“There is no blanket ‘immunity’ for criminal behavior. States can and should hold federal officers accountable,” public defender Eli Northrup wrote in response to Miller’s message, which DHS described as a “REMINDER.”

“He’s not a lawyer,” Northrup added.

“It’s punishing somebody before they get convicted of anything, in a huge way,” said Eli Northrup, one of Ms. Crawford’s lawyers with the Bronx Defenders. “Every single day, you have people walking out of the courthouse, and they have nowhere to go.”

“New York isn’t basing this on any existing model,” Northrup said. “They’re basing it on trying to do the right thing.”

Eli shared his disappointment with losing the election and how his work as the policy director at the Bronx Public Defenders formed his political platform. At the midpoint of the conversation we talked about American citizens' looking for openness and honesty in a political scene rife with dishonesty

At a rally of lawmakers and advocates calling to protect the current laws on discovery, Assemblymember Latrice Walker, a Democrat from Brooklyn, said prosecutors should not have the power to decide what evidence is relevant to a case.

People who have been punished for marijuana offenses are applying to open the state’s first retail cannabis dispensaries.

“The law has to mean something,” said lawyer Eli Northrup, who was involved with two of the three cases.

“I understand the broader complaint of cases shouldn’t go away,” Mr. Northrup said. “But it’s the responsibility of a government that is bringing charges against somebody to bring documents.”

Shamika Crawford was left homeless and separated from her children because of a stay-away order issued by a judge without there being any hearing or due process. This is an everyday occurrence in New York City where those accused are effectively presumed guilty. Bronx Defenders lawyers fought alongside Ms. Crawford and Covington & Burling LLP in a case that led to the historic creation of “Crawford Hearings."

The ruling requires a court to hold hearings to decide whether a pre-trial order of protection is necessary before restricting access to a person’s family, home, work, or other locations.

On this episode of Today's Verdict, we’re joined by Eli Northrup, Policy Director of the Criminal Defense Practice at The Bronx Defenders, to discuss the powerful case of Eduardo Caba, shedding light on the systemic failures of the criminal justice system and offering practical advice and policy insight for those facing similar legal challenges.

Eli Northrup is running to represent the Upper West Side in the New York State Assembly. From the courtroom to the State Capitol he's built his career as a public defender fighting for others and standing up to bullies. Here's what that means to the people he's served...