January 5, 2023

Approximately 80 students from Tamarac Elementary School of Sachem School District were welcomed to the Courthouse by Clerk of Court John M. Domurad, who also gave them a tour of the Courthouse and talked about its history and architectural detail. The students then visited with U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino who talked about cases in Federal Court followed by a Q & A session. The students then enjoyed a presentation by U.S. Probation Officers Jeannine Kiebart, Michael Patnaude and Chelsea Deyo, followed by Deputy U.S. Marshals Kenneth Mead and Robert Imburgio.

January 11, 2023

Approximately 55 students from Liverpool High School participated in NDNY's Community Outreach Program in Syracuse NY. The students interacted with Magistrate Judge Therese Wiley Dancks and Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Wendy A. Kinsella, followed by presentations and discussions with Probation Officer James Mathers, FBI Special Agent Robert Polanco, Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Green, and Assistant Federal Public Defender Randi Bianco. The students also heard about the different careers available within the court from Court Reporter Eileen McDonough, IT Systems Administartor Andrew Driscoll, Jury Administrator Carrie LaCourse and Courtroom Deputy Nicole Smith.

January 11, 2023

NDNY hosted area high school students attending Broome Tioga BOCES' NewVisions Law & Government Academy in Binghamton NY. The students met with Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric as well as Deputy US Marshal Andy Kolut, FBI SA Jenelle Bringuel, and FBI SA Stephen Vizvary learning about careers in the Court, the U.S. Marshal Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

January 18, 2023

NDNY hosted area high school students attending Broome Tioga BOCES' NewVisions Law & Government Academy in Binghamton NY. The students met with Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric as well as Deputy US Marshal Andy Kolut, FBI SA Jenelle Bringuel, and FBI SA Stephen Vizvary learning about careers in the Court, the U.S. Marshal Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

February 15, 2023

Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric presided over a Naturalization Ceremony on 2/15/23 where 58 new U.S. citizens were sworn. Students from Cincinnatus High School and Binghamton University attended the momentous occasion and met with Judge Lovric following the ceremony for a Q&A.

March 9, 2023

Magistrate Judge Therese Wiley Dancks presided over a Naturalization Ceremony where 40 new U.S. citizens from 27 countries were sworn. Candidate Dyiaram Samaroo, formerly of Guyana, spoke about their journey to becoming a U.S. Citizen. Twenty five students from Blessed Sacrament Elementary School choir sang several songs throughout the ceremony, including the Star Spangled Banner, God Bless America and This Land is Your Land.

March 15, 2023

The U.S. District Court for the NDNY hosted 80 third graders (4 classes) from Bellamy Elementary School located in Rome, NY at the Syracuse Courthouse. The students were welcomed by Hon. Thérèse Wiley Dancks, U.S. Magistrate Judge and Hon. Wendy A. Kinsella, Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge. The students then observed a presentation from Syracuse Police Officer Victoria Losurdo and her K9 partner “Dome” who spoke about how K9 units are used in investigations and gathering evidence. Assistant United States Attorney Richard Southwick and Assistant Federal Public Defender Randi Bianco talked with the students about their jobs with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Federal Public Defender's Office respectively and a defendant’s right to a jury trial and what happens during trial. Following lunch, the students observed the jury trial of Benjamin B. Wolf (a/k/a the “Big Bad Wolf”) presided by Chief Bankruptcy Judge Kinsella, where the students participated as the Jury. Despite AUSA Southwick’s expert examination of the defendant and witnesses Little Pigs 1, 2 and 3, the student jury found Defendant Wolf NOT GUILTY who was represented by AFPD Bianco. AFPD John Gilsenan graciously played the role of Benjamin B. Wolf.

March 23, 2023

U.S. Magistrate Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks, together with Assistant Federal Public Defender Gabrielle DiBella, U.S. Probation Officer James Mathers, and Court Services Clerk Zachary Cortese, were guest speakers at Career Day held at G. Ray Bodley High School in Fulton, NY. They each talked about their educational backgrounds, career path to their current positions, and what a typical day looks like in Federal Court. The students were able to engage in a group discussion with Judge Dancks and the other speakers and asked some great questions.

April 4, 2023

The NDNY welcomed a group of Boy Scouts from Troop 51 and their Scout leader of the Longhouse Council BSA. These Boy Scouts were working on their Citizenship in the Nation merit badge. They toured several courtrooms as well as the Chambers of Magistrate Judge Andrew T. Baxter while learning about the history of the NDNY. Following the tour, the Scouts met with Judge Baxter for a group discussion on how the U.S. Constitution framed this country; how it created the Federal Court, and how the judicial system works. Judge Baxter explained how cases get to Federal Court and what his role is in different types of cases. The Scouts then met with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Perry and Matthew McCrobie who spoke about their daily duties and how they tie into the Federal Judicial System. The Scouts learned how a criminal case proceeds from start to finish from the U.S. Attorney’s perspective and what they do at each step of the case. The Scouts were able to engage in a group discussion with AUSAs and asked some great questions..

April 4, 2023

Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric hosted the Broome/Tioga County New Visions Law & Government Academy high school students. The students heard a presentation from Chief U.S. Probation Officer Michael Kester and U.S. Probation Officer Nicholas Bavaria. They spoke to the group regarding career path topics, what their job entails, and all the ways that their office interacts with the Court and other federal agencies.

April 5, 2023

Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric hosted high school students from Broome/Tioga New Visions Law & Government Academy high school. The presenters were Career Law Clerk Abigail Hind, Career Law Clerk Richard Lindstrom, CRD Jennifer Painter, CRD Angela Topa, and Court Reporter Ruth Lynch. The presenters discussed with the students how each of them fits into the daily activities of the federal judiciary and the role they play in the mission of the federal court. The presenters also discussed with the students career path options. The law clerks also fielded questions from the students on topics of interest to the students.

April 27, 2023

U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino hosted the Criminology Class from Columbia High School at the courthouse in Albany NY. The students viewed a court proceeding and then participated in a Q&A with Judge D’Agostino, Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Coombe, Assistant Federal Public Defender Paul Evangelista, and Probation Officers Jeannine Kiebert, Michael Patenaude and Chelsea Deyo. The students were also guided on a tour of the courthouse by Courtroom Deputy Daniel Krug and Court Services Clerk Liz Render.

May 11, 2023

Albany County Bar Association Mock Trial participants from Catholic Central School, Albany Academy and Christian Brothers Academy visited the Albany Courthouse on May 11th to observe a Change of Plea Hearing and Sentencing presided by District Judge Mae. A. D’Agostino. The proceeding was followed up by a Q&A with the Judge, a discussion with AUSA Joseph Hartunian, and a tour of Judge D’Agostino’s chambers. The students ended their day with a tour of the courthouse and discussion about different careers within the Court.

May 17, 2023

On 5/17/23, Magistrate Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks and Magistrate Judge Andrew T. Baxter met with approximately 50 high school students from Marcellus and Jamesville-Dewitt Central School Districts at the Syracuse Courthouse to discuss their career paths and a day in the life as a judge. The students also heard about different careers in law as well as a criminal case study and how a criminal case progresses from beginning to end and the roles each Federal agency plays in the criminal process from Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Thompson, Assistant Federal Public Defender Gabrielle DiBella, US Marshal Alex Baker, US Marshal Dave Tobian, and Supervising Probation Officer Ellen Phillips. Finally, the students heard about careers in the Clerk’s Office from Court Reporter Eileen McDonough, Jury Administrator Carrie LaCourse, Courtroom Deputy Suzanne Gunter, and Systems Administrator Andrew Driscoll.

May 25, 2023

On 5/25/23, Magistrate Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks hosted the entire 6th grade from Skaneateles Middle School at the Syracuse Courthouse. The students heard from Assistant U.S. Attorney, Richard Southwick, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Randi Bianco, and Officer Victoria Losurdo of the Syracuse Police Department accompanied by Dome from the K9 Unit. Following the group discussions, the students participated in the trial of the Big Bad Wolf presided by Chief District Judge Brenda K. Sannes where three Skaneateles middle school students (a/k/a the three little pigs) took the witness stand in support of AUSA Southwick’s prosecution of Mr. Wolf (John O'Brien, OFPD) who was represented by AFPD Randi Bianco. The student jury verdict returned an even split decision, and Chief Judge Sannes declared a mistrial.

August 16, 2023

Hon. Wendy A. Kinsella, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge, hosted students from the Syracuse University College of Law JDi program at the Syracuse Courthouse. The 110 students heard from 3 different panels. The “Federal Agencies” panel consisted of Lisa Peebles, Federal Public Defender, Michael Perry, Assistant U.S. Attorney, and Matthew Gilchriest, U.S. Probation. The second panel was titled “Life in Judicial Chambers” and featured Kelly Griffith, Career Bankruptcy Law Clerk, Keyashia Willis, Term Bankruptcy Law Clerk, and Nicole Eallonardo, CRD District Judge. The third panel titled “View from the Bench” featured the Hon. Brenda K. Sannes, Chief U.S. District Judge, Hon. Wendy Kinsella, Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge, and Hon. Andrew T. Baxter, U.S. Magistrate Judge. The students are all in their first year of law school.

October 18, 2023

Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric presided over two Naturalization ceremonies where 39 candidates were sworn in as United States citizens. Several students from across Broome County and Binghamton University attended the ceremonies as part of the Court’s Outreach Program and met with Judge Lovric for a Q&A following the ceremony.

November 7, 2023

U.S. District Mae A. D’Agostino visited Lake Placid Elementary School to speak with their students about her path to becoming a District Judge, about the types of cases she oversees in Federal Court and participated in a question and answer session with the students.

November 13, 2023

Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric hosted 25 students from Windsor High School on 11/13/23. The students participated in a Q&A with Judge Lovric, and then heard from USM Kolut regarding a career with the U.S. Marshal Service which ended with a tour of the cell block. Finally, the students heard from Career Law Clerk Richard Lindstrom with a tour of the courtroom.

November 22, 2023

Chief Bankruptcy Judge Wendy A. Kinsella welcomed 40 students from Jamesville-Dewitt Middle School. NYS Trooper Kylie Black and her K9 partner Loni wowed the students with the canine’s training and duties, followed by presentations from AUSA Michael Gadarian and AFPD John Gilsenan on their legal careers. After lunch, the students took active roles as judge, prosecutor, defense counsel and witnesses in the trial of Prince William charged with the theft of Cinderella’s rare glass slipper directed by Magistrate Judge Therese Wiley Dancks. After deliberations, the jury found the prince not guilty.

December 13, 2023

Fowler High School and Cincinnatus High School students visited the Syracuse Courthouse on 12/13/23 where they watched a live sentencing presided by Magistrate Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks, followed by a group discussion with Judge Dancks, AUSA Michael Perry (the prosecutor on the case), AFPD Gabriella DiBella (defense counsel) and Probation Officer Nick Bavaria. The students ended their day with a presentation by Deputies Alex Baker and Anthony Adams who discussed their careers with the U.S. Marshal Service.