2017 Dec 19
On Thursday, November 2, 2017 Whitney of the Introduction to Criminal Justice Class and some other interested students enjoyed the Annual SVC College Night in the Courts, held at the New Scotland Justice Court in New Scotland, NY from 4:00pm to 8:00pm PM. The students were able to hear defense lawyers Michael Jurena and Louis Neri and prosecutors (one of them being our own Renee Merges!) plea bargaining and conferencing cases. They also heard an experienced bail bondsmen, Jay Bernardo, speak about the process of providing bail to individuals who needed it, and some interesting stories from his 30 year family history providing bail bonds. The students also observed arraignments, sentencings and other appearances in front of the Honorable David Wukitsch, who is one of the presiding justices of the court. Judge Wukitsch also engaged the students in dialog and our students actively participated.
Margaret Adkins, retired New Scotland Justice who for four years hosted the event, was also on hand to enhance the students' participation in the entire program. Third year Albany Law Student Marissa Schatzel also appeared on the court record under a special practice order provided by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of NY and our students got to see a young prosecutor just a few years older than they, actually lawyering in our criminal justice system.
The other half of the evening, the students and experts in the field split into 6 small groups to examine perhaps one of the most compelling challenges facing the criminal justice system in our country and our society as a whole namely, the opioid epidemic. Students and experts delved into the night's special program entitled "The Heroin/Opioid Epidemic: Response and Commentary".
Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple, LEAD National Director of Policing Strategies Brendan Cox, Albany LEAD Program Director Keith Brown MPH, Retired Albany County Drug Court Judge Stephen Herrick, New Scotland Justice Robert Johnson, Albany County District Attorney Bureau Chief Eric Galarneau, Albany County Sheriff Investigator Tracy Mance, Albany County Mental Health Behavioral Specialist Jeffrey L. Ray, as well as Megan Spillane Albany County ADA and Assistant Public Defender Tina Sodhi all interfaced with students about what different programs are doing to combat this epidemic. The students participated by asking questions and listening attentively to each expert describing what they felt the solutions were to saving the lives of people affected by this tragedy of our times. These public forums are one of the keys to educating us all on the problem and bringing our society to solutions by asking our future professionals, namely college students, to start thinking now about the work they have in front of them.
Following the program, students and professionals enjoyed pizza and networking time together.
