Monday, January 29, 2024

“Careers in the Courts” Videos Relased

NEWS RELEASE:
To better acquaint New Yorkers and others with the wide range of court
career opportunities available across the State–with the aim to further expand and diversify the pool of potential job candidates–Chief Administrative Judge Zayas and First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Norman St. George (have) announced the release of an engaging “Careers in the Courts” video series, narrated in part by Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives Edwina G. Richardson.

Following are synopses of the six videos comprising the Careers in the Courts series.

Careers in the Courts: Overview –– This film, narrated by Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives Edwina G. Richardson, features interviews with a diverse, eclectic group of employees in various court locations who explain what they do, why it matters, and the benefits of working for the court system.

Careers in the Courts: Court Officer — In this segment, Court Officer Jennifer Pacheco explains her role and why serving in this capacity is so professionally rewarding. “Court officers maintain security and courtroom decorum, providing safety for the customers who come in, as well as the staff.”

Careers in the Courts: Resource Coordinator — Here, Craig Stratton, at the time the resource coordinator with Albany’s Supreme Court and County Court, discusses his work helping those with substance abuse issues who find themselves entangled in the criminal justice system. “Individuals have come into our court that really were in dire straits, in total desperation with no hope … I've seen them reunite with their families, I've seen them obtain employment, I've seen them even go back to college and obtain degrees.”

Careers in the Courts: Interpreting — Court interpreter Lourdes Cardona explains how important it is for people who come to court to find someone who speaks their language. “At the moment you speak the language, they know that they are going to be heard and they are going to be able to tell their story, to ask for the remedies that they're expecting the court to provide for them.”

Careers in the Courts: Administrative — Pearl Yu-Rodriguez, senior court clerk, and George Sanchez, clerical assistant, explain their respective jobs in three words, “to help people.”

Careers in the Courts: Court Reporter –– Court reporter Cyndi West discusses the importance and variety of her work. “It's always something different. You can come in one day and you're doing a murder trial. You can come in the next day, you're doing a trial in Surrogate’s Court or an adoption. The next day you could be doing a contested matrimonial. It's fascinating. It's never dull and I absolutely love it.”

Monday, January 22, 2024

New help for victims of economic abuse announced

Effective this month, the State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence will begin distributing informational materials on economic abuse.

Informational materials for victims and survivors of domestic- and gender-based violence will include connections to housing resources, local social service offices, and more to help individuals attain safety and stability.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, more than 90 percent of survivors of domestic violence have suffered economic abuse, but many people do not see themselves as being in an abusive relationship if they are not being physically harmed.

For more information, click here.

Monday, January 15, 2024

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Ronald Reagan:
"Each year on Martin Luther King Day, let us not only recall Dr. King, but rededicate ourselves to the Commandments he believed in and sought to live every day: Thou shall love thy God with all thy heart, and thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. And I just have to believe that all of us -- if all of us, young and old, Republicans and Democrats, do all we can to live up to those Commandments, then we will see the day when Dr. King's dream comes true, and in his words, "All of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning. . . land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

(President Reagan, Coretta Scott King, Bob Dole and others at the signing ceremony for HR 3706 making the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. a national holiday. 11/2/1983)

Monday, January 8, 2024

Second Amendment Legal Update, January 2024

A monthly update, prepared for the Schuyler County Chapter of S.C.O.P.E. NY, a statewide 501(c)4 organization dedicated to preserving the 2nd Amendment rights for the residents of New York State. For a complete copy of this month’s report, click here.

Monday, January 1, 2024

New York State laws taking effect in 2024

Nexstar Media Inc. reports on some of the new laws taking effect in New York State in 2024, including:

• Increasing the minimum wage.

• Raising the Age for Operation of ATVs by minors.
• Requiring religious dietary food options in prisons.
• Mandating free menstrual products in non-public schools.
• Declaring Lunar New Year as school holiday.
• Expanding victims and survivors of crime eligibility for compensation funds.
• Requiring skimming notices for EBT cards in stores.
• Prohibiting employers from accessing employees’ social media accounts.
• Encouraging student voter registration and pre-registration.

For more on these new laws, including the text of each, click here.