Criminal Justice

Gillibrand Releases New Report on Anti-Gun Trafficking Law

By SÍLE MOLONEY
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand unveiled her report analyzing initial successes arising from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA)’s anti-gun trafficking section and mental health funding distribution on Tuesday, Dec. 5. Gillibrand’s first-of-its-kind report found that more than 1,300 illegal guns have been seized and more than 200 defendants have been charged under BSCA’s new gun trafficking statute.

OCM Steps Up Pressure on Unlicensed Cannabis Shops

By SÍLE MOLONEY, MIA HOLLIE & PERRY GREGORY
The New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) published a second update on Monday, Dec. 4, on enforcement actions taken against unlicensed cannabis shops across the State.

Off-Duty DOC Employee Arrested & Charged with Assault in The Bronx

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Police said an off-duty New York City employee was arrested on Saturday, Dec. 9, in the 43rd Precinct which encompasses some or all of the neighborhoods of Westchester Avenue, Castle Hill Avenue, White Plains Road, and Parkchester.   They said Richard Irving, 37, an employee with NYC Department of Corrections was charged with assault.   A person arrested and charged with a crime is deemed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.    

Bronx Man Gets 25 Years to Life for Murder of Roommate in Yonkers

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah announced on Friday, Dec. 8, that a Bronx man was sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison for the 2022 murder of his friend and former roommate, 29-year-old Yonkers resident Marquis Muniz.  

UPDATE Flaws in DOCCS Drug Testing Led to Unsupported Discipline of Inmates, New DOC Commissioner Appointed

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang released a report on Nov. 30, detailing defects in both the manufacturing and administration of drug tests used by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) to detect the presence of contraband in correctional facilities. According to the NYS Offices of the Inspector General, the flaws in these drugs tests, based upon unreliable evidence, resulted in the disciplining of more than 2,000 incarcerated individuals across the State. These disciplinary sanctions included solitary confinement, delays in parole eligibility, and suspension of family visitation, among others.