The Subject: Nicholas Zimmerman
Nicholas Zimmerman is a self-taught legal advocate, entrepreneur, and wrongfully incarcerated prisoner who has spent the last 25 years in the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). Despite his lowest-possible COMPAS risk score, 14 Edovo academic certifications, and zero disciplinary infractions in the last five years, DOCCS continues to hold him past his Mandatory Release Date.
The Core Injustices & Journalistic Hooks
1. Blatant Violations of the HALT Solitary Confinement Act
DOCCS executives, specifically under Commissioner Daniel Martuscello, are actively subverting recent criminal justice reforms. They have illegally rescinded Nicholas’s "Good Time" credits and are holding him past his Mandatory Release Date. This is a direct, ongoing violation of the HALT Solitary Confinement Act.
Timely Hook: A federal judge recently ruled that Commissioner Martuscello can be held liable in the wrongful death of Robert Brooks due to his prior knowledge of systemic abuse. Nicholas has been putting Martuscello and DOCCS on official legal notice regarding this exact type of systemic abuse and retaliation for years.
2. 15 Years in Solitary Confinement for "Running a Business"
Nicholas survived 15 years in solitary confinement (2003–2018). DOCCS issued him 14 retaliatory misbehavior reports based on the non-violent act of operating his company, Madison Avenue Entertainment Group (M.A.E.G.), and managing his legal advocacy website. Guards illegally surveilled his mail and punished him for exercising his First Amendment right to expose unconstitutional prison conditions.
3. Actual Innocence & Prosecutorial Misconduct
Nicholas was wrongfully convicted based on the sole testimony of a single witness. That witness later submitted a sworn recantation affidavit stating she was coerced into testifying by the Assistant District Attorney. Furthermore, Nicholas’s original trial attorney completely failed to submit an alibi notice for witnesses who could have placed him at Club Jam-Rock, far away from the crime scene.
4. A Pro-Se Legal Powerhouse Battling Judicial Misconduct
Refusing to be silenced, Nicholas has filed over 50 State and Federal civil rights lawsuits and more than 1,000 official grievances. He recently represented himself in a civil trial, filing a Rule 59 motion against Former Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, citing blatant discovery violations, the illegal withholding of evidence by the Attorney General's office, and a conspiracy to protect DOCCS staff.
5. Undeniable Rehabilitation & Entrepreneurship
Despite decades of retaliation, Nicholas has built a multi-faceted corporate entity from his cell. He has developed comprehensive business/release plans that project significant positive cash flow, secured 19 letters of support from the outside community, and mastered digital marketing, legal research, and corporate administration. Yet, the Parole Board continues to deny his release.
Available Documentation
Nicholas has compiled a comprehensive 195-page portfolio that serves as an encyclopedia of his case. It includes:
- Detailed Article 78 petitions and HALT Act legal arguments.
- Lawsuits regarding his 15 years in solitary confinement.
- Proof of actual innocence (recantation affidavits and alibi evidence).
- His complete, highly detailed Parole & Conditional Release packet.
We are offering an exclusive look at these legal filings to expose DOCCS' ongoing retaliation and their refusal to comply with New York State reform laws.
Request the Full Legal Portfolio