DA Leone Honors Reading and North Reading Student at Regional Law Day Event

The following was submitted by the DA's office: 

A group of 20 Middlesex County high school juniors and seniors took part in the annual Middlesex Law Day event, which aims to introduce youth to the public court system, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone informed the public today.

Titled, “No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom,” the event highlighted the vital role of the court system in ensuring justice for victims, defendants and the public. DA Leone served as the event’s keynote speaker to an audience of students, parents, criminal justice personnel and school leaders.

Bridget Bukovich from  and Brittany Straughn from  was among the recipients during the ceremony held at the Middlesex Superior Court. 

“Law Day is a great opportunity to share the work of the public legal system with our young people.  Open and accessible courts are the cornerstone of a free society.  Despite the fact that the staffs of the DA’s offices are sadly underfunded, it is the gratifying work of speaking for people with no voice that compels so many dedicated, committed and talented people to work here,” DA Leone said.  “I commend these students for their hard work and dedication to their education that earned them this honor today and hope they will consider using their talents to serve the public.” 

The students were selected to participate by their local school districts for displaying outstanding leadership, citizenship, academic and athletic accomplishments.  DA Leone, along with Middlesex Bar Association President Philip Privitera, presented the awards to the students. State Senator Sal DiDomenico also spoke at the event along with LaDonna Hatton, chief legal counsel for the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office and Fox 25 commentator Cosmo Macero.

District Attorney Gerry Leone was elected in November of 2006 and took office in January 2007. Within four years, he implemented a number of new initiatives designed to better protect and serve the people of Middlesex County. In 2007, Leone created a new Domestic Violence Unit, now called the Domestic Violence Program, to more effectively prevent and prosecute instances of domestic violence as well as better serve its victims. To further that service, Leone also created a domestic violence pro bono program in partnership with area law firms to provide victims of domestic violence free legal assistance during the restraining order process.  Leone also established the office’s first Cyber Protection Program in 2007, forming a team of prosecutors and investigators specifically focused on the protection of children and other citizens from the predatory dangers of the Internet.  

A career prosecutor with a record of implementing innovative school safety programs, Leone has also launched an initiative to more comprehensively expand those prevention and intervention efforts into the middle schools, and to the 26 colleges and universities of Middlesex County. 

Additionally, Leone launched a comprehensive plan aimed at combating Shaken Baby Syndrome in which he partnered with service agencies and Middlesex County hospitals.  The program aims to have all new parents undergo individual training sessions by hospital nurses on strategies to prevent SBS.  Since its launch at Winchester Hospital in March 2008, eight more hospitals have joined the program. 

Leone also created a workplace violence prevention training program which aims to train safety, security, legal, and human resources personnel on how to minimize the risk of a violent incident occurring in workplaces, including private companies, schools, public governmental agencies, and others.  

Lastly, Leone is also the Chair of Middlesex Partnerships for Youth, Inc. (MPY), a non-profit organization which provides prevention and intervention resources and training to Middlesex school districts and communities. Today, in collaboration with the District Attorney's Office, over 60 Middlesex school districts are committed to examining the pressing social, legal, and health-related issues and solutions that face schools and communities. Through the current and future activities of MPY, educators, parents, and students can regularly engage in collaborative trainings with law enforcement, social services, and community-based organizations as well as share the latest information and resources. Such interactions provide the foundation for creating solution-oriented, community-based, multi-disciplinary approaches to addressing youth violence, substance abuse, child abuse and neglect, hate crimes, and harassment across Middlesex County.