PEF Nurse to Face Attacker at Sentencing Hearing

ALBANY, NY (11/03/2011)(readMedia)-- A nurse who is a member of the New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF) will speak out against workplace violence at the sentencing of her attacker in Albany County Court.

Judi Rychcik was severely injured when she was knocked unconscious while on the job at the Capital District Psychiatric Center (CDPC) in Albany .

Terry James, a patient at CDPC, will be the sentenced for the assault under the new Violence Against Nurses Law.

The sentencing hearing will take place Friday, November 4 in Albany County Judge Dan Lamont's courtroom at 6 Lodge Street in Albany, on the second floor.

The courtroom opens at 9 a.m. and a press conference will be held on the fourth floor in the Greenberg Room in the judicial center after the sentencing.

Rychcik will be joined by Albany District Attorney David Soares, Assistant District Attorney Brett Knowles, and PEF President Ken Brynien at the press conference.

James pleaded guilty to assaulting Rychcik on March 13, 2011 when she was struck unconscious and suffered serious injuries to her neck, skull and brain.

The Violence Against Nurses Law, also known as the Nurses Felony Law, went into effect in November 2010.

PEF is the state's second-largest state-employee union representing 55,000 professional, scientific andtechnical (PS&T) employees and other public and private employees.

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