Schuyler County Public Health Open House April 6

Celebrating National Public Health Week:

Justice Task Force Report on attorney responsibility in criminal cases released

The New York State Justice Task Force has released a report on attorney responsibility in criminal cases.

The Task Force recommendations are grouped into eight categories: Use of the Term Misconduct; Encouraging Reporting of Attorney Misconduct; Grievance Process; Data Collection and Statistics; Role of Judiciary in Making Referrals; Training; Order Regarding Disclosure Obligations for Prosecutors; and Order Regarding Obligations for Defense Attorneys. Some of the sppecific recommendations relate to:

• Use of the Term Misconduct;
• Encouraging Reporting of Attorney Misconduct;
• Orders Regarding Disclosure Obligations for Prosecutors;
• Orders Regarding Obligations for Defense Attorneys.

The complete report can be found here.

Mars needs lawyers?

FiveThirtyEight says "escaping Earth’s gravity is way easier than escaping its international legal issues":

(T)he governance of space has always been affected by the governance of Earth. The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, for instance, was the political driver behind the race for the moon and set the stage for the 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies — which is still our primary legal document outlining the rules for space.

The 1967 treaty — known as the Outer Space Treaty, for short — was signed by 104 countries and was the document that helped humans create a space environment that’s more “Star Trek” than “Star Wars” — but it primarily addresses individual, independent governments bumping into one another as they go about their separate business, according to von der Dunk and Joanne Gabrynowicz, a retired professor of space law at the University of Mississippi and the editor-in-chief emerita of the Journal of Space Law. The countries with space programs have all signed it, but the document still leaves ambiguity and unanswered questions when it comes to issues such as corporate spaceflight and multinational coalitions.

Legal Notice. Town of Ovid Request for Proposals: Lawn Care, 2017

The Town of Ovid, Seneca County, New York (the Town) is seeking Request for Proposals (RFP’s) for the lawn care and landscaping maintenance of the described public areas (“locations”) listed below.

Location. Address.
Cemetery Village of Ovid, behind Community Bank
Cemetery Munson Road, Near Intersection of Brokaw Rd
Cemetery County Rd 139, Between Rt 96 and Rock River Rd
Sheldrake Park Below intersection of County Rds 1319 and 153 and Wyers Point Rd

The contract start date shall be May 1, 2017 and contractor(s) should be prepared to perform the duties as outlined on that date. The full RFP package is available from the Town of Ovid by contacting the Town Clerk, James Vangalio Office Tel. (607) 869-3907, email jvangalio@townofovid.net, mailing address TOWN OF OVID 2136 Brown Street PO Box 452 OVID, NY 14521, or on the town’s website: http://www.townofovid.net

Contract pricing must be as outlined, and bids for services indicated must follow the format of the RFP using the town’s RFP Response Form.

Sealed bids are due no later than 5:00 PM April 12, 2017 to the Town Office by mailing to: Town of Ovid, 2136 Brown Street PO Box 452 Ovid, NY 14521. Two copies of a Contractor’s bid must be provided. Faxed or emailed bids will NOT be accepted. Responses may also be hand delivered (prior to the deadline time & date) directly to the Town Office, Attn: Mowing Bid, at 2136 Brown Street Ovid, NY 14521. Each sealed envelope containing a proposal must be plainly marked with the “CONTRACTOR’S NAME”, “RFP TITLE”, and the “RFP OPENING DATE & TIME”.

All submitted bids will be reviewed at the bid opening, Wednesday, April 12, 2017 at 7:00 pm at the Ovid Fire Department/Ovid Town Hall, 2136 Brown Street PO Box 452 Ovid, NY 14521. All bidders are welcome to attend.

National Public Defense Day: March 18, 2017

March 18, 2017 marks the Second Annual Public Defense Day and the 54th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright.

For more on National Public Defense day, click here.

Seneca County Travel Restrictions Extended

Finger Lakes Daily News:

Seneca County Sheriff Tim Luce has extended the NO UNNECESSARY TRAVEL ADVISORY throughout Wednesday March 15,2017 till 5:00 A.M. Thursday. The No Unnecessary Travel advisory does not restrict travel . It is however, a warning to motorist that hazardous driving conditions will exist

Scam Alert: Fake Email Copying Cornell

The Cornell IT Department has issued the following Security Alert: Fake Email Copying Cornell Alert

Date: 2017-03-15 11:25:00
Status: Open
Brief Description: Scammers have sent fraudulent emails copying the style of official Cornell Alerts. The message may indicate that unless a link is clicked, the recipient’s mailbox will be shut down. These emails are fake and the link in them should not be clicked.
Current Status: N/A
Services Affected:
Email and Calendar
Subsites Affected:
Faculty/Staff Email (Office 365)
Incident Response
Student Email (Cmail)
Full Description: Scammers have sent fraudulent emails copying the style of official Cornell Alerts. The message may indicate that unless a link is clicked, the recipient’s mailbox will be shut down. These emails are fake and the link in them should not be clicked. To see an example, visit the Phish Bowl at https://it.cornell.edu/phish/4526 . Remember to check links in emails and on websites to make sure they are what they claim to be. See how, and other ways to keep your account safe at https://it.cornell.edu/security-and-policy .

Report: Seneca County Courts closed March 15

Please be advised that all state paid courts in the 7th Judicial District will be closed Wednesday, March 15, 2017 due to the inclement weather. These include the counties of Cayuga, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne and Yates. Read more:at SenecaDaily.com http://senecadaily.com/?p=1068584#ixzz4bMIQJt4F SDN

Seneca County Roads Ordered Closed at 5pm

The Seneca County Sheriff has announced that all roads in Seneca County will be closed except for emergency travel at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday until further notice.

Beware of New Tax Season Scams

New York State officials are alerting consumers to new tax season scams from individuals posing as Treasury representatives.

Over the past several weeks, taxpayers, as well as tax preparers, have received calls from scammers claiming to be from the U.S. and New York State Treasury Departments. The scams target taxpayers, as well as tax preparers. Consumers should be wary of three new scams emerging early in the tax season:

1. Scammers posing as NYS or U.S. Treasury representatives – Callers posing as NYS Treasury agents encourage victims to turn over their bank account information along with $250 in return for a larger sum of cash to come at a later date. To make themselves appear more convincing, the scammers provide the victim with a phone number, address, and confirmation code specific to the transaction. New Yorkers have also received calls from individuals posing as U.S. Treasury agents.

2. Pocketing Affordable Care Act penalties – Uninsured New Yorkers may face another tax scam involving penalties under the Affordable Care Act. In some cases, untrustworthy tax preparers tell clients to pay the penalties directly to them, and they keep the money. Taxpayers should never make a tax payment directly to an individual or tax preparer. Payments should be made only with a tax return or in response to a letter from the IRS.

3. Tax preparers become the targets – Tax preparers also need to remain vigilant. Recent scams are targeting the preparers via phone calls demanding client information. In these cases, scammers pretend to be from the IRS in hopes of gaining usernames and passwords to taxpayer accounts.

If you believe that you’ve been contacted by someone attempting a scam, have been the victim of fraud or identity theft, or suspect a tax preparer is engaging in illegal activities, visit the State’s new fraud webpage to learn how to report it.

New York “Fair Trial/Free Press” Conference

Sponsored by the New York Fair Trial/Free Press Conference, the Committee on Media Law, and the New York State Bar Association, this conference will be held Friday, March 10, 2017 from 12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Featuring a distinguished panel of federal and state judges, prosecutors, print and broadcast journalists, and defense and media counsel, the program will explore the interplay of First Amendment rights to attend and report on criminal trials and the Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial.

Attendees can learn about the use of video recordings on smartphones, the use of social media as evidence and media and the law.

The event is free for NYSBA Members and Members of the Press.

For more information, click here.

New York State's Top Ten Frauds Of 2016: Beware Of Scammers

Marking the start of National Consumer Protection Week, New York State Officials have released a list of the top ten consumer fraud complaints received by the Attorney General's office in 2016:

1. Internet (internet services & service providers; data privacy & security; consumer frauds)
2. Automobile (buying, leasing, repair, service contracts, rentals)
3. Consumer-Related Services (security systems; restaurant/catering services; tech repairs)
4. Landlord/Tenant Disputes (Security deposit releases, tenant-harassment)
5. Utilities (Wireless and Residential Phones; Energy Servicers & Suppliers; Cable and Satellite)
6. Credit (debt collection; credit card billing; debt settlement; payday loans; credit repair; credit reporting agencies; identity theft)
7. Retail Sales (any sale of goods: food, clothing, rent-to-own)
8. Home Repair/Construction (home improvement services not delivered or done poorly)
9. Mortgage (mortgage modifications; mortgage and loan broker fraud; foreclosures)
10. Mail Order (purchases made online or from a catalog)

In addition, the attorney general's office has offered a variety of tips on how to avoid scams in the future.

For more on these scams, and how to avoid them, click here.