Former district attorney for Tompkins County, New York, George Dentes, died on October 31, 2006. Dentes suffered from a heart attack just outside his office in the state capital. He served as the Tompkins County district attorney for 15 years and worked with the New York State Prosecutors Training Institute in Albany at the time of his death.
Riverside County (California) district attorney, NDAA vice president and member of the APRI Board of Trustees Grover Trask has announced his retirement. In the coming year, he will join the California law firm of Best Best & Krieger LLP, serving as special counsel focusing on ethics, conflicts of interest, election law and governmental accountability. Trask served Riverside County for 32 years (25 years as DA).
Sandra O’Connor, Baltimore County state’s attorney, has recently retired. O’Connor was one of the first women to be elected as a prosecutor in a metropolitan jurisdiction. During her career, she served on the NDAA Board of Directors and on the National College of District Attorneys Board of Regents. She served as state’s attorney for 32 years. On October 11, 2006, colleagues, family and friends gathered to celebrate her career.
On September 20, 2006, U.S. Attorney Mike Heavican was named the chief justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court by Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman. Heavican was appointed U.S. attorney for Nebraska by President Bush in 2001.
Tom Evans has recently replaced Shane McNeil as the prosecuting attorney in Barry County, Michigan. He won the August 8 primary to complete the last two years of McNeil’s term. Evans formerly served as a prosecutor in Montmorency County before returning to Barry County.
Arthur J. Cotter was unanimously appointed by four circuit court judges as the new prosecuting attorney in Berrien County, Michigan. He had served for 20 years in the Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office and replaced Jim Cherry who resigned due to health problems.
Michigan recently welcomed Richard Steiger as the new prosecuting attorney for Presque Isle County. He replaced Don McLennan who served as prosecuting attorney for the county since 1991 and recently resigned.
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| NDAA’s own Sarah Chapman crosses the finish line in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. |
Sarah Chapman, senior attorney in NDAA’s DNA Forensics Program ran in the 31st Annual Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., on October 29, 2006. Sarah ran as one of the 155 team members of the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund Team, two of whom lost a leg in Iraq. The fund was established to provide financial grants and other assistance to the Marines, sailors and families of those injured serving our nation. Over $100,000 was raised by the runners in the marathon.
Several awards were presented to California prosecutors at the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA) Summer Conference. Recipients included:
Craig Hum, deputy district attorney in Los Angeles County. Hum was awarded the Instructor of the Year award in recognition of his contribution to prosecutor training for more than a decade. Hum’s expertise includes gang prosecutions, murder prosecutions, Aranda/Bruton, theories of liability, lesser included offenses, and multiple defendant/multiple jury issues;
Thomas W. Sneddon, Jr., district attorney of Santa Barbara County; and Grover Trask, district attorney of Riverside County. Sneddon and Trask were honored with the Edwin L. Miller, Jr. Leadership Award in recognition of their extraordinary leadership in the field of criminal justice. Both men served as district attorney in their counties for more than 20 years;
George Kennedy, district attorney of Santa Clara County. Kennedy was the recipient of the Joseph P. Busch Presidential Award in recognition of his service to his county and the state by being actively involved in the California District Attorneys Association and serving as association president. Kennedy served as Santa Clara district attorney since 1990 and served as the 1997–1998 CDAA president;
Holly Wilkens, supervising deputy attorney general in the San Diego Office of the Attorney General, Appeals, Writs, and Trials Section. Wilkens was awarded the William E. James Award in recognition of exceptional assistance to district attorneys and their deputies.
Larry Scoufos, assistant district attorney in Sonoma County; and Lisa Gamoian, chief deputy district attorney in Fresno County. Both Scoufos and Gamoian were presented with the Outstanding Prosecutor of the Year award.
Warren Diepraam, assistant district attorney in Harris County, Texas, was awarded the National Traffic Safety Award in recognition of his dedication to traffic safety. The award was presented by the National Association of Prosecutor Coordinators in Santa Fe, New Mexico, this summer.
Charles J. Hynes, the Kings County (New York) district attorney, has recently been published as the author of a novel about the criminal justice system from the standpoint of a career prosecutor. The book is entitled Triple Homicide and will be available in bookstores next summer.
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