Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Spin The Wheel Of Justice & See All The Different Ways NYers Lose
By
Shayla Love
Published Aug 27, 2014
Modified Aug 27, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
By
Shayla Love
Published Aug 27, 2014
Modified Aug 27, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Wheel! Of! People getting screwed by New York’s legal system!
Today the New York Civil Liberties Union put up a colorful wheel in Washington Square Park, inviting passersby to spin it and hear true stories of their clients that have been chewed up and spit out by our convoluted legal system. “We developed a justice game as another way of saying, justice isn’t a game. It shouldn’t just be a crapshoot," said Donna Leiberman, NYCLU’s Executive Director.
Each segment of the wheel holds a real-life Kafkaesque fate: lawyers who have full voicemail inboxes and can’t be reached, clients who have had their cases dropped but are forgotten in prison, and a lack of competent legal assistance that leads to losing custody of a child.
A sample, if you land on "Silenced."
You're in court after a fight that left you beaten so badly your jaw is wired shut. The prosecutor mischaracterizes your criminal history, but your attorney doesn't speak up. So you address the court - with your jaw still wired shut! You end up in jail for up to three years for a crime you are innocent of.
Based on the true story of New Yorker Donald T. (Suffolk County, NY)
The one segment that gets you a prize is the green one with dollar signs on it. The back reads, “You are lucky enough to have money for private legal help and can spend thousands on a misdemeanor trial.”
We spoke to a few of the "lucky" spinners.
(Gothamist)
Alex Marks // What she spun: “Death”
“I have a friend majoring in criminal justice, so I know a little about the system and that it doesn’t always work. My teacher said that our government was designed to be slow and inefficient so that everyone has their say. Well, I think that justice should be faster because individual lives are on the line.”
(Gothamist)
Carl Yin // What he spun: “Go to Jail”
“I don’t really feel affected. I don’t think you can describe social problems with a wheel.”
(Gothamist)
Christine Chei // What she spun: “Ignored”
“People put a lot of trust into the legal system, but now I think there’s a trend of asking more questions with everything that’s been going on. [The wheel] is fun. It’s better than a lecture or someone coming at you with a clipboard. It’s eye-catching.”
(Gothamist)
Eric Jones // What he spun: “Child Taken”
“I worked at Riker’s Island before, and saw inmates who weren’t represented properly have their children taken away. It brings awareness for people who don’t know about what’s going on. It’s something different, it definitely got my attention."
The NYCLU will be going to court this October for a lawsuit filed seven years ago, alleging that New Yorkers aren't getting sufficient legal representation from their public defenders.
“Our trial shouldn’t be necessary,” Lieberman said. “Governor Cuomo has demonstrated he can be a progressive leader. The time is now for him to ensure that all New Yorkers get the representation they deserve.”
In the meantime, you can help the cause and spin the wheel yourself online WheelOfJusticeNY.org
Tagged
legal system
nyclu
original
Shayla Love
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Years of bus headaches start Thursday as Port Authority advances Midtown terminal work
The Port Authority is replacing its ramshackle Midtown Bus Terminal. Riders will face years of headaches as the work is finished.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
and
Carol Chen
Published Oct 13, 2026 at 4:47 p.m. ET
ICE admits to using Roxbury, NJ warehouse site to process immigrants
The agency is under a court order not to use the site for detaining arrestees, but acknowledged it processed immigrants there on at least two occasions.
By
Mike Hayes
News
ICE admits to using Roxbury, NJ warehouse site to process immigrants
The agency is under a court order not to use the site for detaining arrestees, but acknowledged it processed immigrants there on at least two occasions.
By
Mike Hayes
Dolan's offer: Donations to Blakeman for Knicks tickets
By
Walter Wuthmann
NYC officials call for Target boycott, say ICE staged at Marble Hill lot before shooting
By
Ryan Kost
and
Brittany Kriegstein
'Insults, bravado': Legal standoff over Mamdani rent freeze grows fiery
By
David Brand
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .