FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Anita Aboulafia

(212) 267-6646, ext. 225 (phone) (212) 406-9252 (fax) aaboulafia@nycla.org

 

NYCLA’S “ROUNDTABLE ON CRIMINAL COURTS” LAUNCHES

 

NOVEMBER 5, 2004 – NEW YORK, NY – New York County Lawyers’ Association’s (NYCLA) will host a kick-off meeting to launch “Roundtable on Criminal Courts,” a program designed to enhance justice and better serve the public by opening the lines of communication among professionals in NYC’s Criminal Courts. The initial Roundtable is scheduled for Monday, November 15 at the NYCLA Home of Law, 14 Vesey Street, and will be conducted six times a year.

 

The creation of the Roundtable stems from the Criminal Courts Task Force, a multi-agency group of professionals, chaired by Susan J. Walsh. The Task Force evolved from last year’s Justice Center program, a full-day conference designed to brainstorm about the betterment of the New York Criminal Courts. Of the 13 institutions invited to participate (listed below), nine have already committed to meet regularly to discuss the critical issues that affect their day- to-day work in the Criminal Court:

Borough Chief Clerk

New York County Arraignment Coordinator 

NYPD Court Division

Office of Court Administration

Department of Correction

Supervising Judge of the New York Criminal Court 

Criminal Justice Agency

Emergency Medical Services 

Court Officers Association

Mayor’s Criminal Justice Coordinator

New York County District Attorney’s Office 

The Legal Aid Society

First Department Appellate Division – Assigned Counsel Plan

 

According to Judge Juanita Bing Newton, Administrative Judge of the Criminal Court, “NYCLA is once again providing leadership in gathering the right people to tackle what can be difficult issues. The Roundtable on Criminal Courts has great potential to influence the way the Criminal Court provides service to the public and the criminal-justice community. I look forward to a useful exchange of ideas.”

 

The New York County Lawyers’ Association was founded in 1908 as the first major bar association in the country that admitted members without regard to race, ethnicity, religion or gender. Since its inception, NYCLA has pioneered some of the most far-reaching and tangible reforms in American jurisprudence and has continuously played an active role in legal developments and public policy.

 

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