Printer-friendly Version

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 23, 2004

SCHUMER: BRING FULL-TIME PROSECUTOR TO PLATTSBURGH US ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

Schumer was lead sponsor of legislation passed this weekend that allows Plattsburgh court to hold federal proceedings

Senator urges US Justice Department to bolster Plattsburgh office, says new court designation means Plattsburgh needs full-time prosecutor to lead grand jury investigations, arraign suspects to get job done

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today pushed the Justice Department to authorize the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York to add a new prosecutor to staff the Plattsburgh office full time. Schumer's push comes on the heels of his successful effort this weekend to get a place of holding court located in Plattsburgh and will help ensure that the Plattsburgh border is tightly protected against high crime and national security concerns.

"Getting this federal court designation in Plattsburgh will have a real impact on our fight against crime in the north country. I'm proud that we were able to get that place of holding court for Plattsburgh -- but now to complete the deal we need to staff the US Attorney's office full time. A full-time prosecutor can lead grand jury investigations, staff court proceedings and help us crack down on crime," Schumer said. "I'll be pushing the Justice Department to do that so we can protect our border as tightly as possible."

Schumer's legislation to designate a place of holding court in Plattsburgh passed this weekend and gives the court the ability to hold proceedings there. One of the big problems with not being allowed to hold court in Plattsburgh previously was that Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and border agents had to travel three hours to Albany or five hours to Syracuse to appear before grand juries and testify at trials, a process that can take them off the job for days at a time. With the advent of a place of holding court in Plattsburgh, agents that have finished testifying can go right back on the job. In addition, having the proceedings in Plattsburgh will cut down on costs associated with transporting defendants and witnesses to the overburdened federal courthouse in Albany.

Schumer today said that adding a prosecutor to the US Attorney's office is now vital for Plattsburgh so that he or she could lead grand jury investigations, arraign suspects, and staff proceedings. Bolstering the office, Schumer said, would ensure that the Plattsburgh court would run efficiently and maximize the crackdown on crime.

Speaking about Schumer's efforts, US Attorney Glen Suddaby today said, “This is a huge step forward in our ability to address border crime issues and ultimately for our national security for our ability to work hand in glove with our border. I can’t thank Senator Schumer enough for getting this done."

####