Ithaca City Court seeking attorneys to assist pro se defendants

The Ithaca City Court is seeking attorneys willing to assist pro se defendants attempting to seal their convictions under CPL 160.59.

Under that statute, individuals who have been convicted of up to two eligible offenses, but not more than one eligible felony offense, may apply to have those convictions sealed.

Eligible offenses may be sealed only after at least 10 years have passed since the sentence was imposed on the latest conviction or, if the sentence included a period of incarceration, at least 10 years since release from incarceration. Offenses that are not eligible for sealing include sex offenses and certain other felony offenses.

Sealing is discretionary with the court and applicants are required to serve notice on the District Attorney in the county of conviction.

An information packet with forms and instructions is linked here. The packet can also be accessed on the New York State Office of Court Administration website.

Sealing does not equal expungement. Any such sealed records would remain available to the defendant, the defendant’s agent and certain various law enforcement agencies, as well as criminal background checks for firearm purchases.

For more information, click here.

The top ten frauds of 2017 released: Watch out for these common scams

New York State officials have released the list of the top ten consumer fraud complaints received by the Attorney General's office in 2017.

They are:

CATEGORY AND NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS

1. Internet (internet services & service providers; data privacy & security; child safety; consumer frauds) 5,153 complaints
2. Automobile (buying; leasing; repair; service contracts; rentals) 3,188 complaints
3. Consumer-Related Services (security systems; restaurant/catering services; tech repairs) 2,463 complaints

4. Landlord/Tenant Disputes (security deposit releases; tenant harassment) 1,961 complaints
5. Utilities (wireless and residential phones; energy services & suppliers; cable and satellite) 1,827 complaints
6. Credit (debt collection; credit card billing; debt settlement; credit repair; credit reporting agencies; identity theft) 1,436 complaints
7. Retail Sales (any sale of goods for personal household use: food, clothing; rent-to-own) 1,285 complaints
8. Home Repair/Construction (home improvement services not delivered or done poorly) 982 complaints
9. Mail Order (purchases made online or from a catalog) 850 complaints
10. Mortgage (mortgage modifications; mortgage and loan broker fraud; foreclosures)

The state has also offered a list of tips all consumers should use to protect themselves and their families.

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

Susan B. Anthony Trial Re-enactment in Syracuse, New York

The Northern District of New York Federal Court Bar Association will be presenting a Susan B. Anthony Trial Re-enactment on Thursday, April 19, 2018, 6:00 pm, at

the Syracuse Federal Building Courthouse.

Federal court judges are playing the parts of Judge and defense attorney. Grant C. Jaquith, Interim United States Attorney for the Northern District, is playing the part of prosecutor. Several local high schools are participating as suffragists.

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, click here.

Home Truth: A Film Screening and Discussion on Domestic Violence and Human Rights

The Berger International Legal Affairs Program at Cornell Law School is co-sponsoring Home Truth: A Film Screening and Discussion on Domestic Violence and Human Rights:

In 1999, Colorado mother Jessica Gonzales experiences every parent’s worst nightmare when her three young daughters are killed after being abducted by their father in violation of a domestic violence restraining order. Devastated, Jessica files a

lawsuit against the police, claiming they did not adequately enforce her restraining order despite her repeated calls for help that night. Determined to make sure her daughters did not die in vain, Jessica pursues her case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and an international human rights tribunal, seeking to strengthen legal rights for domestic violence victims. Meanwhile, her relationship with her one-surviving child, her son Jessie, suffers, as he struggles with the tragedy in his own way. Filmed over the course of nine years, HOME TRUTH chronicles one family’s pursuit of justice, shedding light on how our society responds to domestic violence and how the trauma from domestic violence tragedies can linger throughout generations.

There are two screening Opportunities:

Wednesday, March 14 @ 5 p.m. Myron Taylor Hall, Room 186

Thursday, March 15 @ 6 p.m. Cinemapolis, 120 East Green Street, Ithaca

A panel discussion will follow both screenings.

Jessica's case is now studied in textbooks around the country, and the domestic violence advocacy community refers to her work and her case as one of the most significant legal cases in the history of the movement.

For more on the film and the panel discussions, click here.

New York State Court Closings, Friday, March 2

New York State superior courts are closed in the Finger Lakes today due to the storm, including: Cayuga, Wayne, Ontario, Seneca, Schuyler, Tompkins and Yates.

For a complete list of court closings click here.

The list does not include town or village courts.