James Denounces Trump at Albany Law Day Celebration — Criminal Defense Lawyer
Attorney General Letitia James, a criminal defense lawyer, took the podium at the state Court of Appeals’ Law Day celebration in Albany on Friday and denounced President Donald Trump. She said his administration had made what she called extreme overreaches and deliberate violations of the Constitution.
James also told the gathering, “My friends, if the oaths we took when we passed the bar are to mean anything to any of us, then we must stand firm against any and all attacks on the rule of law and on the judiciary.” She added, “This is not a partisan issue.”
Albany Law Day remarks
The Law Day observance is dedicated to honoring the rule of law, and this year’s theme was “The Rule of Law and the American Dream.” James criticized Trump for diminishing election integrity, states’ rights and the rule of law, while lawyers across New York continued to raise alarms a year and a half into Trump’s second term about attacks on the independence of the legal profession and judiciary.
Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson said, “My hope for this Law Day is that we recommit ourselves and each other to the original definition of the American dream by recognizing our communal duty and opportunity to fortify governmental systems, protect the freedom to choose one’s path, to express one’s identity and to happiness on one’s own terms,”
Kathleen Sweet at Law Day
New York State Bar Association President Kathleen Sweet said the sanctity of the legal oath means holding political leaders to account. She said Trump’s administration has installed “loyalists who are unqualified, unvetted and inexperienced” in the Department of Justice.
Sweet also said, “We owe a special non-delegable duty to the rule of law,” and, “We must speak out for the Constitution. We cannot sit back and hope or wait to see who else might do it. It’s up to us.”
Judith S. Kaye awards
Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas presented the Unified Court System’s Judith S. Kaye Service Awards during the ceremony. David Nocenti, Shannon Pero, Nancy Samms and Isidoros Giakoumas were honored for exemplary work, while Eranus Thomas was honored for community service.
A group of 13 court officers in the Manhattan Criminal Court were honored for acts of heroism after defending the court against a knife attack. The officers subdued the assailant, disarmed him and placed him under arrest without discharging their weapons.
For lawyers attending Law Day, the immediate takeaway was plain: New York’s court leaders used the stage to defend the legal profession’s role while elevating employees whose work ranged from courtroom service to stopping violence inside the Manhattan Criminal Court.
