the defender

Afrikaandwoulddowhatevertheycouldtosupporther.

Administrators,teachersandguidancecounselorsatKippandatMillenniumHigh

School(whereAfrikahadbeenajunior)alsojoinedinthework.Afrikawasclearlyabrilliantandgift-edyoungwoman.TheChurchpostedbailandprovidednurturingandemotionalsupport.KIPPstaffprovidedextratutor-ing,counselingandassis-tancewithcollegeapplica-tions.

Now,morethantwoyearslater,Afrikahasgraduatedfromhighschoolwithhonors,com-pletedher irstyearof

college(twosemestersonthedean’slist),andplanstobecomeateacher.Hercrimi-nalcasewasresolvedwithapleathatadju-dicatedherayouthfuloffender–thatis,nocriminalhistory–andaconditionaldis-charge.Therewastobenoadditionaljailtime.

Thiscasemayseemunusual:itgrabbedheadlinesandwasbrie lynotorious.Al-sowewereextremelyfortunatetobeabletopartnerwithpowerfulcommunityor-ganizationssuchastheAbyssinianBaptistChurchandtheKIPPnetwork.

ButfundamentallythiscaseistypicaloftheworkNDSdoeseveryday.Welookatthewholepersonaccused(notsimplytheaccusation)to indstrengthsandalsoworkwiththebroadercommunity.Itisagoodexampleofwhatacommunity-basedpub-licdefenderof icecando,andwhyNDSisamodelnationallyforcriminaldefense.

VictoryforAfrika

Th i s I s sue:

Victory for Afrika 1

“I LOVE NY” 2

Your SUPPORT 3

Out & About with NDS

3

A Message from the Director: Victory for Africa

4

The Defender A Newsletter of the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem

W i n t e r 2 0 1 3 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 2

InFebruary2011,KarenOwescametotheNDSof iceandaskedforhelp.Herdaughter,17year-oldAfrika,hadbeenarrestedearlythatmorningbytheNYPDandbroughtinto100CentreStreet,SupremeCourtforanarraignmentonanindictment.Afrikaandthirteenotheryoungadultswerechargedwithconspira-cytodistributegunsanddrugs.TheleaddefendantwasallegedlyAfrika’sboy-friend.

NDSdidwhatwealwaysdo:ourintaketeamdidapreliminaryinterviewwiththemotherandwecheckedtomakesuretherewerenocon licts.ThecrimesallegeddatedbacktowhenAfrikawas15years-old.TheNDSYouthLawTeampickedupthecase.Thechargeswereserious.Ifcon-victed,shecouldservedecadesinprison.AttheinitialcourtappearanceJudgeMcLaughlinsetbailat$50,000bondor$25,000cash.

Theprosecutionhadbeengatheringevi-denceformorethanayear,andsointhatre-spect,theywerewayahead.However,wehadanimportantadvantage:partnershipwithpowerfulcommunityinstitutions–theAbyssinianBaptistChurchandtheKIPPChar-terSchoolnetwork.

Fromearlychildhood,AfrikahadbeenanactiveparticipantandmemberoftheAbyssin-ianBaptistChurch.SeniorNDSTrialAttorneyElsieChandler,Afrika’slawyer,spokewithRev.CalvinButtsandRev.EboniMarshallTurman,whoassuredherthattheChurchcommunitywouldnotturnitsbackon

Elsie Chandler and Afrika Owes

P a g e 2

“His cross-

examinations

were

masterful

and at the

level of a

much more

experienced

attorney.”

-Archana

Prakash

Elbert Aull IV and Mr. Abdurraheem

I NY: NDS Shines in the Courtroom NDSFellowElbertAullIVwasassignedthecaseofMr.Abdurraheemonhisvery irstday.LittledidElbertknow,thiswouldnotonlybehisvery irstcase,buthis irstsigni i-cantvictoryaswell.

Mr.AbdurraheemwasaUSAirForceveteranandapart-timestreetvendorinNewYorkCity.Inadditiontohispart-timeworkasastreetvendor,healsoworkedinrealestateandwaslookingtoworkintheinsuranceield.Mr.Abdurraheemwasarrestedinthesummerof2012forselling,whataNYCof-iceridenti iedascounterfeit“ILOVENY”t-shirts.Hewaschargedwithtrademarkcoun-terfeitinginthe3rddegree,whichwasamis-demeanor.HewasofferedapleabargainbytheADA,however,Elbertknewthatshouldhetaketheoffer,Mr.Abdurraheemwouldsufferthecollateralconsequencesofnotbe-ingabletocontinuehisrealestateorinsur-

ancework,sincebothofthose ieldsrequirestatelicensing.Themisdemean-orchargewouldhavedeemedhimineligibleforthelicenses.Elbertadvisedhisclientontheserisksandbasedonthatinfor-mation,theydecidedtotakethecasetotrial.

Elbertwenttowork.Hebegantoresearchthehis-

toryofthe“ILOVENY”logoandthecompli-catedrelationshipbetweenwholesalers,ven-dorsandthestateofNewYork.HealsosoughtoutadvicefromSeanBasinskiwhorunstheStreetVendorProject,amembership-basedprojectwhichworkstoeducatetheNYvendorcommunityabouttheirlegalrightsandresponsibilities.Afterexhaustiveresearchexploringtheissues,ElbertfoundoutthatlawenforcementpersonnelinNew

YorkCityarethoroughlytrainedtorecognizecounterfeit“ILOVENY”merchandise,howev-erthesametrainingsandinformationses-sionsarenotavailabletovendorsorthegen-eralpublic.Healsofoundoutthatnostepsarecurrentlybeingtakentostopthewhole-salersfromcontinuingtoproducethefakemerchandiseortoeducatevendorsonhowtorecognizethecounterfeitmerchandise.Withthisinformationinhand,Elbertwasready.

ThecasewastakentoabenchtrialandElbertarguedthathisclientdidnotknowthatthet-shirtswerecounterfeitandthatbecausetheinformationonhowtorecognizecounterfeitmerchandisewasmadeavailableonlytolawenforcementandnotthevendorcommunity,therewerenoavenuesforhisclienttoobtainthenecessaryinformation.Healsoarguedthattheguiltypartyinthisequationwasinfactthewholesalerswhocontinuetomakeandsellcounterfeitgoodstovendors.Notonlydidhedevelopastrongargumentonbehalfofhisclient,Elbertdelivereditdynam-ically.“Hiscross-examinationsweremaster-fulandatthelevelofamuchmoreexperi-encedattorney”saidNDSSupervisingAttor-ney,ArchanaPrakash.

ToElbertandMr.Abdurraheem’srelief,thejudgeruledinfavorofMr.Aburraheemandfoundhimnotguiltyonthechargeoftrade-markcounterfeitinginthe3rddegree.NotonlywasMr.Abdurraheemclearedofthechargesagainsthim,healsowasnotsaddledwiththeadditionalpunishmentofacriminalrecordwhichwouldhavehaddevastatingeffectsonhisemploymentopportunities.Thisvictorywastheresultofhardwork,prepara-tionanddedication.Byproperlyadvisinghisclientandhisclientsrefusaltosubmittoaplea,ElbertAullIVwasabletosecurejusticeforhisclientandremindusoftheinvaluablerightofacitizentocounsel.

T h e D e f e n d e r

P a g e 3 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 2

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Fromleft:NormanReimer,BarryScheck,LisaWayne,RickJones,GeraldLefcourt,SteveBenjaminandTheodoreSimon

2013OstrowAwardLuncheonhonoringGeraldLefcourtinManhattan.

NDS Is Out & About

Your Support Continues to Help NDS Grow!

NDSAttorneyChant’aParkerandHarlemCom-munitymember

SecondAnnualCommunityCrusade&PicnicatGreaterCalvaryBaptistChurch.

Your support allows NDS to make good on its commitment to providing the highest quality legal services to those who need them most. Your donations will help change the lives of Harlem residents.

Fromleft:NDSStaffakaNDSRoadWarriorsElbertAull,MeganGokey,MichelleGrant,ChristianIzaguirreandLisaFreedman

"RunForYourLife"5KinsupportoftheOdysseyHouse.

NDS is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and all donations are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law.

VictoryforAfricaIamrecentlybackfromaweekontheAfricancontinent.My irsttimebeingthere.TheUnitedNationsandtheNationalAssociationofCriminalDefenseLawyers(NACDL)co-sponsoredanexpertgroupmeetingentitled:PromotingtheRuleofLawandGovernanceintheCriminalJusticeSysteminLiberia.TheundertakingallowedmetomeetwithUNof icials,toppublicdefendersfromTelAvivandJerusalemaswellasdignitariesfromtheLiberiangovernmentandjudiciary.Mostimportantly,however,itaffordedmetheopportunitytospendfourdayswiththe24publicdefenderspracticingthroughoutthecoun-tryofLiberia.Itwasthe irsttimetheyhadallbeentogetherinoneplace.I

gottoseetheirof ices,thecourthouseandtheMonroviaPrison(unlikeanyplaceIhaveeverbeen).Mostsigni icantly,Iwasabletospendtwoandhalfdaysworkingwiththemoncriminaldefenseissues–every-thingfromhowtodealwithpoliceintheprecinctafteranarrest(aterriblyimportantpointintheirpro-cessinlightofthefactthatover90%ofprisoninmatesarepre-trialdetainees,manyofwhomhavebeenincarceratedforyearswaitingtoseeajudge)topreservingtherecordforappeal(Ilearnedthat“preservationoftherecord”inLiberialiterallymeansgatheringupallthepapersassociatedwiththecaseandstoringthemsafelysomewheresothattheyarenotlostordestroyedaftertrial).

Onthe inaldayoftheconveningIhadtheopportunitytoprovideclosingremarkstotheentiredelega-tion.Itoldthe24publicdefendersthattheywere“freedom ighters”andthatIwouldgobacktotheU.S.betterforhavingspenttimewiththem.HavingnowhadsometimeawayfrommyLiberianexperienceanduponre lection,itiscleartomethatoursessionsinMonroviawerethebeginningsofinstillingtherewhatNDSpioneeredinHarlem23yearsago–arelentlesscommitmenttoexcellence.Thepublicdefend-ersinLiberiaarestrivingtodowhatthemenandwomenofNDSarecommittedtoeachandeveryday:MakingJusticeARealityForThoseFarthestFromItsReach.

AsAfrikaOwesandourcommunitypartnersatAbyssinianBaptistChurchwouldsay,“GodblessthepublicdefendersinLiberiaandthankGodfortheNeighborhoodDefenderServiceofHarlem.”

Amentothat.

317 Lenox Ave. 10th floor New York, NY 10027

Phone: 212-876-5500 Fax: 212-876-5586

E-mail: info@ndsny.org

Board of Trustees

Rowan Wilson, Chair Jonathan Abady B. Seth Bryant LaShann DeArcy Miriam Gohara Eric Lane Pamela Lipp-Hendricks Matthew L. Mazur Melody Rollins Downes David Sanford Gerald L. Shargel Elinor R. Tatum

Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem Making Justice A Reality For Those Farthest From Its Reach

A Message from the Executive Director