
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman speaking at New York Law School. Image credit: CityLaw
Schneiderman announces one-year jail sentence and $5 million settlement with major New York City landlord who fraudulently refinanced loans and committed tax fraud. On October 3, 2017, New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced the sentencing of landlord Steven Croman who owns more than 140 apartment buildings across Manhattan. In June 2017, Croman pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Third, Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree and Criminal Tax Fraud in the Fourth Degree. Croman was sentenced to serve one year at Rikers Island. As part of his guilty plea, Croman also agreed to a $5 million tax settlement with the State. (more…)

Ross Sandler, Center for New York City Law Director
The election of Donald Trump deeply impacted students at New York Law School. The School sponsored public meetings at which several students described their personal and family fears about the new administration. Other students were far more hopeful, but they carefully respected the views of their fellow students. The students as a whole are newly energized. A new political generation is emerging.
These changes in the electoral environment have occurred just as the City of New York begins its municipal election cycle with the mayoral election set for November 7, 2017. The Center for New York City Law will play its special role during the year as an open forum and transparent window into the workings of municipal government. In anticipation of the election, during fall of 2016 the Center for New York City Law sponsored programs on the City’s readiness to address the Zika virus threat, reforms at Rikers Island, the changes in stop and frisk at the NYPD, and the role of the Public Advocate. Upcoming on December 16th the Center will host a program on the care of the City’s homeless population.
For the past 21 years the Center for New York City Law has provided tens of thousands of people with unbiased coverage of land use and administrative decisions. I ask that you consider financially supporting the Center for New York City Law as part of your yearend contributions. The Center for New York City Law needs financial gifts of $100, $200 or $500 to continue its important work. Your donation will be listed on our Financial Supporters page and the donation will insure that the Center for New York City Law’s publications, events and research web site will continue to flourish.
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Commissioner Joseph Ponte at the 136th CityLaw Breakfast. Image Credit: CityLaw
On Friday September 16, 2016, the Center for New York City Law at New York Law School hosted the 136th CityLaw Breakfast. The event speaker was New York City Department of Correction Commissioner Joseph Ponte. The event was specially sponsored by Capalino+Company.
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Image Credit: CityLaw
Recently the City got some good news about Rikers Island, a change from the bad news of recent years. On August 2, 2016, Mayor Bill de Blasio, together with Correction Commissioner Joseph Ponte, announced that for the first six months of 2016 the frequencies with which staff used serious force on inmates and inmates seriously assaulted staff dropped by nearly half over the past year. Overall uses of force and assault numbers were also down over 2015, but not by as much. The mayor trumpeted the improvement although the frequency of the use of force and assaults in 2016 remained far higher than had been experienced from 2011 to 2014. Still, the improvement in 2016 over 2015, the most violent year, was a welcome step in the right direction.
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Mark Peters, Commissioner of the Department of Investigation. Image credit: CityLand
On Tuesday, June 2, 2015, the Center for New York City Law at New York Law School hosted the 126th City Law Breakfast. The speaker was Mark Peters, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation.
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