Collateral Consequences Calculator Developed: Can Alert Judges and Lawyers to Immigration and Public Housing Consequences of a Criminal Conviction

Criminal defendants in New York can find out the hard way that pleading guilty may be only the beginning of their trip through the legal system. There are often additional consequences to a conviction–even for seemingly minor crimes–that can affect, among other things, a defendant’s immigrant status or eligibility for public housing. However, defendants and their lawyers, along with prosecutors and judges, may not be aware of what those consequences are.

Now, an innovative web-based tool developed by the Lawyering in the Digital Age Clinic at Columbia Law School and the Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning (CCNMTL) is aiming to change that. The Calculator will provide legal practitioners and judges in New York with an overview of the immigration and public housing eligibility consequences that attach to a guilty plea or conviction. The calculator can be viewed at http://calculator.law.columbia.edu

KJ