The Otsego County Sheriffs department arrested 34 year old Harry Lee Wilkins of the Bronx following a traffic stop in Oneonta. Wilkins was found to be in possession of 770 envelopes containing heroin, he was charged with 2 counts of 3rd degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Wilkins was sent to the Otsego County Jail on $50,000 bail, more arrests are anticipated
———————————————-
State Police CNET Unit and Vestal Police Department arrested 38 year old Kendall Smith of Binghamton after a search warrant led to the seizure of 245 packages of heroin, packaging materials and cash. Smith was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance and Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia, Smith was arraigned in Binghamton City Court and remanded to the Broome County Jail without bail.
————————————–
New York State agreed to settle a lawsuit claiming its public defense system is under funded and violates poor people’s rights to counsel. The state will establish a cap on the number of cases court-appointed attorneys may handle and will ensure defendants have lawyers at their first court appearance, among other reforms. The NYCLU sued the state in 2007 claiming New York has neglected its duty to provide attorneys to poor defendants by passing the job on to counties, which do not have the resources to ensure adequate representation. Under the settlement, the state will provide funding to ensure lawyers have time to meet with their clients & thoroughly investigate their case.
————————————

State Senate Democratic candidate Anndrea Starzak will unveil her Environmental Platform today at the solar powered home of Ken Fogerty at 746 Gospel Hill Road in Guilford at 3:00 PM. Starzak will announce her endorsement by the Sierra Club & she will accept the challenge by Southern Tier environmental groups to tour fracking sites in Pennsylvania.
——————————