Professor Anna Cominsky ’05, Supervising Attorney of NYLS’s Criminal Defense Clinic and Managing Attorney of NYLS Legal Services, Inc., has published a New York Daily News op-ed on how the pandemic is affecting New Yorkers involved in the criminal justice system.
From “Remaking Courts After COVID”
“Every day, New York’s criminal courts decide the fate of some of our most vulnerable residents. We know the outcomes produced are the product of a deeply unjust system that for far too long has disadvantaged the poor and people of color.
“As the supervising attorney of New York Law School’s Criminal Defense Clinic, I have seen how these structural inequalities have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We must take the lessons from the pandemic to create a smarter, fairer and more nimble court system when we return to normal. This must include a greater emphasis on pre-trial diversion programs, more flexibility in determining when accused individuals must actually appear in court and keeping certain proceedings virtual even when social distancing ends.”