Letters From The Inside -- Justice for Jack

April 2007

What’s Next?

I recently learned that the Rensselaer County District Attorney, Patricia DeAngelis, has decided not to seek re-election this fall.  I understand she claims she is no longer interested in the position.  I, for one, find that funny.  I think its more likely that she has finally realized that the citizens of Rensselaer County are no longer interested in her.  Either way, in one o f the very rare moments of her selfish career, she is finally doing what is expected of her; to act in the best interest of the people of Rensselaer County.

It goes without saying that I am not alone in my elation over this news.   The excitement felt from her announcement is possibly only second to that felt when she was completely obliterated in her foolish bid to bring her corrupt activity to an open County judgeship.  It is my guess and most everyone’s hope that Ms. DeAngelis will ride off into the sunset, never to be heard of again.  And although this is truly good news for the residents of our county, the question is left, “So, what now?”

Now that Ms. DeAngelis is leaving, what happens to the mess she made?  Who cleans that up?  What about the chaotic DA office?  What about the tarnished name she has brought to the Rensselaer County justice system?  What about the lawsuits and wrongful convictions?  And most of all, what about all the innocent lives she has destroyed?

Chances are, if you live in the Capital District area, you know or know of Ms. DeAngelis and her story.  Other than what she says with her own words and the words of a small time radio talk show host, can anyone remember when Ms. DeAngelis did something right?  She has more self-induced problems, reversed convictions and warnings from her superiors than all the other area DAs put together.

While there is much that can be said about Ms. DeAngelis, a recent article in the Albany Times Union summed things up nicely.  One would think that by now, Ms. DeAngelis would accept responsibility- even if just a little bit- for her abuse of power and position.  Instead, in her departing breath, she once again fires back.  With the buzz of this good news still reverberating, Ms. DeAngelis did what any shrewd politician would do; she found herself a needle in a haystack.  One talk show host still believed in her so he invited her on to make her case. Yet, to play it safe, no phone calls were allowed when she was on the show.  This way, Ms. DeAngelis could avoid interruption as she spoke of her greatness and how the bad things that happened to her were everyone else’s fault. Sounds like one of her trials.   Her childish, tacky and unprofessional behavior on that talk show is the exact reason voters are sick of her.  Even to the end, she continues to make a mockery out of the justice system.

Unfortunately for my family and me, we are among the many victims of Ms. DeAngelis.  In fact, due to her pathetic courtroom conduct in my first trial she got the thrill of victimizing us twice.  In fact, whenever she is asked about my case, she is quick to state that I must be guilty because I had two trials and was convicted twice I suppose she sticks to that two trials-two convictions theme in an effort to convince the curious and maybe herself that she did not put an innocent man in prison. She fails to mention that she herself told the jurors in trial two that what she convicted me of in trial one never happened, but I guess that’s besides the point in her mind. What she also conveniently leaves out is that the State’s highest court threw out my first conviction, not because of a technicality as she falsely claims, but once again because of her conduct.  In other words, my first conviction was not a legal verdict. 

What Ms. DeAngelis also fails to mention when discussing my case is that her conduct in my second trial was three times as egregious as the conduct that caused my first reversal.  The only reason my second trial has not yet been reversed is because no court has reviewed the actual merits of the case.  This will happen very soon in the federal courts.  Yes, I did have two trials at the hands of Ms. DeAngelis but it has been well established that her trials are nothing about truth but about getting a conviction at all cost.  She will stop at nothing to reach her objective.

So, assuming Ms. DeAngelis keeps her promise, she will soon be part of Rensselaer County’s history.  However, when she departs, she leaves behind not a legacy to be proud of but a mess to be ashamed of.  Some of her mess will be corrected in time but many of the lives she has destroyed will be scarred forever.

I think it’s safe to say that Ms. DeAngelis aspirations have been extinguished.  Hopefully, she will never again be given the opportunity to harm the innocent.  What’s next for her?  She did mention possibly teaching law.  Well, at least she still has her sense of humor, right?   To the woman who subscribes to “admissions by denial,” perhaps she can try to join up with the Innocence Project or Justice Now.  After all, who knows more about wrongful convictions that the soon-to-be-former Rensselaer County District Attorney, Ms. DeAngelis?