New York Paralegal Blog

The fight for voting rights in the United States is a long and complex one, marked by significant legal milestones and persistent challenges. A common point of confusion often arises when discussing the right to vote for African Americans: wasn't that guaranteed by the 14th Amendment? While the 14th Amendment was undeniably a landmark achievement in establishing equality, it was the 15th Amendment that explicitly and directly secured the right to vote for African American men. Let's break down why. The Foundational Shift of the 14th Amendment Ratified in 1868, in the wake of the Civil War, the 14th Amendment was transformative. Its primary goals were to establish citizenship for formerly enslaved people and to guarantee fundamental rights. Key provisions include: Citizenship Clause: Declaring that all persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens. This directly addressed the status of formerly enslaved individuals. Equal Protection Clause: Prohibitin...

When we talk about the founding and growth of the United States, it's essential to understand a foundational truth: much of the nation's early wealth and infrastructure was built on the backs of enslaved people. Their forced labor wasn't just a side note; it was the engine of a brutal but incredibly lucrative economic system. From the very beginning, enslaved individuals were the primary workforce for the booming cash crop industries. Think of the vast cotton plantations that fueled textile mills in both the North and Europe, or the sprawling tobacco and sugar operations. These profitable ventures, which made the Southern states among the wealthiest regions globally, were entirely dependent on the relentless, unpaid labor of enslaved men, women, and children. But their contributions weren't limited to agriculture. Enslaved people were also the muscle and skill behind much of America's early infrastructure. They quarried stone, milled timber, and laid bricks to con...

By: Joel Irving  The America of the 1940s and 50s often evokes a nostalgic image of booming industry, white picket fences, and a sense of unified national pride. However, a closer examination of the workforce during this era, particularly before the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, reveals a landscape starkly defined by racial and gender segregation. Opportunities in prominent sectors like banking, law, and healthcare were overwhelmingly dictated by these demographic lines, painting a picture far removed from the idealized visions some may hold. Banks: A Male, Pale Domain Step into a typical bank in the pre-Civil Rights era, and the scene would have been overwhelmingly white and male, especially in customer-facing and managerial roles. While women, predominantly white women, were present, they were largely confined to clerical positions – tellers, secretaries, and bookkeepers – with limited avenues for advancement. African Americans and other minority groups faced even greater e...

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., announced the guilty pleas of AMERICAN STANDARD TESTING AND CONSULTING LABORATORIES (ASTC), its owner, ALAN FORTICH, 44, and five other defendants for falsifying concrete testing and inspection reports. ALAN and ALVARO FORTICH also pleaded guilty to manipulating government programs to obtain jobs for which they were otherwise ineligible.

FRESNO, Calif. – American Laser Centers (ALC), the largest laser hair removal company in the U.S., will pay $125,000 and furnish other relief to settle claims of sexual harassment and retaliation at its site in Fresno, Calif., resolving a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

McALLEN, TX—A total of 20 South Texas residents indicted for their roles in a scheme to defraud the American Family Life Assurance Company (Aflac) of millions of dollars by filing thousands of false injury claims under Aflac’s accident-only insurance plan have been convicted this week, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today.

WASHINGTON—Two Miami-area corporations, American Therapeutic Corporation (ATC) and Medlink Professional Management Group Inc., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Miami for a fraud scheme that resulted in the submission of more than $200 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced. According to court documents, ATC is a Florida corporation headquartered in Miami that operated purported partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) in seven different locations throughout South Florida and Orlando, Fla. A PHP is a form of intensive treatment for severe mental illness. Medlink is a Florida corporation headquartered in Miami that purported to act as a “management company” for health care businesses. In reality, ATC and a related company, the American Sleep Institute (ASI), were Medlink’s only clients. ATC and Medlink are each charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in a superseding indictment unsealed...

In honor of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Census Bureau has released highlights of the latest data on our nation's Asian, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander populations from the 2010 Census and 2007 Survey of Business Owners. Some of the latest statistics show : There are 17.3 million U.S. residents of Asian descent, according to the 2010 Census, making up 5.6 percent of the total population. Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders make up 0.4 percent of the population, totaling 1.2 million people, according to the 2010 Census. Between the 2000 and 2010 Censuses, the Asian alone or in combination population grew 46 % – more than any other major race group. The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone or in combination population grew by 40 % between the 2000 and 2010 Censuses. Fifty percent of single-race Asians 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education in 2009, compared wi...

WASHINGTON –Attorney General Eric Holder and Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the approval by the U.S. District Court of the settlement of a class action lawsuit filed against USDA by Native American farmers alleging discrimination by USDA. The court’s approval of the settlement ends litigation concerning discrimination complaints from Native Americans generally covering the period 1981-1999. “The settlement approved by the court Thursday will allow USDA and the Native American farmers involved in the lawsuit to move forward and focus on the future,” said Attorney General Holder. “Under the process established in this agreement, Native American farmers who believe they suffered discrimination will have their claims heard. The Department of Justice is proud to partner with USDA in the agency’s effort to ensure fair and equitable treatment of its clients." “The Keepseagle settlement approved by the court marks just one more step toward our goal of...

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that Vincent Johnson of Brick, N.J., was sentenced to 50 months in prison and three years supervised release for sending a series of threatening email communications to employees of five civil rights organizations that work to improve opportunities for, and challenge discrimination against, Latinos in the United States. Johnson was also ordered to pay a fine of $10,000. Johnson, 61, who went by the internet pseudonym “Devilfish,” pleaded guilty on Oct. 20, 2010, to 10 counts related to threatening conduct towards the victims, who included employees of the LatinoJustice Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund; the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund; the National Council of La Raza; the League of United Latin American Citizens; and the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders. Johnson admitted that between November 2006 and February 2009, he emailed numerous threats to the victims to preve...

WASHINGTON – Two Miami-area residents and owners of a mental health care corporation, American Therapeutic Corporation (ATC), pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Miami for orchestrating a fraud scheme that resulted in the submission of more than $200 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced. Lawrence S. Duran, 49, and Marianella Valera, 40, pleaded guilty at an arraignment hearing before Magistrate Judge Barry L. Garber to all counts charged in a superseding indictment, which was unsealed on Feb. 15, 2011. The superseding indictment charges Duran with 38 felony counts and Valera with 21 felony counts, including conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering and structuring to avoid reporting requirements. The court must hold a hearing scheduled for a later date to accep...

WASHINGTON – Kenneth Stiffey Jr. of Robinson, Penn., pleaded guilty yesterday to a charge related to the burning of a cross in the yard of an African-American victim in November 2009, the Justice Department announced today. Stiffey, 21, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with the housing rights of another in federal court in Pittsburgh before Senior U.S. District Judge Maurice B. Cohill. Information presented during the plea hearing established that a cross burning occurred on Nov. 14, 2009, at a residence in Robinson that was home to a family with three minor children, one of whom is African-American. The investigation revealed that Stiffey and his co-conspirators agreed to burn a cross in the backyard of the home of the African-American minor victim. After the cross was constructed and doused in accelerant, Stiffey transported the 6-foot wooden cross to a garage owned by Stiffey’s family. Together with co-conspirators, Stiffey carried the cross into his garage and supp...

NEW YORK, NY (August 13, 2008) - Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that his office has filed a lawsuit against New York-based American Modification Agency, Inc. (“Amerimod”), one of the largest foreclosure rescue companies in the country, and its owner Salvatore Pane, Jr. for engaging in a wide variety of deceptive business practices and false advertising to induce beleaguered homeowners on the brink of foreclosure to sign up for their services. Today’s lawsuit is part of Cuomo’s ongoing investigation into foreclosure rescue scams that target New York homeowners. Attorney General Cuomo’s investigation into Amerimod revealed that while claiming to modify home mortgage loans and lower monthly payments of consumers on the brink of foreclosure, Amerimod typically falls short on its promises. In fact, after Amerimod collects illegal, up-front fees, the homeowners often find themselves in worsened circumstances with respect to their mortgages and unable to obtain accurate in...

PHILADELPHIA - Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division Grace Chung Becker, and Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Laurie Magid announced the filing of a one count criminal complaint charging William Gould with interference with employment by threat of violence, a Class A misdemeanor. The complaint alleges that Gould placed a hangman’s noose in an area where his African-American colleague would find it, in an attempt to interfere with his colleague’s federally protected employment activity, and because the colleague was African-American. The complaint alleges that on Aug. 11, 2008, Gould fashioned and placed a hangman’s noose in a workspace at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where he worked. Approximately two weeks earlier, Children’s Hospital had announced the acceptance of that African-American colleague into a management training program specifically focused on hiring and promoting minority employees. Go...