Defender Association of Philadelphia

... [the Defender Association’s Bradley] Bridge fought three more years to get him released with time served and won a victory that has given hope to hundreds of other juvenile lifers still on parole. In federal court, he argued that Ligon’s mandatory maximum sentence of life was unconstitutional. The constitution requires that the entire sentence, both the minimum and maximum terms imposed on a juvenile, be individualized and a one size fits all cannot pass constitutional muster, he wrote... The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office agreed. And, on Nov. 13, 2020, Anita B. Brody, senior U.S. District judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, ordered Ligon resentenced or released within 90 days.

Hollman’s case drew new attention after an April 2017 report in The Inquirer highlighted his case in a story about the pervasive practice of lying in the criminal justice system by suspects, witnesses, and law enforcement. A podcast, Undisclosed, then raised more questions about Hollman’s arrest and the verdict against him.

This decision is important not just for protecting people who get arrested, [the Defender Association's Leonard] Sosnov said. It’s also for all the innocent people out there who never end up in court, because police searched the car and didn’t find anything. But it also means whenever something is found in a car that is illegal, the judges have to not just say ‘motion denied [due to] Gary’ if you move to suppress the evidence, which is what’s happened for the last six or seven years.

Keir Bradford-Gray, chief of the Philadelphia Defenders Association, told Council members that quarantine and isolation policies inside prisons are not always followed. She cited an example of a public defender who went to visit a client and was informed only by that client that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. The inmate should not have been brought into the visitation area, she said, and the defender had to self-quarantine following the exposure. The only way to reduce risk in a meaningful way, Bradford-Gray said, is to reduce overcrowding at facilities and strictly limit the population.

Learn how we can all play a role in fighting for the rights of those accused of crimes by our justice system

Defender clients can now apply online for our probation termination services at: https://phillydefenders.org/probation-termination/

TODAY (Monday, Oct. 26) at 4:30 p.m.: Make your voice heard on police oversight with Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr. You can watch here: http://phlcouncil.com/watch-city-council/

We needed to set up a new Zoom Town Hall. To get the new link, e-mail [email protected] needed to set up a new Zoom Town Hall. To get the new link, e-mail [email protected]

Uncle Bobbie's is thrilled to have co-authors Ibi Zoboi and Dr. Yusef Salaam joining us to discuss their newly-released young adult novel "Punching The Air". The authors will be joined by Chief Defender of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, Ms. Keir Bradford-Grey, in unpacking the book's central themes of transformative justice and systemic racism. Tune in for an engaging discussion and the open audience Q&A to follow!

TTODAY AT 4:30 PM: PHLCouncil Public Safety Committee Hearing on Police response to protests

TONIGHT: Visit the POWER Facebook page to listen to Part 7 of the ongoing discussion around civilian oversight of police.

We're still in a pandemic... Stay safe!

https://youtu.be/DcK32WEVmbo On October 2, Keir Bradford-Grey participated in a national panel that was part of NC CRED's symposium on the Roles of the Prosecutor and Public Defender In Criminal Justice Reform. Keir was joined by Professor Angela Davis; Cook County Prosecutor Kimberly Foxx and John Chisolm. The panel was moderated by Judge Nancy Gertner.

To register for our next CLE, click here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/regist/1252946686434134027 For more info, e-mail Tara West: [email protected]

The Philadelphia Defender Association’s leader, Keir Bradford Grey, has a similar view. We’ve been working very hard on reforms to our pretrial decision making, which often occurs in a vacuum with minimal information, resulting in arbitrary, biased decisions. Improving the system means taking a very close look at what happens at this critical stage in the justice process. Full transparency with regard to these hearings is the best way to ensure our system works in the most fundamentally fair way...