Outside a Bronx Nightclub stands 25-year-old, Aaron Cedres. He’s working as a bouncer. A fight breaks out, and a confusing brawl of more than a dozen people leaves one man ends with a broken jaw and deep cuts to his head and back.

Aaron, who has no prior criminal record, is charged with gang assault. If convicted, he faces a possibility of 25 years in prison.

The prosecutor in the case says tells Aaron that he’s obtained the surveillance footage from outside the club and urges him to take a plea deal of 5 years behind prison.

Aaron is appointed Kristin Bruan, a Senior Staff Attorney at Legal Aide Society, to defend him. He tells a different story. As the bouncer at the club, it’s his job to break up fights. Aaron says he threw one punch between two men who were in physical altercation, and that’s it. He insists the footage with exonerate him.

Unfortunately, in New York state, prosecutors can wait until just before trial to supply the defendant with key evidence such as witness names, statements and video footage.

For Kristin, making life-altering decisions with extraordinarily imperfect information, using her gut and her tenacity to fight for justice, and drawing on passion to keeping moving forward.

Today’s podcast is a story about a real and ongoing, “WTF am I doing with my life?” moment from Kristin, who had to making life-altering decisions with extraordinarily imperfect information. She’ using her gut and her tenacity to fight for justice, and drawing on passion to keeping moving forward.

LINKS: 

Legal Aid

The Bronx Freedom Fund

New York Assembly

Write Your Senator (NY)

Write Your Governor (NY)

 

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