Albany to permit 24/7 speed camera operation 

 As New York City public schools prepare to welcome students back on Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced increased traffic safety measures to keep children safe in school zones. NYPD will expand its traffic enforcement against reckless, aggressive and distracted driving, with a special focus on violations that endanger child pedestrians, including failure to yield in a crosswalk.

 

The Mayor also renewed New York City’s call for state lawmakers to allow 24/7 operation of its cameras, which are currently forbidden from operating overnight. The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) nation-leading speed camera program now includes over 1,400 cameras across 750 school zones.

 

“New York City schools have the most rigorous COVID-19 safety protocols in the country, but our mission isn’t complete until all facilities are safe from traffic violence, too,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Thanks to the tireless public servants at DOT and NYPD, our schools will be safer than ever this year. Now it’s time to take the next step: Albany must allow us to operate our speed cameras overnight and hold dangerous drivers accountable, no matter when they break the law.”

 

“Our children are our most precious resource. As the city has been working tirelessly to ensure that classrooms are ready for their safe return, the NYPD is committed to making sure our roadways are safe for the return of all of our city’s students,” said NYPD Chief of Transportation Kim Royster. “This citywide enforcement initiative will be focused on holding drivers that speed — and drivers that fail to yield to pedestrians and cyclists — accountable.”

 

“School's back in session, and we're proud to be partnering with the NYPD to put drivers on notice – reckless driving and speeding are going to be met with stiff penalties," said DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman. "That said, we urgently need Albany to pass common sense legislation that allows our automated speed cams to operate 24/7, because lives are not only at risk when school is in session. I want to thank State Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assembly Member Deborah Glick for showing great leadership by sponsoring S5602/A6681, the bill allowing us to do just that."

 

“The school day starts as soon as our young people leave their homes, which is why the safety of our streets is so important," said Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter. “We are proud of the work our partners across the City are doing to ensure that children can safely walk to and from school for their first day back and every day after that.”

 

“As we welcome students back to school, many of our city’s streets will be busier than they have been in a long time,” said Health Commissioner Dave A. Chokshi. “Traffic crashes can seriously injure children. Make sure to slow down and look out for cyclists and pedestrians, especially when turning. We all have a part to play in keeping our children safe.”

 

"Vision Zero is critical now, more than ever. Pedestrians, especially children returning to school this month, need to be able to traverse our streets safely. We are counting on all New York City drivers to not speed and to follow traffic laws, including making slow turns," said TLC Commissioner and Chair Aloysee Heredia Jarmoszuk. "TLC-Licensed Drivers are the best in the business, and we continue to expect them to follow the highest safety standards and take all precautions to keep themselves, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists safe.

 

“As New York City’s children return to school, the last thing our kids should contend with are speeding vehicles and careless drivers,” said NYC Chief Fleet Officer Keith Kerman. “NYC operates a large municipal fleet and we are calling on all City employees to make September “Slowtember,” to reduce speeds especially near school zones, and keep everyone safe.”

 

A DOT analysis released yesterday shows one-third of fatal crashes last year happened in school speed zones during overnight and weekend hours, when speed cameras are currently not allowed to operate. It found that 24/7 automated enforcement would increase the safety benefits the city is already seeing:

• As of December 2020, speeding at camera locations had dropped by an average of 72%.
• Speeding has declined 89% on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx and Union Turnpike in Queens, 88% on Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn, and over 80% on Rockaway Boulevard, Gun Hill Road, Coney Island Avenue, Eastern Parkway, Hylan Boulevard, and Northern Boulevard.
• Injuries have declined 14% on school speed zone corridors with cameras.

 

Back-to-School Awareness and Northern Boulevard Changes

Earlier this week, NYPD and DOT street teams spread out across New York City to remind rush-hour drivers of students’ return to school Monday, part of a combined and coordinated school-based effort this fall from NYPD’s Community Affairs Bureau and DOT’s Education & Outreach Unit. 

 

The event was held along Northern Boulevard near PS 152 in Woodside, the site of a fatal crash that killed 8-year-old Noshat Nahian as he walked to school in December 2013 – and helped inspire New York City’s adoption of Vision Zero. Major changes along Northern Boulevard in the last several years include new crosswalks, pedestrian refuge islands and head-starts, lower speed limits (from 30 MPH to 25 MPH) and newly installed speed cameras. The speed cameras along Northern Boulevard in Woodside have seen over 75% fewer speeding violations since these changes were made in July 2019.

 

NYPD Enforcement Plan

NYPD will increase vehicle safety enforcement all autumn, with a special focus on schools next week. The enforcement plan includes the following components:

• Officers on highways and local streets will have an increased focus on drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians and cyclists, speed with their vehicles, and drive recklessly in the vicinity of schools. Failure to yield at intersections has been a cause in over 60% of pedestrian fatalities in 2021.
• This multifaceted approach will also target drunk drivers. Motorists who drive while impaired will be arrested and their vehicles impounded.
• Additional officers will be dedicated to the enforcement of texting while driving and illegal cell phone use.
• Additional highway officers will enforce speed regulations.
• Motorcycle safety will be prioritized, not only by enforcement against reckless motorcyclists, but also against dangerous driving by other vehicles which cause risks to motorcycles.

 

Attorney General James Secures $50 Million for Opioid Abatement from Drug Manufacturer Endo Health Solutions

 

Endo Severed From Ongoing Opioid Trial In Suffolk County, Trial Against Two Remaining Defendants Still Underway

AG James Has Now Reached Agreements That Could Bring Up to $1.5 Billion From Opioid Manufacturers, Distributors, and Consultants to NYS

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced an agreement with Endo Health Solutions that will immediately deliver $50 million to combat the ongoing opioid epidemic and remove the opioid manufacturer from New York’s ongoing opioid trial, currently underway in Suffolk County State Supreme Court. The funds will be transferred to New York state and Nassau and Suffolk Counties today and will be used to further fund prevention, treatment, and recovery programs.

“Every dollar we receive today from an opioid manufacturer is another dollar that can be spent to combat the ongoing opioid crisis and potentially save another New Yorker’s life,” said Attorney General James. “For more than two decades, the opioid epidemic has wreaked havoc on countless communities throughout New York and across the rest of the nation, killing hundreds of thousands of our friends and family members and addicting millions more. Like other opioid manufacturers, Endo has distributed opioids without regard to the national crisis they were helping to fuel. But today, we’re holding them accountable for their unlawful conduct in New York state and recovering $50 million that will go towards prevention, treatment, and recovery programs. In the last few months, our office has negotiated up to $1.5 billion for New York alone that will go towards stopping further death and destruction. While no amount of money will ever compensate for the millions of addictions, the hundreds of thousands of deaths, or the countless families torn apart by opioids, this money will be vital in preventing future devastation.”

In March 2019, Attorney General James filed the nation’s most extensive lawsuit to hold accountable the various manufacturers and distributors responsible for the opioid epidemic. The manufacturers named in the complaint included Purdue Pharma and its affiliates, as well as members of the Sackler Family (owners of Purdue) and trusts they control; Janssen Pharmaceuticals and its affiliates (including its parent company Johnson & Johnson); Mallinckrodt LLC and its affiliates; Endo Health Solutions and its affiliates; Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. and its affiliates; and Allergan Finance, LLC and its affiliates. The distributors named in the complaint were McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health Inc., Amerisource Bergen Drug Corporation, and Rochester Drug Cooperative Inc.

The cases against Mallinckrodt and Rochester Drug Cooperative are now moving separately through U.S. Bankruptcy Court. In June, a settlement that ended Johnson & Johnson’s sale of opioids nationwide and that will deliver $230 million to New York alone was announced. In July, a settlement with McKesson, Cardinal Health, and Amerisource Bergen that will deliver up to $1 billion to New York state to combat the opioid epidemic was announced. The deals with Johnson & Johnson, McKesson, Cardinal Health, and Amerisource Bergen have a global value of approximately $26 billion. Earlier this month, a settlement that secured more than $4.5 billion — at least $200 million of which will be earmarked for New York — from the Sackler family and foundations that they control, ends the Sacklers’ ability to manufacture opioids ever again, and will shut down Purdue Pharma was announced.

The trial against the two remaining defendants — Teva Pharmaceuticals USA and Allergan Finance — is currently underway and will continue in state court.

From the $50 million negotiated as part of today’s agreement, $22.3 million will go to New York state with the remaining $27.7 million split evenly between Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Additionally, if Endo files for bankruptcy or a global settlement is reached between the company and a larger group of plaintiffs, neither New York state nor Nassau or Suffolk Counties will be precluded from receiving any appropriate share they would be entitled to under such a bankruptcy or global settlement.

Pursuant to the new law establishing the opioid settlement fund, the $22.3 million distributed to New York state today will be go towards abatement in communities devastated by the opioid epidemic and will not go towards the state’s general fund.

Further, today’s agreement does not release Endo from any claims asserted by the New York state Department of Financial Services or a number of plaintiffs still suing the company within New York state.

Separately, but related to her work on opioids, this past February, Attorney General James co-led a coalition of nearly every attorney general in the nation in delivering more than $573 million — more than $32 million of which was earmarked for New York state — toward opioid treatment and abatement in an agreement and consent judgment with McKinsey & Company. The agreement with one of the world’s largest consulting firms resolved investigations by the attorneys general into the company’s role in working for opioid companies, helping those companies promote their drugs, and profiting millions of dollars from the opioid epidemic.

Former Venezuelan Official Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios Arrested Again In Spain In Connection With Narco-Terrorism, Firearms, And Drug-Trafficking Charges

 

Carvajal Barrios Allegedly Participated in Large-Scale Drug-Trafficking Activities as a Venezuelan Government Official, Including a 5.6-Ton Cocaine Shipment

 Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Wendy Woolcock, the Special Agent in Charge of the Special Operations Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), today announced that former Venezuelan official Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios, a/k/a “El Pollo,” was arrested yesterday in Madrid, Spain, based on an Indictment filed in the Southern District of New York.  The Indictment charges Carvajal Barrios with participating in a narco-terrorism conspiracy and a conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, including a 5.6-ton shipment of cocaine transported from Venezuela to Mexico in April 2006, along with related firearms offenses.[1]  CARVAJAL BARRIOS was originally arrested in connection with these charges in April 2019, and later that year the Spanish National Court approved CARVAJAL BARRIOS’s extradition to the United States. CARVAJAL BARRIOS has since remained a fugitive pending extradition until his arrest yesterday.

Carvajal Barrios, 61, a Venezuelan national residing in Spain, among other places, is charged with: (1) participating in a narco-terrorism conspiracy, which carries a 20-year mandatory minimum sentence and a maximum of life; (2) conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, which carries a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence and a maximum of life; (3) using and carrying machine guns and destructive devices during and in relation to, and possessing machine guns and destructive devices in furtherance of, the narco-terrorism and cocaine importation conspiracies, which carries a 30-year mandatory minimum sentence and a maximum of life; and (4) conspiring to use and carry machine guns and destructive devices during and in relation to, and to possess machine guns and destructive devices in furtherance of, the narco-terrorism and cocaine importation conspiracies, which carries a maximum sentence of life.  The potential mandatory minimum and maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit and Miami Field Division, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and the Spanish National Police’s Fugitive Unit.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Governor Hochul Announces Findings of Investigation into Subway Power Outage

MTA to Implement Mitigation Steps and Improved Protocols to Avoid Repeat of Aug. 29 Incident

 

Governor Directs Review of Operation Control Centers Across Entire MTA to Identify and Fix Any Other Potential Weaknesses 

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the findings of an investigation into what caused the widespread power outage on all of the MTA's numbered lines as well as on the L train on Aug. 29. Two outside engineering firms, HDR and WSP, were tasked with investigating and determining a root cause and found that the outage was caused by human error. As a result of the investigation, Governor Hochul is directing a full review of operation control centers across the entire MTA to identify and mitigate any other potential weaknesses.

"On the night of Sunday, Aug. 29, service for subway riders suddenly and unexpectedly shut down, and immediately following the disruption, I directed the MTA to investigate the cause. The teams worked expeditiously to identify the source of the problem and recommend improvements. I am directing mitigation steps to ensure riders are not interrupted by these causes ever again," Governor Hochul said. "New Yorkers deserve absolute confidence in a fully functioning subway system, and it is our job to restore that confidence. I am also directing the MTA to review all operation control centers across the entire system to identify any further potential weaknesses and provide assurance in preventing a situation like this from happening ever again. We will deliver the modernization, enhancements, and reliability that riders deserve."

MTA Acting Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, "The report tasks the MTA with immediately reorganizing how we maintain and manage key systems that support the RCC.  The agency will also install additional cable connections to improve power redundancy in the building, as well as a more comprehensive Building Management System that will provide detailed visibility into the status of the building's electrical distribution, mechanical, and security systems. I want to thank Governor Hochul for really digging into these issues with us and helping to identify lasting solutions."

The reports revealed that the precipitating cause of the loss of power at the New York City Transit Rail Control Center was the byproduct of a manually-activated power-off switch on one of the building's power distribution units. Preliminary indications suggest that the emergency push button might have been accidentally pressed since a plastic guard that would prevent accidental activation was missing.

Failure to restore power for more than an hour appears to have been the result of internal organization and process flaws, with existing organizational maintenance structures at the RCC in need of revision to prevent similar incidents from happening again. The firms investigating the incident also found that the effects of the incident were exacerbated due to the RCC's lack of a power distribution monitoring system. Such a system would provide visibility of the status of key electrical components in the power distribution system.

The reports task the MTA with immediately reorganizing its maintenance management structure at the RCC. As a short-term improvement, the reports recommend that the Authority install additional equipment that will alternate electrical circuits to feed all of the electrical circuits in the building. In the long term, the reports recommended that New York City Transit install and manage a modern Building Management System that will provide detailed visibility of the status of the building's electrical distribution mechanical and security systems.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. - Bronx Annual Day of Remembrance

 

Join Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and The Supreme Court of The Bronx County for a day of remembrance and September 11th memorial service 20 years later.

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

56,138 Vaccine Doses Administered Over Last 24 Hours

19 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday  

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.

"As we continue to fight COVID-19 and work with localities and all our health providers who are operating our vaccination sites, it is important to remember that we are all in this together - every one of us." Governor Hochul said. "That's how we got through the worst phase of this pandemic, and it's how we'll get to the end of it. The vaccine works. It is our strongest weapon in this fight, and millions of New Yorkers have already taken it and are better protected as a result. Getting vaccinated is not only essential to protect your own health, but the best way to protect everyone around you."

Today's data is summarized briefly below: 

• Test Results Reported - 176,675
• Total Positive - 5,402
• Percent Positive - 3.06%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 3.35%
• Patient Hospitalization - 2,427 (+12)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 316
• Patients in ICU - 520 (+17)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 271 (+6)
• Total Discharges - 195,182 (+277)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 19
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 43,839

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 55,878 

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.

• Total vaccine doses administered - 24,130,905
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 56,138
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 342,509
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 78.4%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 70.9%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 81.0%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 72.7%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 66.2%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 59.6%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 68.5%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 61.1%  

Something You Don't See Everyday On Fordham Road - See Photos

 

It isn't everyday that you see an accident between a MTA bus and two cars, where the MTA bus winds up on the wrong side of the double yellow line. Two ambulances responded to the three vehicle accident but no one seemed to be injured in what seemed to be a fender bender. The accident occured right in front of the Roosevelt High School Campus.  

A front view looking east on Fordham Road, showing an MTA bus on the wrong side of the road, with a livery cab turned sideways blocking two lanes of west bound traffic. a NYC ambulance is opposite the bus.

A view from the rear of the bus with the second ambulance behind it.

The ambulance driver walks up to see if anyone needs medical attention.

You can see the blue paint from the MTA bus clearly on the smashed door of this car, and an MTA employee talking to the driver.