Schuyler County Attorney Urges Safe Driving During Labor Day Holiday

Schuyler County Attorney Steven J. Getman reminds motor vehicle operators to drive safely during the Labor Day holiday, as New York State Police and local law enforcement increase patrols and sobriety checkpoints through Monday, September 1, 2025, as part of the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. 

The Labor Day weekend, a peak travel period, often sees a surge in accidents due to reckless, intoxicated, or distracted driving. 

To protect our community, Getman emphasizes the importance of responsible driving and highlights the following:

• Avoid Impaired Driving: Driving while intoxicated (DWI) or impaired by drugs is a serious crime. In New York, a DWI is defined as a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher, with aggravated DWI at .18 or higher. Penalties for a first DWI include fines of $500-$1,000, up to a year in jail, a $750 driver responsibility assessment over three years, and a license revocation for at least six months. Aggravated DWI carries fines of $1,000-$2,500 and at least a one-year license revocation. Under Leandra’s Law, all DWI convictions require an ignition interlock device. 
• Felony DWI Charges: Repeat DWIs within ten years can escalate to felonies, with a second offense (Class E felony) carrying fines of $1,000-$5,000 and up to four years in jail, and a third offense (Class D felony) up to $2,000-$10,000 and seven years in jail. DWIs involving a child under 16, serious injury, or death can result in felony charges, with penalties up to 25 years in prison for fatal crashes under Leandra’s Law. Commercial drivers face stricter rules, with a BAC limit of .04, and school bus drivers risk felony charges if impaired with students on board. 
• Eliminate Distractions: Using handheld mobile phones or electronic devices while driving is illegal in New York, except for emergency calls to 911. Violations carry fines of $50-$293 and add five points to your driving record. 
• Drive Responsibly: Obey speed limits, wear seat belts, and stay focused to reduce risks. Plan ahead for heavy traffic and ensure your vehicle is road-ready.

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation support this initiative, partially funding enforcement efforts. Drivers are encouraged to download the free “Have a Plan” mobile app (available for Windows, Apple, and Android) to locate taxi or rideshare services, designate sober drivers, learn DWI laws, and report suspected impaired drivers. 
“Let’s make this Labor Day safe for everyone,” Getman said. “By driving sober, staying focused, and following traffic laws, we can prevent tragedies and ensure our community enjoys the holiday.” 

Schuyler County Collaborates on Survey to Identify Gaps in Healthcare Access

© Copyright 2024, Finger Lakes Daily News by FLX Local Media:

Eight Public Health departments in the Finger Lakes have collaborated to create a survey hoping to understand what it’s like to find medical, dental, vision, hearing, mental health, and addiction care in rural communities. The survey was released on Monday.

The development of the survey this spring and summer was a collaborative effort led by the Pivotal Public Health Partnership. It is a precursor to the region’s Community Health Assessment (CHA) process which will begin in earnest later this year and continue through 2025.

Participating Health Departments include Yates, Schuyler, Ontario, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Livingston, and Chemung counties.

The survey can be found here.

Schuyler County Commemorates Monday May 1 as “Law Day”

Law Day is Monday (May 1) and the Schuyler County Legislature has recognized as the Law Day 2023 theme “Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility, and Collaboration.”

The legislature passed a resolution at its April 10, 2023 meeting, recognizing “Law Day” as an occasion of public acknowledgement of our Nation’s heritage of justice, liberty, and equality under the law.

The resolution was submitted to the legislature by Schuyler County Attorney Steven Getman.

“Promoting collaboration and civility is an important component in the civic education of the citizens of the United States, the State of New York and the County of Schuyler so that we might respectfully resolve our disputes, strengthen the bonds between citizens, and protect the promise of freedom,” Getman wrote.

However, the resolution noted, “overly-entrenched political beliefs, unwarranted personal attacks, efforts to silence those with whom one disagrees, and a national news media often prone to sensationalism and partisanship may erode civility, collaboration and the blessings of liberty.”

In passing the resolution, the legislature called upon all Schuyler County residents “to observe this day by renewing their commitment to civic engagement, civility, and collaboration, to promote justice, liberty, and equality under the law.” It was supported unanimously by the members present.

May 1, 2023 is the 65th Law Day. In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first Law Day Proclamation to mark our nation’s commitment to the rule of law. Each year the American Bar Association selects an annual theme for Law Day.

A copy of Schuyler County’s resolution “Recognizing and Commemorating May 1, 2023 as ‘Law Day’ in Schuyler County” is available below:

RECOGNIZING AND COMMEMORATING MAY 1, 2023 AS “LAW DAY” IN SCHUYLER COUNTY – COUNTY ATTORNEY’S DEPARTMENT by Steven Getman on Scribd

COVID testing site opens in Watkins Glen

New York State will open a COVID-19 test site beginning tomorrow (December 29) at 10:00 am in Watkins Glen State Park. The site will operate Monday – Saturday from 10am to 6pm. An advertising flyer is below for your reference.

National Safety Month: Schuyler County Scope To Make Free Gun Locks Available Through Partnership With County Attorney

Montour Falls, NY (May 24, 2021)—In recognition of June being National Safety Month, the Schuyler County Chapter of Shooters Committee on Political Education (SCOPE) in conjunction with the Office of Schuyler County Attorney Steven Getman, is again giving away free cable-style gun locks to Schuyler County families.

The locks can be obtained from the County Attorney’s Office by calling 607.535.8121 during normal business hours and scheduling a pickup time. One lock will be available per household and will be provided on a “first come, first serve” basis. Supplies are limited.

“We are pleased to have the Schuyler County Attorney’s Office as a partner in this National Safety Month program” said Daneen Phillips, Schuyler County SCOPE Secretary. “The mission of SCOPE is to educate the public on the importance of our Constitutional right to keep and bear arms, as well as to make every effort to educate anti-gun politicians. We can help accomplish this by promoting responsible voluntary gun safety measures for gun owners that do not conflict with the Second Amendment.”

“Partnering with County Attorney Getman allows SCOPE to participate in a countywide effort to promote gun safety as a critical part of home safety and increase awareness of just one of Governor Cuomo’s many gun laws. We are 100% membership funded and made up of concerned gun owners and conservation clubs across New York State.”

“In particular, this year, we want to focus on getting the message out to women gun owners and their families,” Phillips said. “Female gun ownership has been on a firm ascent and women are considered the fastest-growing segment in the gun-ownership population.”

According to Getman, the giveaway will help ensure that gun owners are in compliance with New York’s strict firearms storage laws, which require them to lock up their firearms while living in a home with someone under the age of 16.

“We encourage county residents to pick up a free lock so that they can securely store their firearm,” said Getman. “The locks fit on most types of handguns, rifles and shotguns. The cable is threaded through the weapon and blocks the barrel or the use of ammunition. It’s secured by a padlock and key.”

“We want to help minimize demands on health care workers and first respondents by emphasizing home safety, and firearm safety in particular, so together we can prevent accidents,” Getman said. “The goal is to prevent a young child or any other unauthorized person from accessing a firearm in the home.”

Phillips and Getman noted that the locks have been donated by SCOPE and, therefore, there is no county charge to the taxpayers for this service.

Observed annually in June, National Safety Month highlights leading causes of preventable injury and death on a national scale, providing the latest information and resources in an effort to help keep more people safe. Hunting and gun rights groups, such as SCOPE, typically emphasize gun safety as a critical part of home safety.

SCOPE is a non-partisan statewide 501(c)4 organization dedicated to educating the public about firearm ownership, Second Amendment rights and legislation. The Schuyler County chapter’s meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm in January, March, May, October and as necessary at the Montour Falls Moose Lodge, 2096 Co Rd 14, Montour Falls, NY 14865.

The Schuyler County Attorney is the legal advisor to the county legislature, county administrator and other county officials. In addition, that office prosecutes family court cases of child abuse and neglect, juvenile delinquency and other civil matters on behalf of county officials.

Schuyler Officials Support Proposed Youth Hunting Law

Sheriff William Yessman, Undersheriff Breck Spaulding, County Clerk Theresa Philbin and County Attorney Steven Getman have all endorsed a Local Law that approves a pilot program in Schuyler County allowing 12 and 13 year old youths to hunt deer through 2023.

The Resolution and Local Law are on the agenda for introduction at the Schuyler County Legislative Meeting at 6:30 pm on Monday May 10, 2021 in Montour Falls.

The proposed local law finds that “deer hunting is a valued tradition for many Schuyler County families, providing quality food to county residents and reducing the negative impacts of overabundant deer populations on our agriculture, forests, and communities.”

Under the proposed law, youth hunters aged 12-13 will now be allowed to hunt deer with a firearm or crossbow under the supervision of an experienced adult hunter. Currently, young hunters that are 12 or 13 years old can already hunt big game using archery equipment and can hunt small game with a firearm; however, until now, New York had been the only state to not allow these young hunters to hunt big game.

Schuyler County to take up resolution on cryptocurrency mining regulations

The Schuyler County Legislature will take up a resolution at its monthly meeting (Monday, April 12), calling on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to study and develop regulations for cryptocurrency mining.

In addition, the proposed resolution asks the state legislature to mandate that all such cryptocurrency mining operations permitted within the state operate solely on renewable energy, such as wind, solar, geothermal or hydropower.

The resolution was introduced by Legislator Mark Rondinaro (R-District 7). It was drafted by County Planning Director Kristin Van Horn, with input from County Attorney Steven Getman and the County’s Environmental Management Council. It targets mining operations having peak power demand of more than 50 kilowatts.

According to the resolution, cryptocurrency is a digital currency, which is mined through the use of server farms employing data processing equipment. These servers are “highly energy consumptive,” the resolution notes, and mining operations gravitate toward areas with cheap, abundant electricity sources. This type of power generation may not always be regulated under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and New York State does not currently have regulations on cryptocurrency mining, the resolution states.

If passed, copies of Schuyler County’s resolution will be forwarded to state officials, requesting further action on potential regulations.

The resolution is directed at operations statewide and does not single out any specific cryptocurrency mining facility, such as the Greenidge Generation plant and bitcoin mining facility in neighboring Yates County. That facility recently began to mine the cryptocurrency bitcoin and is reportedly seeking a permit from the Town of Torrey Planning Board to expand. Opponents of the expansion claim the additional computers will have adverse impacts on the environment. Greenidge officials have disputed that claim.

The April 12 meeting of the Schuyler County Legislature will be held at 6:30 pm at the County Human Services Complex, 323 Owego Street, Montour Falls, NY. The public is encouraged and invited to attend. All COVID-related social distancing and masking rules will apply.

A complete copy of the proposed resolution can be seen below.

SCHUYLER COUNTY RESOLUTION ... by Steven Getman

Schuyler County “Bridging Community Connections” Event

Schuyler County officials, in conjunction with other state and local agencies, will be hosting a virtual panel discussion on “Bridging Community Connections,” and community resources available to youth and families living in Schuyler County.

The online event is Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 10:00 am. The keynote presentation will be by Jutta Dotterweich, and will focus on COVID-19’s impact on the emotional well-being of adolescents. The event will also be recorded for later viewing.

The registration deadline is February 19. The first 100 registrants will receive a “Bridging Communities” gift bag.

Interested community members can register for event by clicking here.

The event is sponsored by partnerships with the Schuyler County Youth Bureau, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Workforce New York, Council on Alcoholism and Addiction in the Finger Lakes, Glove House, Inc. and Catholic Charities of Chemung and Schuyler Counties.

Second Amendment Legal Update: December 2020

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 PDF copy of this month's update, click here.

Interim Guidance on Requiring Face Coverings for Employees Interacting with the Public During the COVID-19 Outbreak

New York State Executive Order 202.16, issued on April 12, 2020, provides the following directive:

For all essential businesses or entities, any employees who are present in the workplace shall be provided and shall wear face coverings when in direct contact with customers or members of the public. Businesses must provide, at their expense, such face coverings for their employees. This provision may be enforced by local governments or local law enforcement as if it were an order pursuant to section 12 or 12 -b of the Public Health Law. This requirement shall be effective Wednesday April 15 at 8 pm. 

Under this order, essential businesses, as well as state and local government agencies and authorities, must procure, fashion, or otherwise obtain face coverings and provide such coverings to employees who directly interact with the public during the course of their work at no-cost to the employee.

For additional information, employers can visit the New York State Coronavirus (COVID-19) Website or  the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Coronavirus (COVID-19) Website.

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Schuyler County officials warn: Beware phony home repair grant scams from COVID-19 stimulus program.

The Schuyler County Office for the Aging and the Schuyler County Attorney’s Office are warning local seniors to look out for potential scams of homeowners arising from the COVID-19 stimulus program, including a new phony home repair grant offer.

“Earlier this week our office was notified by New York Office for the Aging that other counties have been getting calls from older adults who had received a postcard mailing addressed to ‘resident’ from the National Residential Improvement Association (NRIA) offering to help them get a grant to repair their home,” Schuyler County OFA Director Tamre Waite said.  

“The postcard looks official, but according to New York State, it is not a government program, and the NRIA currently does not have a valid business license. This is a scam.”

According to Schuyler County Attorney Steven Getman, while there are not yet reports of postcards being sent to Schuyler County residents, the county intends to be proactive, given state and national reports of scams following the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

 

“Government grant scams are on the rise,” Getman said.  “With the recently passed federal stimulus bill, scammers are taking advantage of homeowners of all ages by making bogus offers to secure generous grants for home repairs.”

Waite and Getman are warning residents to look out for:

·       Unsolicited phone calls or emails from someone claiming to be an official from the Federal Grants Administration (which does not exist), or a nonprofit organization like the National Residential Improvement Association offering grants or funding for repairs.

·       Social media messages or posts from people excited to share the thousands of dollars they claim to have received from an organization that secures grants for homeowners.

·       Callers who ask you to pay a fee in order to receive a grant. Federal grants never charge for grant applications.

·       Magazine or newspaper ads that offer “free grants.”

·       Calls or emails that claim you’re eligible for a personal grant that does not restrict how you spend the money.

“The important thing with any scam is to protect yourself,” Waite said.  

“There are simple steps that residents can take to guard against scams,”  Getman noted, offering the following:    

·       Do not answer your telephone if you do not recognize the caller or number.

·       Never share personal information over the telephone, like your Medicare number, Social Security number or banking information.

·       Never pay a fee to a company that says it will help you get a grant.

·       Block or unfriend anyone who offers unsolicited grant information on social media. Even if you are “friends” with that person – they may have been hacked.

·       Only use local contractors with validated references to do work in your home.

According to Waite and Getman, if you have been a victim of a scam, you can contact your local law enforcement agency or any of the following:

·       The New York State Attorney General’s Office: 800-771-7755

·       The National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline: 866-720-5721

·       The AARP Fraud Watch Network: 877-908-3360

The Schuyler County Office for the Aging was established as a result of the Older Americans Act of 1965 with the core function being provision of information, referrals and services for county residents age 60 and over, as well as their caregivers.

The Schuyler County Attorney is the legal advisor for county government, including the Office for Aging, Department of Social Services Adult Protective Unit and other county agencies serving the senior population.

Schuyler County moving forward with centralized arraignment plan for local criminal courts

Schuyler County has received notification that New York State Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks and the Office of Court Administration Administrative Board have given final approval to the county’s Centralized Arraignment Part plan for after-hours arrests. The county is currently targeting Monday March 30 for the first day of operations.

The plan is part of the county’s ongoing effort to improve court efficiency, conserve law enforcement resources and protect the rights of criminal defendants

The plan is supported by a number of county officials involved in the legal system, including Sheriff William Yessman, District Attorney Joe Fazzary, Public Defender Wesley Roe and County Attorney Steven Getman. It was developed with input from town and village justices and the New York State Office of Court Administration.

The plan was endorsed by the Schuyler County legislature at its February 10 meeting. All legislators in attendance voted for the measure.

Under the plan, anyone arrested within the county when courts are no longer in session, and not given an appearance ticket, will be arraigned in the lobby of the Schuyler County Sheriff’s Office in Watkins Glen, as opposed to a town’s jurisdiction. Town and village judges, prosecutors and public defenders will be placed on rotating on-call schedules for arrests made at night, on weekends or during holidays. There is state funding for implementing the plan, which will pay for the cost of installing a judge’s bench in the sheriff’s office lobby.

“Arresting officers must currently maintain custody of an arrestee until able to locate a local court and justice able to conduct the arraignment which is a process that often consumes officer time and can result in the arraignment occurring outside of the times when the Schuyler County Public Defender is able to appear as counsel for the defendant,” the legislature’s resolution of support noted.

“Those charged with a crime are entitled to the assistance of legal counsel at all important stages of their case including at the initial criminal arraignment,” it continued.

A centralized arraignment part, known as a CAP, is not mandated by the state, but many rural counties have found it to be the most effective way of ensuring compliance with the requirements for counsel at arraignment.

The plan is the county’s latest effort to improve court efficiency, conserve law enforcement resources and protect the rights of criminal defendants.

Other efforts have included an intermunicipal agreement with Tompkins County for that county to assist in administering the Schuyler County assigned counsel plan to provide legal representation to indigent criminal defendants and certain family court litigants.

That agreement, prepared by Roe and Getman with input from Schuyler County Administrator Tim O’Hearn and representatives of Tompkins County, has been praised as “a model approach and is consistent with statewide efforts to help municipalities identify opportunities for cost savings through inter-municipal cooperation, reorganization, and regionalization,” by the New York State Office of Indigent Legal Services.

A copy of the resolution supporting the plan is available here.

Schuyler County Reorganizes, Blowers elected Chair of legislature

Republican Carl Blowers, of Dix, was elected Chair of the Schuyler County Legislature at its annual reorganizational meeting held Thursday. The vote was unanimous among the legislature’s eight members.

In other action, the legislature reappointed Stacy Husted, of Montour Falls as Clerk of the Legislature, Steven Getman, of Watkins Glen, as Schuyler County Attorney and Wesley Roe as Public Defender. Tim O’Hearn continues at County Administrator.

Prior to the voting, County Court Judge Matt Hayden administered the oath of office to newly elected legislators Mark F. Rondinaro (District VII) and Gary L. Gray (District VIII). Blowers, a retired businessman, was first elected to the legislature in 2014 and re-elected in 2018. He is active in a number of organizations, including: the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, the Montour Falls Library, the Arnot Art Museum, the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, the Erie Canal Way Heritage Fund, the United Way of Schuyler County and Catholic Charities of Chemung and Schuyler counties. He has served as a member of the Regional Board of Trustees of Corning Community College as well as its Chairman.

Blowers replaces outgoing chair Dennis Fagan, who did not seek re-election to the legislature.

The County of Schuyler is governed by an eight-person legislature, headed by its Chair. Members serve staggered four-year terms. The legislature, in turn, appoints various department heads to oversee the county’s day to day operations, including the county administrator, public defender, county attorney and clerk to the legislature.

The current members of the legislature are James W.D. Howell, Jr., Gary L. Gray, David M. Reed, Michael L. Lausell, Mark F. Rondinaro, Van A. Harp, Philip C. Barnes and Carl Blowers, Chairman.

New York Court allows opioid claims to go forward against current, former directors of Purdue Pharma

Central Islip, NY--A New York State Supreme Court judge has denied a motion to dismiss cases brought by multiple New York municipalities, including Schuyler County, against current and former directors of opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma.

In a ruling filed Friday (June 21), Justice Jerry Garguilo found thirty-one counties and two cities had alleged sufficient facts to move forward against various members of the Sackler family in order to recoup millions of dollars in costs tied to the opioid crisis.

Among the local counties and cities making claims are Schuyler County, Seneca County, Steuben County, Tompkins County and the City of Ithaca.

According to Schuyler County Attorney Steven Getman, Schuyler County's claims include public nuisance, negligence, fraud and false advertising. 

Pursuant to the June 21 decision, the Sackler family had argued that they were not vicariously liable for the acts of Purdue’s board of directors and that the cities and counties had failed to allege that any of them participated in making the alleged misstatements in the complaint.

However, Garguilo found that, under New York law, directors may be held individually liable for a company’s tort action if they “directed, controlled, approved or ratified” the decision that lead to the injuries.

The complaint, the judge noted, alleged the Sacklers, as “controlling directors” of Purdue, oversaw the company’s marketing and targeting of doctors.  The Sacklers include former Purdue Chair and president Richard Sackler and seven other members of the family.

A public nuisance claim, the judge wrote, “may be an appropriate tool to address the consequential harm from the defendants’ concerted efforts to market and promote their products for sale and distribution, particularly as such efforts are alleged to have created or contributed to a crisis of epidemic proportions.”

Therefore, Garguilo allowed the cases to go forward, pending further discovery and other pretrial proceedings.

One such case was recently brought by Schuyler County. In August 2017, the County Legislature voted to retain the firm of Napoli Shkolnik to work with Getman, as special counsel, to bring an action against the manufacturers and distributers of prescription opiates for damages to the County. In May 2018, Getman filed a nearly 250-page Summons and Complaint for damages to the county. That case was transferred to Suffolk County Courts shortly thereafter, to join other cases brought by various New York state counties.  The counties later added the Sacklers as individual defendants.

“We applaud the court’s decision,” Getman said. “Schuyler County’s lawsuit will move forward to seek reimbursement for its expenses allegedly related to the opioid crisis as well as to provide the County with financial aid to fight addiction, overdoses, drug-related crimes and drug deaths.”

According to Schuyler County Administrator Tim O’Hearn, the lawsuit was filed at no risk to the county, as Napoli Shkolnik will work on contingency basis that will cover all costs associated with the lawsuit.

“By going forward with litigation, the County Legislature hopes to lessen the burden to taxpayers and hold manufacturers and distributors responsible for any role in the opioid epidemic,” O’Hearn said.

Schuyler County is one of several New York municipalities to file lawsuits against the manufacturers and distributors of opioid pain killers. At least thirty-three municipalities across the state are suing pharmaceutical companies for what they claim are deceptive marketing practices.

In addition, in February 2018, New York State officials filed a lawsuit against Insys Therapeutics, Inc., alleging that Insys deceptively promoted prescription opiate Subsys for unsafe uses and violated state law by downplaying drug’s addictive risks.

A copy of the court’s decision can be found here.

A copy of Schuyler County’s Summons and Complaint can be found here

Note: The allegations in a civil complaint are merely accusations and defendants are not considered culpable unless and until accusations are proven by a preponderance of evidence in a court of law.