#BailWatch Update: 1000 Arraignments Watched!!

Court Watch NYC Community,

We’re writing to celebrate a huge milestone and announce the first training of 2025! If you haven’t yet done the Court Watch NYC and #BailWatch trainings, or you want to get friends involved, now’s the perfect time. Full details on our two-part January training are below and you can sign up for Part 1 here.

#BailWatch Update: 1,000 Arraignments Watched

Since launching our #BailWatch campaign in June, we have now officially watched over 1,000 arraignments, presided over by 23 targeted judges, across four boroughs!! We have posted several sets of observations on what we have seen (more to come), and have shared the data we collected with trusted partner organizations, who have been able to get several people released from Rikers based on information from our watchers. Judges know we are watching!

Unfortunately, we continue to see examples of the cruelty and inhumanity judges display towards the people coming through their courtrooms. We have seen judges continue to ignore the letter and spirit of bail laws, setting horrifically high bail on people with no ability to pay. We have seen $5.7M of total bail set, with a median amount of $10,000 – well above the median household bank account balance – potentially subjecting almost 200 people to the inhumane conditions at Rikers Island. We have seen judges laugh at people, yell at people, and be more punitive because they don’t like the way people are looking at them. We have seen them grandstand for the press, making especially cruel comments regarding people's lives in front of courtrooms full of reporters.

We’ve seen the difference our presence makes in the courtroom. Let’s keep up this momentum and get more eyes on these judges.

Next CWNYC Training: Intro to CWNYC (Part 1), January 8

We are hosting another virtual Intro to CWNYC training on January 8 from 7:30-9pm! This is the first of our two-part training series. Part 1 will cover a brief history of mass incarceration & abolition, the NYC court system, why court watching is important and how you can get involved. 

After this session, you can provide court support, join our study group, our signal community and our events, and sign up for Part 2 — our tactical #BailWatch training, which goes into detail on the logistics of how to join our arraignments watching campaign. 

You can sign up for Intro to CWNYC (Part 1) here, and please share the link and/or our Instagram post with your networks!

In Solidarity,

Court Watch NYC