January 30, 2014: New York State Bar Association Honors Eight for Distinguished Service in Criminal Justice

January 30, 2014: New York State Bar Association Honors Eight for Distinguished Service in Criminal Justice

1.30.2014

By Communications Department

The New York State Bar Association has honored eight attorneys and jurists for their contributions to the criminal justice community in 2013.

The awards, given out by the Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section, were presented January 30 during the association’s Annual Meeting at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City.

“This year’s class of award winners represents the epitome of talent, dedication and service to the criminal justice community,” said Criminal Justice Section Chair Hon. Mark Dwyer of Brooklyn (New York State Supreme Court, Kings County). “New Yorkers are well served by these outstanding attorneys and jurists.”

The award winners are:

Hon. Barry Kamins, Brooklyn

The Vincent E. Doyle, Jr. Award for Outstanding Judicial Contribution in the Criminal Justice System

The Hon. Barry Kamins is a justice of the state Supreme Court, administrative judge of the Criminal Court of the City of New York and chief of policy and planning for the state’s Unified Courts System. He co-chairs the Advisory Committee on Criminal Law and Procedure for the Chief Administrative Judge of New York, as well as the New York State Permanent Sentencing Commission. A former Kings County prosecutor, Judge Kamins is a member and special adviser to the New York State Justice Task Force and was chairman of the State Bar’s Task Force on Wrongful Convictions.

Paul Shechtman, New York City

Charles F. Crimi Memorial Award

Paul Shechtman (Zuckerman Spaeder) has served as assistant U.S. Attorney, chief of the Criminal Division of the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District and director of criminal justice for the State of New York. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia University Law School. He is a member of the Advisory Committee on Evidence Rules and the New York State Permanent Sentencing Commission. He is former chair of the state Commission on Lobbying, the state Ethics Commission and the state Judicial Screening Committee.

Senator Lee Zeldin,  Brookhaven 

Outstanding Contribution in the Field of Criminal Justice Legislation

Senator Lee Zeldin was elected to the New York State Senate in 2010. He serves as chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Consumer Protection and as a member of several Senate committees.  He is the Senate sponsor of a bill calling for sealing of criminal records for certain non-violent crimes, a State Bar initiative, and has co-sponsored legislation to curb gang violence and organized retail crime.

Frank A. Sedita III, Buffalo

Outstanding Prosecutor

Frank A. Sedita has been the Erie County district attorney since 2009 and is president-elect of the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York. He joined the Erie County DA’s office in 1988 as an assistant district attorney and has served as chief of the Special Investigations and Prosecutions Bureau and chief of the Homicide Bureau.

Philip Banks, III, New York City

Outstanding Police Contribution in the Criminal Justice System

Philip Banks, III has served as New York City’s chief of community affairs since July 2010 following a distinguished 24-year career as a New York City police officer, during which he held various supervisory roles. In addition, Chief Banks is a member of the founding chapter of 100 Black Men in New York City, a philanthropic organization that helps African-Americans and other minorities.

Anthony J. Colleluori, Syosset

Outstanding Contribution in the Field of Criminal Law Education

Anthony J. Colleluori (Anthony Colleluori & Associates) is a veteran attorney with a concentration in criminal defense, civil rights and constitutional torts law. He has been an active member of the New York State Bar Association, the Nassau County Criminal Court Bar Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Jason D. Effman, Albany

Outstanding Contribution in the Field of Correctional Services

Jason D. Effman has been associate commissioner of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision since April 2013. He is responsible for developing and implementing policy to combat sexual abuse in state prisons.

Jessica W. Goldthwaite, Brooklyn

The Michele S. Maxian Award for Outstanding Public Defense Practitioner

Jessica W. Goldthwaite is an eight-year veteran of the Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Practice. As a member of the society’s DNA unit, she is involved in staff training, as well as defending in cases involving DNA evidence.

The New York State Bar Association, with 75,000 members, is the largest voluntary state bar association in the country. It was founded in 1876.

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Contact: Mark Mahoney

Associate Director of Media Services

[email protected]

518/487-5532