Federal court allows alleged systemic discrimination case to proceed

According to Caribbean Life News, On Sept. 14, Judge Ramón E. Reyes, Jr. of the Eastern District of New York denied defendants’ attempt to dismiss a lawsuit filed in March 2025 by Brooklyn resident Albert Elia and the National Federation of the Blind – New York (NFBNY). “I am gratified that the court recognized several ways I and other blind jurors could be accommodated,” said plaintiff Albert Elia. “I hope the defendant takes note and stops arguing that the blind check their rights at the door when they enter the courthouse.” Elia and NFBNY filed this lawsuit against the New York State Unified Court System (NYSUCS) and the Kings County Commissioner of Jurors because at the time, the court specifically prevented him from deliberating on cases that involved video or photo evidence, assuming he couldn’t interpret this evidence because he was blind. The court also refused to allow Mr. Elia to use assistive technology or rec