Bethpage-Tribune_1972-06-01

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Island Trees Serving Bethpage Plainview - Island Trees - Plainedge - Seaford
Vol. 6 No. 30
Old Bethpage
Memorial Review
Nassau County Executive Ralph G. Caso (left),
keynote speaker at dedication ceremonies of the
Nassau County Veterans Memorial Coliseum on
Memorial Day, reads inscription on memorial brass
plaque outside the new 17,000-seat sports palace. With
Caso are Assemblyman Joseph M. Margiotta of
Uniondaie, whose district encompasses the coliseum;
Hempstead Presiding Supervisor Francis T. Purcell,
Vincent DeMarco of Elmont, president of the United
Veterans Organization, and Hempstead Supervisor
Alfonse D'Amato. Plaque is dedicated, "To the
Courageous Men and Women Who Have Fought to Give
Us a Peaceful Tomorrow."
(Photos by R«y Shtfton)
Memorial Services were heid to honor Island Trees sons. Most
recent was Sp/ 4 William Henaghan 20 of 146 Floral Avenue. Beth­page,
graduate of Island Trees who was killed May 10, 1972.
Representatives of Mid-Island Neighborhood IV Girl Scouts and
Leaders joined in the Services. L-K - Dolores Schavone, Marianne
Kmetz, May Bailey, Diane Schavone, Donna Danielson, Terry
Kmetz, Fran Danielson, and Rose Kmetz.
Below - Mayor John Kibride, Board President Anthony Lancellatti.
Superintendent Edwin Klotz and Edward Karopczye father
of Stephen who was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal
of Honor.
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Thursday, June 1,1972 10c par copy
Justice Wachtler:
Court Backlog Feeds Crime Rise
"New York today stands at the
threshold of a crisis in the ad­ministration
of justice," New
York Supreme Court Justice Sol
Wachtler today told a meeting of
several hundred members of the
Nassau County League of Women
Voters at the Holiday Inn in
Hempstead.
Justice Wachtler also blamed
the crisis in the courts as a major
contributor to the rise of crime in
the State.
"If tomorrow, every defendant
charged with a crime insisted on
his right to a full trial, our
criminal justice system would be
immobilized and bankrupt. The
creaky wheels would simply
grind to a halt," Justice Wachtler
told the women.
Justice Wachtler, an advocate
of court reform, went on to ex­plain
how desperately the need is
to reform the court system of this
State. While noting that judicial
reform is needed in both civil and
criminal matters, he emphasized
that "criminal court reform is
our most immediate problem."
He said that the state today has
more criminals, more crime and
more victims than ever before.
He explained that possibly the
only reason our criminal court
system has not been totally
halted already is "the enormous
increase in that perculiar in­stitution
know as 'plea
bargaining."
"Plea bargaining is easy to
explain," he stated. "It is a tacit
form of blackmail...the defen­dant
knows that the prosecutor
cannot possibly proceed to trial
with all of his pending cases. He
therefore offers to plead guilty to
a lesser crime than the one
charged. First degree murder is
reduced to manslaughter."
To show how serious a problem
this has become, Justice
Wachtler pointed out that in 1971
"almost 94 percent of the felony
indictments in this State were
disposed of through plea
bargains." He noted that as court
volume increased, as in New
York City, the percentage came
closer to 97 percent, "and as the
court volume increases, the
defendant's power to extract a
better plea bargain also in­creases."
Under such a system, Justice
Wachtler told his audience, "We
are the real losers..."
However, mere condemnation
of our judicial system is not the
solution to the problem, Justice
Wachtler indicated. "We must
create a system in which the
judges are free to judge and the
prosecutors are available to
prosecute."
While ultimately the solution
lies in more funds for the judicial
system, Justice Wachtler in­dicated
that there are fronts on
which we can and should move
rapidly so that the three prongs of
our system - punishment,
deterrence and rehabilitation -
work effectively.
One immediate course he
suggested was the elimination of
victimless crimes from the
criminal process. He cited
nuisance statutes which range
from vagrancy to the use of
profanity in public as one
example. "It is not merely a
question of determining whether
we approve or disapprove of the
statutes involved," he noted. "It
is a question of assessing our
priorities and allocating our
resources. Those matters which
need handling may be dealt with
by appropriate adminstrative
agencies."
Justice Wachtler also ad­vocated
computerizing the courts
to the extent possible and the
employment of non-judicial
Island Trees:
personnel to perform ad­ministrative
and routine court
functions. "No good reason exists
why judges should spend coun­tless
hours handling calendar
calls, preliminary motions and
settlement conferences," he
indicated. "The use of para-professionals
in our system of
justice is long overdue."
Justice Wachtler added that
the present situation is worsening
as more issues such as consumer
protection and the ecology
problems begin to reach the
courts. "If the courts are to fulfill
their professional obligations
and their duty to the people of this
state, reform is essential."
New Trustee Named
Jim Tucci Honored
The Island Trees Board
majority Messrs. Lancellotte,
Webb, DiMitri and Mrs.
Florence Cullem appointed Mrs.
Marilyn Remsen to the
trusteeship left vacant by the
untimely death of James F.
Tucci. The Special Meeting was'
held on Saturday, May 27, 1972 in
the Michael F. Stokes School. The
following resolution honoring
Trustee James Tucci was
presented:
"Whereas, Mr. James F. Tucci
died while in the service of the
community as a trustee of the
Island Trees Board of Education,
and
Whereas, **•"• James F. Tucci
served on the Board of Education
in the distinction of both Vice
President and President, and
Whereas, Mr. James F. Tucci,
while serving his community
displayed unusual dedication,
courage and self--.sacrifice for
the principels of the American
way of life, and
Whereas, the people of the Island
Trees School District wish to
honor him accordingly,
Be it RESOLVED, that the
auditorium of the Island Trees
High School shall hereafter, from
this date forward; be known as
(Continued on Page 8)
A Generous Man
Morton Potlak. (r) President of the Board of Directors of the Luther
E. Woodward School for Emotionally Disturbed Children, presents a
Community Service Citation to Anton Notey, M.D. for his con­tribution
of land on Merrick Road in Freeport on which the school's
new $1,750,000 facility will be erected. The Dr. Anton Notey Library,
endowed by the physician, will be a feature of the new structure. Dr.
Notey's gifts sparked a campaign for community funds needed to
match more than II million in government grants already allocated
for the new building. Dr. Notey is President of Central General
Hospital in Plainview. Joining in the presentation is Milton Sanders,
chairman of the Woodward School.
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