Proving Your Rehabilitation to a Future Employer: Success is in the Details!

Convincing a future employer to give you a job despite a New York State criminal record is not always easy.

I think like an attorney, and the best way I know to demonstrate, and prove who you are (a rehabilitated person) is by showing key evidence in the following categories:

School: Transcripts and letters from teachers. Use these to show grades, attitude, and attendance.

Job Training: Letters of reference from teachers/trainers to include types of programs, training, punctuality, teamwork, and skills building.

Employment: Letters from supervisors showing work product, promotions, and attitude.

Mental Health and/or Drug/Alcohol Counseling: Letters from doctors, counselors, and therapists.

These should indicate clean drug screens/tests, full participation and/or completion, your growth, understanding, and awareness of the causation of past behavior, your commitment to sobriety, and that you are not a risk to yourself or others. Sign a release form so that they can disclose information about your treatment.

Certificate of relief from disabilities or Certificate of good conduct: These certificates help show your rehabilitation. If you have no more than one felony conviction and any number of misdemeanors, you might be eligible for a Certificate of Relief from Disabilities. If you have more than one felony, you might be eligible for a Certificate of Good Conduct.

Letter from your Probation Officer as to your success while on probation. Clean drug screens, punctuality, completion of treatment, and attitude.

All this evidence of your life turn around will wow the majority of people for the rest as the song says, "forget them."

Larry Newman Criminal Defense Attorney

A Tale of Two Courts: Ithaca City versus Town of Ithaca

My backyard is Ithaca, NY. I do enjoy the Ithaca summers but winters can be trying and a dismal grey. Many people who has been charged with DWI ,and other traffic offenses often confuse the City of Ithaca and the Town of Ithaca Courts. Even after living in the City for a number of years it took me a little while to make sense of the divisions.

Cornell University occupies a huge land mass which straddles both the City and the Town boundaries and that is why some drunk driving cases are presented in the town versus the city and vice versa. On the other hand IC (Ithaca College) only occupies Town land so all IC criminal cases are held in the Town of Ithaca Court. I like to break it down this way, highlands of Ithaca (aside from Cayuga Heights which has it's own Village Court) are Town of Ithaca, and the lowlands (the flats) are the City of Ithaca.

The Town of Ithaca Justice Court only holds Court are two main days/sessions, and is less busy than the City.

Check the bottom left hand part of your tickets/charges to see whether you have to appear at:

Tioga Street, which is the Town of Ithaca Court or

Clinton Street, which is the City of Ithaca Court.

Some important Ithaca Court information is below.

Takeaways: Typically the busier City Courts will handle cases faster than the Town and Village Justice Courts (they have more support staff, open more hours, more Court sessions). That is also balanced with a much heavier case load. More cases can sometimes mean you are not getting out any faster.

The City Judges are paid much more than the part time Town and Village Justices, and they work full time schedules. Because of this, the ability to re-schedule Court dates, and have hearings on different days of the week offers more flexibility as well.

City of Ithaca Court

118 E. Clinton Street 
Ithaca, NY 14850 
(607) 273-2263

City Judges are elected to 10 year terms.

Hon. Judith A. Rossiter/ Bio Link Below

http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/JudicialDirectory/Bio.php?ID=7025414

Hon. James Kerrigan/ Bio Link Below

http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/JudicialDirectory/Bio.php?ID=7030229

Handles all cases from the city, some Cornell University cases, and the lowlands of Ithaca (downtown, commons, Route 13, Meadow Street).

Parking: at Cayuga Garage (across from Holiday Inn), $1.00/hour.

Court located next to police station on 3^rd floor. Must go over footbridge to enter building. Do not bring hot liquids, such as coffee into the building.

Court has multiple sessions during the week, initial appearances generally scheduled on Wednesday mornings and some Friday mornings.

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Town of Ithaca Justice Court

215 North Tioga Street Ithaca, New York 14850 (607) 273-0493

Town Justices are elected to 4 year terms.

Justice David Klein holds Court on: Wednesdays at 4:00 pm

Linda Fetherbay, Court Clerk

Justice James A. Salk holds Court on: Thursdays at 9:00 am

Betty Poole, Court Clerk

Handles IC (Ithaca College cases, some Cornell University Cases, and highlands of Ithaca)

Parking in garage at Seneca and Tioga Streets, next to Post Office, must park on higher levels, $1.00/hour. Starbucks and Hilton are located across the street from the Courthouse.

DO NOT CONFUSE: Tompkins County Courthouse is down Tioga street one block North. _________________________________________________________________________________

When should I hire a lawyer for my New York DWI case?