WILLIAM J. FITZPATRICK THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Onondaga County District Attorney William J. Fitzpatrick loves what he does. He is running for his 8th term. This column is an effort to present a brief compendium of the abilities and achievements of a truly remarkable individual.
From Fairness to Opiates, to cold cases to ground breaking forensics, the DA has been in the forefront of bringing the latest techniques and innovative approaches and procedures to the District Attorney’s Office. Add to this an unparalleled record of prosecutorial achievement, and unique and invaluable programs for young people, and the picture starts to form. We have been and are the beneficiaries of a rare and very talented and unique District Attorney. I offer you the following:
“Justice” The pursuit of all that is good and fair. A word that seeks the best of who we are more than any other. In its’ own right it possesses unusual embracing quality and pursues highly noble outcome. It is a word that also embraces the District Attorney of Onondaga County. It is hard to believe it has been 40 years. I met the D.A. long before Bill Fitzpatrick became the District Attorney. He and his friend, Mike Price, recently out of law school, befriended me at a time when such friendships meant a lot and helped me to get back on a good path. It was a difficult time for me and there was no reason to befriend me except out of clear kindness.
I mention this up front so as I proceed you will have an idea the kind of leadership that has been in place at the District Attorney’s office for over 30 years. I have been a member of the District Attorneys Advisory Council for 20 years. I have followed the DA’s entire career. It is with great informed admiration and respect that I offer to you a little about the District Attorney of Onondaga County.
Bill Fitzpatrick is a remarkably talented individual. He a is a mix of our finest qualities, each of which he exemplifies, and as such each is applied to the well- being of our citizens. I am aware this is a highly complementary column. Please note in the following, the compassion, the sense of justice and the clear exemplary character his deeds represent. What I hope to convey is that when you are writing the truth about one of the talented few, the truth is humbling.
Have you ever attended an event where all of sudden a tone or a few key words catch your attention? You begin to listen more carefully as eloquence attends unusual wisdoms and you find yourself thinking “This is a Special and Unique Individual”. When you get to know Bill Fitzpatrick you soon find that he is in charge of what he does and is a force. And fairness and right are clearly seen. The mighty know this and have come to understand that right and wrong will be equal determinents for rich and poor. The DA does not fear power nor resentful repercussion, political or otherwise, from unjust thinking. I offer the following for you to apply to this kind of expertise:
When one possesses extraordinary leadership ability an amazing high value exponential course of positive events falls into place that touches every segment of their mission and charge. Extraordinary leaders choose extraordinary individuals to work with them. In this case an entire staff of extraordinary elite individuals are in place. This in turn promotes an elite and contagious professionalism wherever they go. The end result is an entire staff of elite professionals like no other. This has taken place in the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office resulting in one of the finest of its’ kind in the United States.
This exponential transfer of expertise from the District Attorney, to his Staff, to the Community is an absolutely awesome representation of one of the talented few.
And every individual that has an encounter with The District Attorney’s Office is the beneficiary of justice and fairness at its’ finest.
His office is indeed a beacon and Bill Fitzpatrick has shared this expertise over the years. I urge you to read his bio at https://da.ongov.net/bio/. It is a brief, yet extraordinary read well worth your time. Here are few excerpts: In 2007 Bill Fitzpatrick was appointed New York State Representative to the National District Attorney’s Association. He was sworn in as President in July 2015. Currently, he serves as a member of the NDAA Executive Committee. New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman appointed D.A. Fitzpatrick in 2010 to the New York State Permanent Sentencing Commission. The Commission’s task is to examine New York State’s sentencing laws and policies on an ongoing basis and make the appropriate recommendations.
The DA is also a member of the Onondaga County and New York State Bar Associations and he has been a member of the National District Attorney’s Association since 1984. “He is currently the Association’s Chair of the Committee on Fair & Ethical Administration of Justice”.
The Onondaga County District Attorney’s office is also strategically involved with programs such as Project Safe Schools, Stop DWI, Check Enforcement and an invaluable Victims Assistance Program. Project Safe Schools employs safety procedures and ideas that help identify students that bring weapons into schools. This program embraces any threat to the school or an individual. Victims Assistance helps witnesses and victims deal with traumas that result from violent crime. The DA is a strong believer in protecting these innocent participants. The District Attorney’s Advisory Council is a liaison between the Community and the District Attorney. The D.A.A.C. assists the Community with Drug Prevention programs, Classroom Education and other informative symposium’s as well as an array of crime prevention, and public assistance programs throughout the community.
You may also submit an anonymous tip, (Tip 411) learn about Traffic Ticket Procedures, Property Release, Court and DWI appointments and Victim Assistance at https://da.ongov.net/
The DA is also extremely active in the community and has been involved with Vera House Foundation (a local shelter for battered women), McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center, the Ronald McDonald House, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and several other community groups.
I would be remiss if I did not mention Bill Fitzpatrick’s son, Danny. I have had the opportunity to come to know Danny Fitzpatrick. Danny is the Town Supervisor of Lafayette, N.Y. Over the years I have had the opportunity to witness the integrity and extraordinary efficiency of Danny. The expertise he demonstrates in the Town of Lafayette clearly reflects he is his Father’s son. One of the talented few. Like his Dad, as you come to know him, you realize a rare and special individual is in the arena and we the people, are the beneficiaries.
As Danny has come into his own, he will continue to be a rising star ensuring that posterity will also be the beneficiary of the justice and quality of his Dad. There are too few such individuals in the arena. It is to us to recognize, especially the talented few. It is to us to give them “The Torch, to hold it high”, so we can rest in trusted hands. It is with great regard for the District Attorney, and appreciation for his dedication to “right” in its finest sense, that I urge you to vote for Bill Fitzpatrick for District Attorney of Onondaga County in November.
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