Court rules Communities United for Police Reform may intervene in NYPD midconduct database case

On Tuesday, a federal court ruled that Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) may intervene in a lawsuit brought by five New York City police unions, as well as corrections and firefighter unions, that seeks to block the City from publishing officer misconduct and discipline information and roll back the historic repeal of N.Y. Civil Rights Law § 50-a. The unions sued the City in July, after the New York State legislature repealed 50-a, a law that had shielded the records from the public, and the de Blasio administration announced plans to release a searchable NYPD misconduct database. The court also denied the unions’ request for a preliminary injunction blocking release of the records during the duration of the litigation.

“We appreciate that the court allowed Communities United for Police Reform to intervene in the police unions' litigation that aims to roll back the repeal of New York's main police secrecy statute, 50-a,” said Mark Winston-Griffin, spokesperson for Communities United for Police Reform. “The fact that the injunction request was largely denied is an important step in ending the police unions' attempt to use the courts to continue to hide police misconduct and subvert the will of New Yorkers and the New York state legislature.”

CPR is represented by the Center for Constitutional Rights and the law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.

Learn more about this case on our website.

Join us in court via Zoom to support our fight against ALEC's racist, corporate control of government

[caption align="right"][/caption]

We will be in court tomorrow representing our Arizona partners, Black Lives Matter Phoenix Metro, Mijente Support Committee, Puente Human Rights Movement, and the Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance in a case fighting to stop lawmakers who are members of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) from circumventing democratic legislatures to privately write laws with corporate executives in luxury hotels. 

To join us remotely in court and support our continued fight against ALEC’s racist, corporate control of our democracy, please register here.

You can also tune in to our press conference following the court argument and hear from our attorneys and local Arizona partners. The press conference starts at 2:30 p.m. EDT and will be streamed over Zoom.

The hearing follows our December 4, 2019, filing in Phoenix against 26 Arizona lawmakers that attended ALEC’s annual meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona. The day before we filed the lawsuit we also released our report ALEC Attacks, documenting ALEC’s long legacy of developing laws that target people of color on behalf of the organization’s corporate fee-paying members. These notorious laws include Voter ID, Stand Your Ground, Critical Infrastructure, and anti-BDS laws.

For more information about the case, visit our case page.

TODAY! Join us for Fannie Lou Hamer's Sick and Tired: A Community Reading

[caption align="right"][/caption]

This morning from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EDT, join us as we partner with The Dream Unfinished for “Sick and Tired,” a live community reading of Fannie Lou Hamer’s 1964 speech. The virtual event features musical improvisation by bassoonist Monica Ellis, a discussion on women of color as artists and activists with musicologists Dr. Ashley Jackson and Melanie Zeck, and an interview with our Associate Executive Director Donita Judge. Hosted by Jasmine Wilson.

Please be advised, this community reading contains abrasive language and sensitive subject matter, including descriptions of sexual violence. This community reading will not be viewable through an open livestream, but attendees will be provided with a private link upon RSVP. The Dream Unfinished Orchestra and affiliated organizations advise that children below the ages of 13 not attend. Prior to attendance, please visit this link for more information about Fannie Lou Hamer and her speech.

To RSVP for this event, please fill out this Google Form.

Listen! "The Activist Files" podcast: The Legacy of Black August: Freedom Struggles from Prison Today

[caption align="right"][/caption]

What does honoring Black August mean to activists working towards abolition today? Our communications assistant Alex Webster talks about it with TRANScending Barriers executive director Zahara Green and Abolitionist Law Center executive director Robert "Saleem" Holbrook on the 29th episode of "The Activist Files."

They discuss the importance of honoring the solemnity of the month, how current and former prisoners are the embodiment of Black August, and how we must take this moment to remember those freedom fighters who are still inside. They also highlight the ongoing work to challenge transphobia in both prisons and in organizing, the impact of COVID-19, and how abolition is an undertaking that requires entire social transformation.