Public Defenders Honored for Client-Centered Advocacy

NYSDA Training Conference Includes Celebration of Quality Representation

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NYSDA's 2023 Wilfred R. O'Connor Award Recipient Nathaniel L. (Ned) Barone, Chautauqua County Public Defender

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY (08/10/2023) (readMedia)-- The New York State Defenders Association (NYSDA) 2023 Annual Conference provided public defenders with an opportunity to celebrate outstanding work by colleagues and attend training sessions to improve their own representation of clients. At a July 31st banquet, NYSDA presented its three awards to recipients from around New York.

Defenders Defending Discovery Reform Earn the Service of Justice Award

Three attorneys from New York City and the Steuben County Public Defender's Office received the Jonathan E. Gradess Service of Justice Award. All were recognized for their roles in keeping off the legal "blindfold" removed by legislation in 2019. Discovery reform, which allows people accused of crimes to timely learn what evidence the prosecution plans to use against them, has faced threats of legislative rollback and resistance to implementation.

The Steuben County office was honored for "working continuously, from the time discovery reform was passed by the Legislature, to ensure that the intent and letter of those reforms were fulfilled," said NYSDA's Executive Director Susan C. Bryant. Faced with constant efforts to thwart discovery reforms, the office "not only achieved successful outcomes for its clients but also shared their successful strategies with NYSDA for the benefit of others," Bryant added.

The three City defenders--Kalle F. Condliffe and Amanda E. Jack, both Staff Attorneys at The Legal Aid Society (LAS) Criminal Defense Practice, along with Yung-Mi Lee, Legal Director, Criminal Defense, Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS)-were honored for their instrumental roles in stopping efforts to roll back discovery reform this year. Bryant praised each individually and noted that by acting in partnership with NYSDA and others, they not only prevailed this year but "laid the foundation for a successful coalition as we move forward."

The Jonathan E. Gradess Service of Justice Award, named for NYSDA's founding Executive Director, recognizes individuals and organizations that have uniquely supported NYSDA and the defender community.

Chautauqua County Public Defender is Praised for Skill and Dedication

Nathaniel L. (Ned) Barone, Chautauqua County Public Defender, was presented with the 2023 Wilfred R. O'Connor Award. Lawyers in Barone's office lauded his receipt of the honor. John P. (Pat) Rice pointed to Barone's zealous advocacy for clients-"Ned is a tremendous trial attorney and his record speaks for itself," Rice said. Heather Burley, another Assistant Public Defender, stated that Barone "treats everyone he encounters with the 'inalienable dignity of the human person' ... [and] demands equal justice, sometimes literally, and always unflinchingly." And Assistant Public Defender Derek V. Gregory added that Barone "has drawn upon the trials and tribulations of his life experience to dedicate himself to providing extremely effective, unwavering, and non-judgmental representation to his clients in a compassionate manner." Joining the praise for Barone was Supreme Court Justice Grace M. Hanlon, who observed that his leadership "transformed the Public Defender Office from less than ten part time assistants with one investigator, to a law office with over 20 full time assistants in the criminal and family court divisions, with a substantial expansion of support staff, including additional investigators, paralegals and advocates."

The Wilfred R. O'Connor Award is named for a founding member of the Defenders Association who was its president from 1978 to 1989. He believed every defendant, regardless of race, color, creed, or economic status, deserves a day in court and zealous client-centered representation.

Essex County Lawyer is Lauded Five Years Into His Career

Assistant Essex County Public Defender Eric T. Weyand was the 2023 recipient of NYSDA's Kevin M. Andersen Memorial Award. He began at the office as a recent law graduate, able to practice only under a "student practice order" from the Appellate Division. He made the best of that initial time, according to Essex County Public Defender Emily L. Evatt, shadowing senior attorneys, putting in the necessary hours, and performing his tasks "at the level of a seasoned attorney." Weyand "truly set himself apart as an exceptional young attorney during the COVID-19 pandemic," Evatt wrote in the nomination letter, becoming "essential to keeping the office running smoothly" and making "sure that his clients still received their due process under immensely dire conditions." In his five years at the office, Weyand's "stellar motion practice and legal writing skills ... have resulted in numerous favorable outcomes for his clients," Evatt said. Weyand "is an engaged and empathetic listener who truly takes the time to hear his clients['] concerns and always tries to address them with respect and dignity," she noted.

The Kevin M. Andersen Memorial Award is presented to an attorney who has been in practice less than fifteen years, who practices in public defense, and who exemplifies the sense of justice, determination, and compassion that were the hallmarks of its namesake, a lawyer at the Genesee County Public Defender's Office who died of cancer at age 49. The award originated at that office, but was open to attorneys statewide. This year, the selection of recipients was transferred to NYSDA.

NYSDA's mission is to improve the quality and scope of publicly supported legal representation to people unable to afford counsel. The public defenders to whom NYSDA provides backup services include lawyers who represent parents and others threatened with the loss of their children as well as people accused of crime. Many offices, like that of the Chautauqua County Public Defender, provide representation in both areas.

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