COMMUNITY EDUCATION, PUBLIC OUTREACH
AND ADVISORY POSITIONS:

Recognizing the need to bring about positive change in the field of criminal justice and educate members of the community with respect to our legal system, District Attorney  Lawrence Friedman:

1.         Served as Coordinator of the New York State Bar Association
            High School Mock Trial Competition for Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and
            Wyoming Counties.  Assistant District Attorney Robert R. Zickl served as
            Attorney Advisor for the Notre Dame High School Mock Trial Team.  Assistant
            District Attorney William G. Zickl served as a Judge in the local tournament.

2.         Participated in the Genesee County Legislature Student Government
            Intern Program.

3.         Spoke at the Courts Facility with the 4^th grade students from Robert Morris
            Elementary School and Alexander Elementary School as well as 2^nd grade students
            from John Kennedy Elementary School and a group of Home Schooled students.

  4.       Hosted a summer extern from William and Mary School of Law and a Job Shadow
            from the B.O.C.E.S. Legal Careers Academy.

 5.        Did a presentation regarding Bail at the June 11, 2011 Genesee County
            Magistrates’ Association meeting.

 6.        Provided a training program to area police agencies regarding police officer
            testimony in DWI cases.  Participating agencies included the New York State
            Police, Genesee County Sheriff’s Department, Batavia Police Department, LeRoy
            Police Department and Corfu Police Department.

7.         Appeared on the WBTA “County Spotlight” radio program.

8.         Served on the local planning committee for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week
            and the Genesee County Mental Health Association’s annual Criminal Justice Day.

 9.        Assistant District Attorney William G. Zickl organized and participated in a Mock
            Trial for Genesee Community College’s Rural Police Training Institute.

10.       Assistant District Attorney William G. Zickl spoke at a meeting of the local SCOPE
            chapter regarding firearms and use of force laws in New York State.

 11.      Assistant District Attorney William G. Zickl acts as a liaison to the Genesee County
            Sheriff’s Office on use of force issues and spoke to the Genesee County combined
            ERT regarding use of force issues.

 12.      Hosted a seminar at the Genesee County Emergency Services Building on
            September 20, 2011 regarding the Methamphetamine and Clandestine Laboratory
            Awareness.

 13.      Served on the STOP-DWI Advisory Board, the Criminal Justice Advisory Council,
            the Justice for Children Team, the Genesee Community College Criminal Justice
            Advisory Committee, the New York State District Attorney’s Association
            Executive Committee and Assistant District Attorney Robert R. Zickl served on the
            Coordinated Community Response to Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Task
            Force.

 Sexual Assault

             Between August and September of 2011, the District Attorney’s Office prosecuted a charge of predatory sexual assault against a child, a crime that was added in 2006.  This proceeding was the first time our office prosecuted such a charge.  The crime targets offenders eighteen years of age or more who commit specified sexual offenses against children less than thirteen years of age.  Predatory Sexual Assault against a child is an A-II felony and provides for a sentence of ten years to life as a minimum and twenty-five years to life as a maximum. 

           The prosecution of this case utilized the video recording of the Police Interview and was otherwise remarkable because of the degree of inter-agency cooperation which came together for the trial of this offense.  Specifically, the Genesee County Attorney’s Office, LeRoy Police Department, New York State Police Computer Forensic Unit, Genesee Justice Child Advocacy Team (including a counselor, forensic interviewer, pediatrician and victim advocates) joined the prosecutor in presenting evidence to the jury and helped guide the child victim through the difficult trial process.  The trial lasted two and a half weeks and resulted in a guilty verdict, followed by a sentence of fifteen years to life.