Press Releases
June 28, 2016 (New City, New York) The District Attorneys Association of the State of New York (DAASNY) today called on Governor Cuomo to veto S6483A/A9042A (Savino, Quart) – An act to amend the Penal Law in relation to the definition of switchblade and gravity knives.
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(NEW CITY, NY – February 5, 2016) The District Attorneys Association of the State of New York (DAASNY) announced today that every prosecutor in New York State has been provided with an updated guide to complying with statutory, regulatory, and case law on a wide range of ethical obligations. “The Right Thing,” first penned in 2011, has been reviewed and revised in light of evolving ethical obligations of New York State’s 2800 local prosecutors.
DAASNY President Thomas Zugibe (DA Rockland County) said that while this important training and reference tool was critical for prosecutors, the most important deliverable is that a constant emphasis on ethics will create an atmosphere in which ethical compliance is second nature for every single prosecutor in the state.
New York is widely praised for at the forefront in terms of training not only prosecutors, but other members of law enforcement in their ethical obligations, particularly in terms of the information that must be turned over to the defense in a criminal case. Since 2010, the DAASNY Best Practices Committee has met regularly to discuss procedures that reduce wrongful convictions and improve the justice system. Dozens of states have modeled their own practices on those established in New York, and have adopted “The Right Thing” as a guide.
January 22, 2016, Grand Hyatt Hotel – New York, New York: Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe., President of the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York, was joined by District Attorneys and senior law enforcement officials from around the state today including US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, to honor five prosecutors with the prestigious Hogan Award and Morgenthau Awards.
The Hogan Award was presented to:
Retired Broome County District Attorney Gerald Mollen.
The Morgenthau Award – one for each of four regions that make up the state — was presented to:
- Jeremy Glickman, New York County;
- Morrie Kleinbart, Richmond County;
- Jacqueline Kagan, Justice Center for People with Special Needs; and
- Brian Dennis, Ontario County.
Statement of DAASNY President Thomas P. Zugibe (District Attorney, Rockland County) on Confirmation of Chief Judge Janet DiFiore to the Court of Appeals
“On behalf of the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York, I congratulate Judge Janet DiFiore on her confirmation as the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals. Janet DiFiore has shown the type of balanced approach to serving justice that will undoubtedly become the hallmark of her leadership of the judicial branch of our great state. We look forward to working with Judge DiFiore on the important work of improving the criminal justice system and enhancing public safety.”
DAASNY Applauds Governor Cuomo on Commitment to Reform of ID Procedures, Videotaping of Certain Custodial Interrogations
(NEW CITY, NY – January 14, 2016) DAASNY President Thomas P. Zugibe (District Attorney, Rockland County) said, “DAASNY applauds Governor Cuomo for including the wrongful conviction legislation initiative as part of his 2016 priorities. Since 2010, the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York has voluntarily adopted identification procedures and the video recording of certain custodial interrogations.
“Last year, we were proud to work with the New York State Bar Association and the Innocence Project to draft language codifying these issues (S5875A, A8157A — sponsored by Senator Nozzolio and Assemblyman Lentol). It is rare that opposing parties in our adversarial judicial system come together to call for legislative change, but the implementation of procedures proven to reduce wrongful convictions is so important that it transcends those differences.
“The voluntary video recording and identification procedures adopted by DAASNY demonstrated the commitment of prosecutors and police to getting it right; statewide adoption of the proposed legislation will be one more step to enhance justice in New York.”
December 12, 2015
DAASNY APPLAUDS GOVERNOR CUOMO FOR VETOING S4747/A5266 – AN ACT TO AMEND THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW, IN RELATION TO AGGRAVATED LEAVING THE SCENE OF AN INCIDENT WITHOUT REPORTING. District Attorneys Association of the State of New York (DAASNY) recommends straightforward solutions to remove incentive to flee the scene of an accident.
December 8, 2015
District Attorneys Testify to Benefits, Challenges of Police Body Worn Cameras
October 22, 2015
July 16, 2015
July 13, 2015
May 18, 2015
The following is a statement from the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York (DAASNY) regarding Senator Hoylman’s package of legislation, which includes bills to create the crime of undisclosed self-dealing, strengthen existing laws against bribery of public officials and expand laws to prosecute fraud schemes and larceny:
Frank A. Sedita, III, President of the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York (DAASNY) and Erie County District Attorney said: “In 2013, I served as co-chair of the White Collar Crime Task Force, and ambitious group effort convened by DAASNY that included practitioners from the public and private sector. The recommendations in the final report were made without consideration for political expediency, but were crafted to codify best practices that will improve the way we respond to both existing and emerging types of criminal activity. I am extremely pleased that Senator Hoylman has introduced these logical, well-reasoned proposals, some of which will even save county governments significant resources.”
January 21, 2015
The following is a statement from the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York (DAASNY):
The District Attorneys Association accepts the concept of statutory changes to increase the transparency of the grand jury process and to create more informed procedures in police involved civilian fatalities, be it expanding the authority of the county DA to issue a written report and/or subsequent review by others, bound by clearly delineated legal standards and defined procedures. We believe these changes proposed by the Governor would improve the system and improve the public’s confidence in the system. Accordingly, the Association enthusiastically looks forward to working closely with the executive branch and the legislature to work out the details of the proposal.