On June 19, 2012, one lone gunman entered a small pharmacy in Medford, Long Island. Seven gunshots later, four people lay dead—killed at close range without signs of resistance. Three days later, David Laffer and his wife, Melinda Brady, were arrested. Laffer was charged with first-degree murder. Melinda Brady, driver of the getaway car, was charged with third-degree robbery.
Search Results for: Enforcement
Judge Judith S. Kaye: Juvenile Justice Reform: Now is Really the Moment
Judge Judith S. Kaye delivered these remarks at the CityLaw Breakfast on October 18, 2013.
A little more than three years ago—on August 27, 2010, to be precise—I had the privilege of standing before you as part of the CityLaw Breakfast Series. I began by complimenting all of you, as I do today, for arriving at the crack of dawn to chew on the subject of justice for breakfast.
On that beautiful summer day, I … <Read More>
The Aftermath of Shelby County v. Holder: Will Voting Rights Be Diminished?
The United States Supreme Court’s June 25, 2013 decision, Shelby County v. Holder, struck down Section 4 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, eliminating a “preclearance” coverage formula that had subjected numerous jurisdictions with checkered voting rights histories to the U.S. Department of Justice’s oversight. Although the decision allows Congress to create a new coverage formula, in today’s political climate that appears unlikely. While the preclearance system was often associated with deep Southern states … <Read More>
In Conversation with NRDC’s Kate Sinding: Fracking, Land Use, and NYC’s Drinking Water
Kate Sinding is a Senior Attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council for the New York Urban Program. She has lived all over the world, spending her childhood years in Pakistan, the Philippines, and Kenya, as well as various locations in the United States. She studied women’s rights and international development at Barnard College. Sinding went to law school at New York University, where she earned a joint degree in law and public policy … <Read More>
2013 Election Special: Campaign Finance Board Executive Director Amy Loprest
The dramatic suicide of Queens Borough President Donald Manes in 1986 shocked the City. Manes was under investigation in the Parking Violations Bureau ticket collection scandal when he drove a knife through his heart while talking on the phone with his psychiatrist. It was out of this scandal-plagued era that the City’s Campaign Finance Board was born. A joint City-State Commission to combat corruption organized by Mayor Ed Koch and Governor Mario Cuomo recommended public … <Read More>
Jerry Goldfeder: Improve Voter Turnout By Modernizing New York’s Election Law
New York State’s voter turnout in the 2012 presidential election was 47th best in the country. It is difficult to discern the cause of low turnout, but there is no question that changes in election procedures could make voting less difficult and encourage turnout.
The manner in which a state conducts and regulates its elections determines whether voting will be easy or hard. Each state determines its election rules, even when electing a President. The … <Read More>