NOVEMBER 2020 NEWSVOL. 1 ISSUE 1crossmediaplus.com/flipbooks/BoldestNews/COBA_NewsLetter.pdf · 2020. 11. 18. · pay for your optical, dental, and prescription drug beneﬁts, as

B LDEST

NEWSNOVEMBER 2020 VOL. 1 ISSUE 1

• NEW COBA EXECUTIVE BOARD • CONTRACT • LEGISLATION • CLOSING JAILS • JAIL SAFETY • COVID-19 • NEW LEGAL TEAM

Pictured Above: on SePtember 3, 2020, cobA deLeGAteS, executive boArd memberS And PreSident benny boScio Jr. JoinedHundredS of nyc union memberS At A rALLy in Lower mAnHAttAn to ProteSt mAyor de bLASio’S tHreAt of 22,000 LAyoffS

A NEW ERA BEgiNs!

26077 COBA_NewsLetter_Oct_2020_v14_FINAL.qxp:Layout 1 11/17/20 9:11 PM Page 1

THE BOLDEST UNION CORRECTION OFFICERS’ BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION

2 ||| NEW YORK CITY CORRECTION

Joseph Bracco1st Vice President

Benny Boscio Jr.President

glenn Morgan2nd Vice President

Keisha Williams3rd Vice President

Michael MaielloTreasurer

Lionel CumberbatchFinancial Secretary

Herman JiminianLegislative Chairman

Antoinette AndersonCorresponding Secretary

Angel CastroRecording Secretary

Felix sanchezSergeant-At-Arms

Ashaki AntoineFirst City-Wide Trustee

Charles J. WingateManhattan Borough Trustee

Edward YatesBrooklyn Borough Trustee

Matthew RomanoBronx Borough Trustee

Neil RenoisQueens Borough Trustee

COBAExECUTivEBOARD MEMBERS

THEBOLDEsTUNION

“PATROLLING THE TOUGHEST PRECINCTS IN NEW YORK”

COBA HEADQUARTERS77-10 21ST AVENUE, EAST ELMHURST, N.Y. 11370

T. 718.545.COBA (2622) F. 718.545.2668

CORRECTION OFFICERS’ BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION, INC.

FOLLOW YOUR UNiON!

www.cobanyc.org


CORRECTION OFFICERS’ BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION THE BOLDEST UNION

first and foremost, with all the challengeswe continue to face, i hope this messagefinds you and your family safe and healthy.i wanted to take this opportunity to updateyou on our most pressing priorities, as wellas a number of significant achievementswe’ve already made on behalf of you andyour families.

AN UPDATE ON COBA’s LEgALFigHT TO COMPEL MAYOR DEBLAsiO TO PAY Us OUR RETROPAY AND ABiDE BY OURCONTRACTAs i indicated in a letter to you a few weeksago, the city of new york violated theircontractual obligation to our union, byfailing to payout the retroactive moniesowed to us on october 30, 2020. thisegregious violation of our contract cameafter a week of numerous attempts by thecity to persuade us to give back or greatlydelay the benefits we are entitled to,including a delay of our final 3% raise into

the next fiscal year, or later, using thethreat of potential layoffs, as a bargainingchip to force us to make an ad hoc decisionthat would be detrimental to you and your families.

with each conversation i had with thecommissioner of Labor relations, i madeour position unequivocally clear- we willnot willingly agree to any deal that furtherdelays the monies the city owes us, nor willwe divide our membership by agreeing toa provision that prevents layoffs only untilJune, 2021. the no layoff clause, offeredby the city, is not unconditional either. it iscontingent in the short term on no furtherdecline in the city’s financial condition.Additionally, the city will only agree on alonger no layoff clause, until June 2022, onthe condition that the city receives abailout from the federal Government.frankly, the city’s short-term and long-termconditions are too tenuous for cobAmembers to rely on.

NEW YORK CITY CORRECTION ||| 3

dear brother/Sister officer,

Message fromCOBA PREsiDENT

“Now more than

ever, let'sstay

BoldestUnited”

Benny Boscio Jr.




the reality is the city of new york stillowes us a $9.45 million contribution toour Active and retired Health andwelfare funds that was supposed to bepaid on february 1, 2020. these fundspay for your optical, dental, andprescription drug benefits, as well as foryour Legal Services Plan. Given theirfailure to make this payment and theirfailure to honor our retro payout, howcould we possibly agree to a no layoffclause with a realistic expectation thatthe city would honor it if presentcircumstances persist or worsen? this isunacceptable! i have instructed ourattorneys to request an expeditedarbitration, where we will make ourarguments before an Arbitrator and seekto compel the city to honor itscontractual commitments, including theretro payout and our final 3% raise owedto us on June 1, 2021– while awardingus full credit for the delays in all moniesowed to our members. we arescheduled to proceed to arbitrationbefore Arbitrator marty Scheinman onnovember 24, 2020.

we will continue to keep you updated asour expedited arbitration processdevelops and we will continue to fightvigorously for our money. we will notrelent until we prevail.

COBA’s CLAss ACTiONgRiEvANCE ON BEHALF OF400 CORRECTiON OFFiCERsDEsigNATED WiTH CHRONiCABsENCEs RELATED TOCOviD-19 DiAgNOsEs Hundreds of correction officers whoworked in the jails during the pandemic andmissed work after contracting coronavirusare now considered chronically absent bythe city’s correction department — a stain

on their personnel records that can preventthem from rising up the ranks and couldeven jeopardize their jobs. As a result,cobA filed a class Action Grievance onSeptember 2, 2020 on behalf of all affectedofficers, seeking to get these chronicabsences overturned.

NEW LEgisLATiONrecognizing the injustice of slappingcorrection officers who quarantinedbecause of covid-19, with chronicAbsences, State Senator diane Savinoand Assemblyman Peter Abbate- bothlongtime champions of labor unions,introduced legislation that wouldprevent local government workers frombeing punished for coronavirus-relatedabsences. the bill says governmentemployers cannot dismiss or take “otheradverse disciplinary (or) personnelactions against a public employeerelated to (covid-19) absences.” movingforward, cobA will vigorously lobby ourstate legislators to pass this bill andGovernor cuomo to sign it into law.

RETAiNED A NEW LEgALTEAM TO PROTECT ANDDEFEND YOUR RigHTs!As part of my pledge to you during thecampaign to re-shape our legal teamand improve your legal representation,the executive board and i retainedseveral exceptional law firms who areuniquely prepared to meet the legalneeds of cobA members. our new legalteam will be led by attorneys who havean exceptional track record in defendinglaw enforcement officers. moreinformation about our new law firms isincluded in this edition of boldest news.

LAWsUiT FiLED WiTH ALL NYCLAW ENFORCEMENT UNiONsTO PROTECT OURDisCiPLiNARY RECORDsFROM THE PUBLiCin September, a three-judge panel of theSecond circuit court of Appeals ruled 2-1to reissue a stay that blocks thedisciplinary records of correction officers,and other law enforcement officers, frombeing released to the public.

COBA's PRELiMiNARYiNJUNCTiON PREvENTiNgTHE DOC FROM FORCiNgCORRECTiON OFFiCERs TOWORK TRiPLE TOURsin July, cobA won a preliminaryinjunction issued by State Supremecourt Judge Pamela Jackman-brownthat prevents the doc from forcingcorrection officers to work triple toursof duty. Please contact your executiveboard member if you have been forcedto work a triple tour so the union canaddress it.

TEsTiMONY DELivEREDBEFORE THE NEW YORK CiTYCOUNCiL AND THE NEW YORKsTATE sENATE CONCERNiNgTHE DEPARTMENT OFCORRECTiON’sMANAgEMENT OF COviD-19iN THE CiTY’s JAiLson September 21, 2020 and September22, 2020, i testified about the doc'Smanagement of covid-19 in the city'sjails. in my testimony before bothgovernment bodies, i asked city andstate legislators to join me in holding thecity of new york fully accountable forprotecting the thousands of lives in our jailfacilities, including my members. to start,the doc can immediately prepare for the




next wave of covid-19 by takingadvantage of the low inmate population,which currently hovers around 4,700inmates. instead of consolidating the jailsand piling inmates on top of inmates,where we are already outnumbered 50-1in most housing areas, the doc canspread the inmates out throughout thejails lowering the officer to inmate ratio to15-1. this would allow us to practice bettersocial distancing, while also increasingthe safety of officers and inmates alike. Aspart of this redistribution of housing areas,the doc should break up the gangs in ourfacilities that are housed according totheir gang affiliation. this practice hascreated little armies within the jails whereinmates who weren’t part of a ganginitially, are now forced to join a gang justto stay safe. breaking up the gangs wouldimmediately help us mitigate a potentialsecond wave of covid-19 and make ourfacilities safer for everyone.

LEgisLATivE ADvOCACYin an effort to prevent layoffs, theexecutive board and i held multiplemeetings with leaders throughout everylevel of government including mayorde blasio, Senate majority LeaderAndrea Stewart-cousins, Senator LuisSepulveda, Assemblyman david weprin,Assemblyman Peter Abbate, SenatorAndrew Gounardes, and councilmanKeith Powers just to name a few.

BENEFiTs UPgRADE FORRETiREEsAs part of our continued efforts toenhance your benefits, we are pleasedto announce that effective January 1, 2021,there will be a $2,500 increase on thelife insurance benefit for retirees, raisingit by 50% from $5,000 to $7,500.

NEW DigiTAL MARKETiNgcobA has retained a new digitalmarketing firm to influence publicopinion on social media concerning keyissues affecting cobA members.

ENHANCED visiBiLiTY iN THE MEDiAin addition to an oP-ed i published inJuly in the new york daily news titled"Stop Dumping on Correction Officers,"i advanced a new narrative for correctionofficers in over a dozen news stories inmedia outlets including the ny Post, theny daily news, the ny times, the catsround table, city & State magazine,wPix ch. 11, wAbc ch. 7, “Inside CityHall” on new york 1, news radio 880Amand the chief Leader.

issues addressed include the preventionof layoffs, re-investing in and enhancingour current jails instead of building newjails, maintaining punitive segregationfor violent offenders, sounding the alarmon the rise in inmate assaults oncorrection officers, breaking up thegangs housed by their affiliations, andpreparing the jails for a second wave ofcovid-19.

we also launched a five-day radiocampaign on 1010 winS, wbLS, Power105, LA meGA, wfAn, and wKtu to urgenew yorkers to tell mayor de blasio tostop closing jails and to instead, allow usto maintain proper social distancing inthe jails to stop the spread of covid-19.

DELEgATE sEMiNARwe hosted an intensive four-day delegatetraining Seminar to equip all cobAdelegates with everything they need toknow in order to provide cobA memberswith excellent union representation.

MEMBERsHiP ENgAgEMENTthe executive board and i continue tomake regular visits at various facilities,including on midnight tours, to speakwith you and your fellow officers andanswer your work-related questions. wewill continue this effort to stay connectedwith you.

FORENsiC AUDiTwe conducted a forensic audit toexamine areas where the union can cutcosts and streamline operations forgreater efficiency.

As evidenced above, the executiveboard and i have been workingvigorously around the clock to chart anew course for cobA and to makeimpactful changes, benefiting you andyour families. And we are achieving thiswith the utmost transparency.

while we are undoubtably facingunprecedented challenges, we are fullyprepared to go to war to protect our jobsand benefits and improve our workingconditions. but with any battle we engagein, our success will be contingent on yourcontinued support and solidarity.

Now more than ever, let's stay BoldestUnited!

in Solidarity,

benny boscio Jr.President




A city correction officer was stabbed in the back of the hand by

an inmate on thursday at rikers island while trying to break up

a gang fight (obtained by daily news)

NYC INMATE AT RIKERS ISLAND STABS CITY CORRECTION OFFICER IN THE HAND DURING GANG FIGHT AMID RISING TENSIONS AMONG THE CRIPS

by cHeLSiA roSe mArciuS | oct 22, 2020

A rikers island inmate stabbed a citycorrection officer through the back of herhand during a gang fight on thursday —just two days after jail leadership waswarned about rising tensions amongmembers of the crips, the daily news haslearned. the melee broke out thursday justafter 11 a.m. at the George r. vierno centerbetween about 15 alleged gang members,sources said.

the correction officer — whose name hasnot been released — leapt into the fray tobreak up the fight. that’s when one inmatestuck a silver blade at least 5 inches longinto the back of her hand. the weaponpierced through her hand and came out theother side, according to gruesome picturesof the wound.

the officer was sent to mount SinaiHospital in Queens, where she was treatedfor her injuries. it was unclear on thursdaywhich inmate stabbed the officer. badblood between opposing crip sets in thejails already resulted in several bouts ofviolence this summer, according to aninternal email obtained by the news.

A warden and deputy warden were notifiedearlier this week that members of the gangwould be transferred from the otis bantumcorrectional center at rikers to the Georger. vierno center due to an ongoing beefbetween the groups, the email said. “overthe course of the last few months there hasbeen an ongoing internal feud amongst therollin' and 280 crip sets against the 8 treycrip sets," read the email sent wednesday tojail warden Sherma dunbar and dep. wardenJonelle Shivraj. the feud has resulted at fourslashings between June 19 and Aug. 26 intwo other jails at rikers — the Anna m. Krosscenter and the robert n. davoren complex— documented by the agency’s intelligencebureau, the email said. correction officers'benevolent Association President bennyboscio said thursday’s stabbing was furtherproof the city needs to preserve punitivesegregation — commonly referred to assolitary confinement, a practice mayor bill deblasio said in June he wanted to end. “thishorrific inmate stabbing of our correctionofficer who was attempting to break up aninmate fight involving 15 members of thecrips gang is yet another reason why endingpunitive segregation entirely is completelyreckless, and is only going to jeopardize thelives of my members," boscio said.“Slashings and stabbings are up 16% this

years,” he continued, citing a recent surge injail violence documented in the mayor’smanagement report. “How many more ofour correction officers have to be stabbed orassaulted until this city starts putting safetyand security first?”

correction deputy commissioner of Publicinformation Peter thorne said the agency islooking into the incident. “our officers worktirelessly to keep all those who live in ourfacilities safe and we will not tolerate anyviolent behavior towards anyone who worksfor the department," he said. "we areinvestigating and will pursue rearrests asnecessary.”



By: Joseph Bracco, 1st vice President

The City of New York pays each uniformemployee a Uniform Allowance andHoliday check in accordance withexisting standard procedures.

THE PROCEDURES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Holiday Pay

uniform employees are entitled to partialholiday checks. when Holiday Pay iscalculated, both base Pay and Longevityare utilized. each year we receive twoholiday checks: the first one is in Januaryfor 6 days and the second one is in Julyfor 5 days. A uniform employee is paid foreach holiday that he/she is on the payroll.for example, if you came off the payroll

on december 21, 2020, you would receivea partial holiday check in January 2021.you would not be entitled to holiday payfor christmas day or new year’s day dueto the fact that you were not on the payrollfor these holidays.

Uniform Holidays:New Year’s DayLincoln’s BirthdayPresident’s DayMemorial DayIndependence Day (4th of July)Labor DayColumbus DayElection DayVeteran’s DayThanksgiving DayChristmas Day

Uniform

allowance ($1,100)

• the member must be on the payroll fora full six (6) months during the fiscal year.the fiscal year runs from July 1- June 30.this check is received annually indecember. if for any reason you are offthe payroll during the first 6 months ofthe fiscal year (July 1- dec 31) for morethan 5 days, a uniform allowance checkwould not be issued until the time off thepayroll was made up in the second halfof the fiscal year (Jan 1- June 30).

• there is no such thing as a partial orpro-rated uniform allowance.


Joseph bracco is the 1st vice Presidentof the cobA. recognized as a veteran,he has worked for the new york citydepartment of corrections for 36 yearsand counting.

Since being appointed to the cobAexecutive board in october of 1998, hehas been elected and re-elected countlesstimes. from June of 1999 to 2003, 2007,2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020. Holding thisposition for over the past 22 years says agreat deal about his consistency, hardwork and dedication to his members. Hisresponsibilities in the past have includedbut were not limited to emtc, AmKc,obcc/cPSu, JAtc, nic, bxdc, bKdc,mdc, Qdc, vcbc, bHPw, eHPw, SSd,Sod, iu, eSu and Headquarters.

Joseph is also in charge of the carlrachlin Scholarship. every year, themoney raised at the cobA Golf outing isused to provide a $1000 scholarship tothe children of correction officers whoare currently attending school. thishas recently been extended to activecorrection officers who are continuingtheir studies as well. Since its inceptionin 1996, the cobA Scholarship fund hasprovided over $770,000 in scholarships.

Mr. Bracco is Assigned to:

• cobA chief of Staff• membership benefits• cobA Golf outing & carl rachlin

Scholarship• 1st deputy commissioner’s office

(dealing with Probationary officers)

• chief of Administration’s office

Joseph Bracco1st Vice President

WHAT CORRECTION OFFICERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUTHOLIDAY PAY AND UNIFORM ALLOWANCES

Joseph Bracco1st vice President

[email protected]


Glenn morgan joined the department ofcorrection in 2002 and was assigned toobcc, where he served as an officer for18 years. during his time at obcc, Heworked in cPSu, Security, and inthe Storehouse. while working in theStorehouse, Glenn sought to become aunion delegate for the building. He attained the position in 2015 andcontinued to serve as a delegate until hiselection in 2020 as 2nd vice Presidentfor the correction officers’ benevolentAssociation.

As an officer, Glenn experienced andwitnessed the day to day struggles ofrikers island correctional officers. As adelegate, he was not only a soundingboard and mediator but also fought forthe safety and rights of his fellow officers.

the rise in safety concerns amongst theofficers prompted Glenn to run for aposition within the correction officers’benevolent Association. He felt cobAneeded a fresh new voice who hasexperience within the jails. A voice torepresent new york city correctionalofficers whose concerns and safetydeserve to be addressed.

Glenn has identified the most pressingissues facing Correction Officers today:the department failed to respond to therisk assessment plaguing officers workingwithin any housing areas inside nyc jails.

• for example, gang affiliation housingis problematic and puts the officers atrisk due to a lack of control within thatenvironment.

• Another example is limited resourcesand inoperable equipment; most helmetsprovided are broken, and riot vests aresoiled with unknown substances andhave not been cleaned nor removedfrom circulation.

• the department penalizes its correctionofficers for every procedure violation.However, doc fails to follow itsprotocol. this injustice has resulted inlow morale amongst the members anda lack of faith within this department.

work alongside the board members anddelegates assigned to your facility toensure that all security matters andissues are addressed. Glenn's goals areto hold the department of correction tothe same standard they have for itsservice members.

Mr. Morgan is Assigned to:

chief of departmentchief of facility opschief of Securityobccrndc



Glenn morgan2nd Vice President

"CORRECTiON OFFiCERs' sAFETYsHOULD NEvER BE COMPROMisED;WE DEMAND THE SAME CONCERN FOROUR SECURITY AS GIVEN TO THE INMATE POPULATION."

Glenn Morgan2nd vice [email protected]




five years ago, the most restrictive jail-reform consent decreein uS history was enacted between mayor de blasio and LegalAid. that Social experiment is a failure. neither it nor anyfollow up ever involved or considered officers’ safety andunsurprisingly none of the “reforms” reduced violence foranyone. As a result, correction officers have been injured moreevery year with less and less attention paid to safety in the jailsby the powers that be – mayor, Judges, city council, board ofcorrection, etc.

call toactionFight foryour ownSafety

NUNEz V. NEW YORK

when no one cares for officers it is up to coBa to

step it up and go it alone. we have one pending

lawsuit on jail safety. To step up the pressure we

hope to file many more charges with the new york

state department of labor under the state

workplace Violence law to pressure the doc to

stem this flow of blood, but we need your help to

keep the pressure on.

wHaT can yoU do? Here are THree THinGs:

1 if you see something, say something! when an area is understaffed, or a cell door needs to befixed, file the repair request and send a copy to cobAdirectly or through your delegates. Keep good records andin your memo books!

2 The workplace Violence Program states“in the event of imminent danger, a staff member mayinform PeSH without first notifying their supervisor.” Pleasedo so and you may keep your name anonymous by goingthrough the union.

3 report each and every incident that the lawconsiders “workplace violence” internally andsend a copy to the email below. it is defined much morebroadly than what the department might like:

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE (WPV): Any physical assault or act ofaggressive behavior occurring where a public employeeperforms any work-related duty in the course of his or heremployment including, but not limited to: a) an attempt orthreat, whether verbal or physical, to inflict physical injury uponan employee; b) any intentional display of force which wouldgive an employee reason to fear or expect bodily harm; c)intentional and wrongful physical contact with a personwithout his or her consent that entails some injury; and d)stalking an employee with the intent of causing fear or materialharm to the physical safety and health of such employee whensuch stalking has arisen through and in the course ofemployment.

Just as we have kept the pressure up to get our members whatthey need to stay safe, we also need you to keep that pressureup internally.

do it, and let us know at [email protected]

WORKPLACEVIOLENCE LAW & YOUR SAFETY

By: Glenn Morgan, 2nd vice President




my name is Keisha williams and i am the3rd vice President of cobA.

i started with the new york city departmentof corrections on June 1, 2000. uponcompleting the Academy, i was assignedto emtc. for 14 years of my career, i’veworked in housing area posts, whichincluded mental health observation,and work detail housing areas. i trulyunderstand the challenges officers havebehind the gate. Having worked behindthe gate, we are the individuals that arealways forgotten. i was awarded my firstpost civilian clothes box in 2015.following that in 2016 i was awarded themovement escort post. in 2018 i waselected as a delegate at emtc.

during my time as a delegate, i demandedthat the administration give officers theopportunity to be awarded posts. As your3rd vice President, i’ve been assigned torose m. Singer along with board memberAntionette Anderson. i also deal directlywith brenda cooke who is the doc chiefof Staff. brenda cooke answers to

commissioner cynthia brann, and themayor of new york city. i also deal directlywith timothy farrell who is the Seniordeputy commissioner. He is responsiblefor the oversight of custody management. As a board member, i’ve noticed thatwhen members of service are receivingcommand discipline (cd), the membershould start to help themselves byresearching the policy in reference to theirwrite up. that leads to one of my goals.what i hope to accomplish is to helpensure that officers start to becomeproactive, and educate themselves byknowing what governs them in order toeffectively do their job.

i am also a wife and a mother with twochildren, one with special needs. byhaving a child with special needs, iunderstand the plight of officers needingspecial accommodations in order to dotheir jobs.

i will definitely ensure all of your voicesare heard.

Keisha williams3rd Vice President

coBa deleGaTe seminar

Ms. Williams is Assigned to:

Senior deputy commissionerchief of Staff/office of thecommissioner rmSc

Keisha Williams3rd vice [email protected]




michael is a 22 year veteran of the newyork city department of correction. Hebegan his career at Gmdc, followed byassignments at vcbc, central Storehouseand most recently, the intelligence unitwhere in 2008, he was elected as the cobAdelegate.

for a short period of time, michael followedin his father’s footsteps and was a new yorkcity Sanitation officer. while working as aSanitation officer, he was honored andawarded with a medal from the city of newyork for obtaining $8,000,000 worth ofillegal narcotics in a couch that wasdiscarded on a new york city street.

Prior to his appointment as a cobAexecutive board member, michael was thePresident of the correction department’scolumbia Association. As a result of hisappointment to the cobA executive board in January 2010, michael has sinceresigned the Presidency of the columbiaAssociation, but he remains a strong

supporter of all the fraternal groups withinthe department.

respected by his peers, supervisors and thedepartment’s executive Staff, michael isdevoted to new york city correctionofficers and is committed to giving hisundivided attention to all cobA members.

As cobA treasurer, michael is responsiblefor managing over $100 million dollars of theunion’s funds. He is responsible for theoverall budget and financial strategy of theGeneral Fund, the Active and RetiredSecurity Benefit Funds, the Annuity Fund,the Civil Legal Fund, COBA’s Widows’ andChildren Fund and the Scholarship Fund.

michael also oversees the Anna m. Krosscenter (AmKc), the correction intelligencebureau (cib), the investigation division (id),the chief of facility operations, the chief ofdepartment, and he oversees suspendedand modified officers.

Mr. Maiello is Assigned to:Anna m. Kross center (AmKc)

correction intelligence bureau (cib)investigation division (id)

chief of facility operationschief of department

deputy commissioner of investigation divisionAssistant commissioner of investigation division

michael maielloTreasurer

FollowYourUnion!

FollowYourUnion!

@cobanyc

@cobanyc1

@cobanyc1

@cobatv

@cobanyc

Michael Maiellotreasurer

[email protected]




CORRECTiON OFFiCERs' BENEvOLENT AssOCiATiON sECURiTY BENEFiTs FUND - ACTivEs

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019 AND 2018

ADDITIONS TO PLAN ASSETS ATTRIBUTED TO:

Investment income:

interest

EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS:

Health

civil legal representation

cobrA participants

Total contributions

Prescription rebate income

Total additions

DEDUCTIONS FROM PLAN ASSETS ATTRIBUTED TO:

Benefits paid to or on behalf of participants, beneficiaries and dependents:

Group insurance premiums

Health and welfare benefits paid

Service fees

total benefits paid to or on behalf of participants, beneficiaries and dependents

Administrative expenses

total deductions

net increase

NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS:

beginning of year

end of year

2019

$ 115,709

19,631,930

543,572

77,039

20,252,541

263,538

20,631,788

5,022,180

12,467,665

51,438

17,541,283

872,570

18,413,853

2,217,935

15,138,531

$ 17,356,466

2018

$ 76,630

19,682,860

79,496

19,762,356

325,590

20,164,576

5,323,451

12,736,120

45,314

18,104,885

967,305

19,072,190

1,092,386

14,046,145

$ 15,138,531

The COBA Fund has been audited by an independent accounting firm inaccordance with its annual reporting obligation. The independent auditor hasaudited the above Statements of Changes in Net Assets Available for Benefits ofthe Correction Officers' Benevolent Association Security Benefit Fund-Actives forthe years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018.

TREASURER’S REPORT




CORRECTiON OFFiCERs' BENEvOLENT AssOCiATiONsECURiTY BENEFiTs FUND - RETiREEs



Investment income:

interest

contributions:

employer

Prescription rebate income

Total additions

DEDUCTIONS FROM PLAN ASSETS ATTRIBUTED TO:

Benefits paid to or on behalf of participants, beneficiaries and dependents:

Group insurance premiums paid

Health and welfare benefits paid

Service fees

total benefits paid to or on behalf of participants, beneficiaries and dependents

Administrative expenses

Total deductions

net increase (decrease)

NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS:

beginning of year

end of year

2019

$ 104,552

17,877,084

1,159,958

19,141,594

3,801,516

13,709,770

46,940

17,558,226

787,472

18,345,698

795,896

11,459,861

$ 12,255,757

2018

$ 65,401

16,467,315

1,216,354

17,749,070

3,741,429

13,566,654

43,474

17,351,557

834,489

18,186,046

(436,976)

11,896,837

$ 11,459,861

The COBA Fund has been audited by an independent accounting firm inaccordance with its annual reporting obligation. The independent auditor hasaudited the above Statements of Changes in Net Assets Available for Benefits ofthe Correction Officers' Benevolent Association Security Benefit Fund-Retirees forthe years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018.

TREASURER’S REPORT (CONTINUED...)




CORRECTiON OFFiCERs' BENEvOLENT AssOCiATiONANNUiTY FUND



Investment income:

net appreciation (depreciation) in fair value of investments

interest and dividends

Less: investment expenses

net investment income

employer contributions

rollovers

other

Settlement recovery

Total additions

deductions from plan assets attributed to:

benefits paid to participants

transfers to other plans

Administrative expenses:

Total deductions

net increase

net assets available for benefits:

beginning of year

end of year

2019

$ 10,585,066

2,490,125

13,075,191

609,412

12,465,779

10,312,483

29,327

48,397

4,000,000

26,855,986

9,887,863

778,980

10,666,843

428,577

11,095,420

15,760,566

90,729,391

$ 106,489,957

2018

$ (1,661,748)

2,258,396

596,648

592,799

3,849

10,889,076

53,311

5,951

-

10,952,187

7,949,079

5,604

7,954,683

449,918

8,404,601

2,547,586

88,181,805

$ 90,729,391

The COBA Fund has been audited by an independent accounting firm inaccordance with its annual reporting obligation. The independent auditor hasaudited the above Statements of Changes in Net Assets Available for Benefits ofthe Correction Officers' Benevolent Association Annuity Fund for the years endedDecember 31, 2019 and 2018.





CORRECTiON OFFiCERs' BENEvOLENT AssOCiATiON, iNC.

STATEMENTS OF ACTIVITIESFOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2018

REVENUE:

dues

interest

(Loss) gain on disposal of property assets

other

TOTAL REVENUE

ExPENSES:

Program services:

membership

Supporting activities:

Administrative

total expenses

change in net assets

net assets without donor restrictions:

beginning of year

end of year

2019

$ 10,854,087

55

(7,843)

85,836

10,932,135

7,235,898

2,315,107

9,551,005

1,381,130

4,923,011

$ 6,304,141

2018

$ 11,159,492

44

12,541

69,075

11,241,152

8,207,022

2,616,447

10,823,469

417,683

4,505,328

$ 4,923,011

The COBA, Inc. has been audited by an independent accounting firm inaccordance with its annual reporting obligation. The independent auditor hasaudited the above Statements of Activities of the Correction Officers' BenevolentAssociation, Inc. for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018.





officer cumberbatch started his careeras a new york city correction officer inAugust 1987, earning him 33 years ofservice. during that time, he has pridedhimself in having the backs of his brotherand sister officers by standing shoulderto shoulder with them in the toughestsituations. He is a dedicated front-lineofficer who has nothing but respect forhis fellow officers standing next to him atroll call.

officer cumberbatch spent 20 years as anintake officer at emtc, where he earned|the admiration of his peers for hisprofessionalism, courtesy and effectiveapproach to resolving difficult problems.He strongly believes that correctionofficers are the unsung heroes of lawenforcement who get the job done everyday under very stressful, intense, anddangerous conditions.

After giving so much of himself over thelast three decades to his fellow officers asfar as guidance, time, advice and support,officer cumberbatch is just gettingstarted. He spent the past seven yearsserving as a delegate, which confirmed forhim that he can improve the lives of hisfellow officers in the department.

this includes enhancing officer safety,eliminating unfair discipline and endingthe attacks officers face, not only byinmates, but by the very department heand his fellow officers work for. the yearsofficer cumberbatch has spent on thefrontlines have ingrained in him aheightened sense of family andcommunity.

He understands what it means to leave thefacility safely every day to get home to hisfamily, after working with his extendedfamily on the job. He also has gained avast knowledge of the judicial system, andknows what it takes to play an effectiverole in that system.

officer cumberbatch has never stoppedlearning, developing or looking for waysto improve the lives of his brother andsister officers, with whom he proudlyserves. He understands the plight ofthose who wear the uniform, and iscommitted to using his talents, skills, andcommunication abilities to make life betterfor the rank and file. He looks forward toserving as your next financial Secretary,and is beyond ready for the challengesthat lie ahead.

lionel cumberbatchfinancial secretary

we sUPPorT oUr nyc doc BaseBall Team

Mr. Cumberbatch is Assigned to:vcbcbronx courtdcJcHorizon

Lionel Cumberbatchfinancial [email protected]




Herman Jiminianlegislative chairman

officer Jiminian began his Lawenforcement career in february 2004 witha background in Liberal Arts from cuny atbmcc & forensic Psychology from JohnJay college while working as a Paralegalwithin the private sector. upon completionof the correction Academy he commencedhis journey at the Anna m Kross center(AmKc). during the first seven years, hevolunteered for the worst of housing areasQuad upper 9/11. during that time, he sawthe swinging pendulum trap and realizedhe needed to develop his craft by learningand finding the intricate loopholes withindoc policies and procedures.

in 2006, he got involved with the newyork city department of correction’s Pistolteam where he acquired another skill,marksmanship. during the summer of2007, under the guidance of Pistol teamicons edward Shanley, John Hernandez,Joseph marchione, roger chappelle, andwanda Guzman from nyPd, he led histeam to first Place (toP Gun StAtuS)with three Gold, two bronze, and two

Silver medals against the common rivalsnyPd and tbtA and consequently wasgiven the toP Gun Award.

in 2010, he transferred to vernon c baincenter (vcbc/mtf3) where he furtherenhanced his craft on policy andprocedures. in 2018, he decided to fighton a broader spectrum, to address poortreatment against correction officers byrunning for cobA delegate at vcbc. Hisconfidence and support resulted with alandslide victory. As a cobA delegate, he placed the Administration on notice for numerous violations and consistentlyheld them accountable to Policies &Procedures. when confronted withobstacles, he sought outside remedies forimmediate redress which made him aforce to be reckoned with. noticing thelimitations of wanting to do more within a limited capacity, he decided to run for theLegislative chairman position to have agreater impact for correction officersdepartment-wide.

leGislaTiVeadVocacyAs a result of cobA’s vigorouslegislative advocacy, we securedthe signatures of over a dozencity council members, who wrotea letter to commissioner brann,demanding she immediatelyoverturn the chronic absencedesignations for 400 correctionofficers who were out sickbecause of covid-19.

Additionally, we secured a letterfrom the nyS Senate andAssembly chairmen of thecommittees on corrections askingmayor de blasio to have the docprovide a written detailed plan onhow it intends to stop the spreadof covid-19 in the city’s jails.

Mr. Jiminian is Assigned to:Hmd

firearms review board30 day Suspension review

committeenycerS

Herman JiminianLegislative chairman

[email protected]




my name is Antoinette Anderson. i havebeen a correction officer for 14 years. i am the corresponding Secretary of the cobA thanks to the support from themembers. my duties include ensuring themembers’ information is correct in thecobA system. i oversee rmSc along withKeisha williams and rndc along withGlenn morgan.

i started my career in 2006 as a correctionofficer at Anna m cross center. whileworking in AmKc, i worked steady in quadlower 6/8 in administrative segregationwhich was eventually turned into apunitive segregation housing area foreight years.

from 2014- 2019, i was a board memberof the nyc correction Guardians Association.i started out as a second businessmanager assisting Sean Jones. i ended myterm as the treasurer in 2019.

from 2016-2020, i was an electeddelegate in AmKc. i assisted many officerswith various issues. i have visited officerswhile they were sick in the hospital, aswell as sat with officers while they werearrested and arraigned in court. i havealso assisted officers in several traumaticsituations.

i have conducted hearings with variousadministrative deputy wardens. i havefought for officers to have days off thatwere not being granted for them. i haveenforced rules and regulations to befollowed properly for officers. i have alsofought for officers not to be heavilydisciplined for minor infractions. i havefought always for the safety of the officers.

my goal is to fight for officers’ rights on ahigher level with the administration and tohold them accountable for their actions.

antoinette anderson corresponding secretary

PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR FELLOWOFFICERS & THEIR FAMILIES

“coBa TaKes care of iTs own”

TICKETS 3 for $40for information call (212) 274-8000

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scan Qr code to buytickets on line

Ms. Anderson is Assigned to:rndcrmScdinner dance

Antoinette Andersoncorresponding [email protected]




Angel castro is a 23 year veteran of the newyork city department of correction holding therank of correction officer and currently servingas the recording Secretary for the correctionofficers benevolent Association (cobA). Hisgoals as recording Secretary are to ensure thatour meetings run smoothly and that allmeetings have accurate, clear and permanentrecord keeping.

Angel’s hard work, along with his track record,combined with his work ethic speaks to hisdedication to the union and its members. withtwenty-three (23) years of service in his rearview mirror, he has always dedicated his timeto help and assist others and plans to do thesame in his new position. while assigned to the otis bantum correction center/centralPunitive Segregation unit (o.b.c.c. / c.P.S.u.),he helped to mentor others. He spentseventeen (17) years of his career at o.b.c.c.Angel then moved on to the ceremonial unit,the Special Search team, and then in the roleof manhattan borough trustee for thecorrection officer’s benevolent Association.

the vast majority of the work that Angel doesas a board member is centered aroundprotecting officers from harsh and needlessdiscipline. the heavy handedness of thisdepartment concerns Angel greatly, and he is

working very closely with cobA’s new Law firm,Joey JAcKSon LAw, to push back against it.

Angel is at oAtH every wednesday fighting forofficers, who are facing the loss of vacationdays, suspensions and terminations. we ascorrection officers work much too hard to giveup anything we earned, or to let the departmenttake our members’ jobs. we won’t be lyingdown and accepting unfair settlements andresolutions. we brought in a legal team that’sready to fight for us and has a track record ofsuccess in doing so.

the monitor looks at everything our officers doand tells us it's not good enough. And in orderto satisfy the monitor, the department is doingwhatever they’re told. the more negative apicture that the monitor paints of us, the longerhe and his staff get to stick around. that soundslike a conflict to me. what’s right is right andwhat’s wrong is wrong. it’s time to fight back!

there is a quote by the great mohammed Ali,that i try my best to live by, it states, “Service toothers is the rent you pay on earth.” that’s howi live my life, i truly feel that what you do forothers makes you feel more fulfilled as aperson. So together, let’s truly try to make thisdepartment a place where we can all beof service.

angel castro recording secretary

coBa celeBraTes rmsc HisPanic HeriTaGe monTH

Mr. Castro is Assigned to:obcc

fmrd/cidHeAdQuArterS

rAPid reSPonSe deLeGAteSoAtH

Angel Castrorecording chairman

[email protected]




in the summer of 1999, felix became anew york city department of correctionofficer. Since the beginning of his careerhe has tried to stay focused on his dutiesand responsibilities, including the safetyand well-being of those around him.

being a correction officer comes withrisks and consequences. risks meaningthe obvious dangers correction officersface every second of every tour. theconsequences of not being able to attendmost family functions from birthdays toholidays and everything in between. Allthese factors affect the morale of officerseverywhere.

Since being elected to Sergeant-At-Armsof the cobA his responsibility is to providea secure environment while attending ourmeetings. Safety and security are vital. inaddition to this, He would like to improvethe morale of his fellow officers.

whether it be helping with a facility’scelebration or to just lend a listening ear,felix has never forgotten what it is to be a“b Post officer.” His career started incPSu, obcc, Qdc, KcHPw, bHPw. felixextends his sincerest best wishes to allthose officers who wear this uniform dailyand had a horrible day the day before.Stay safe stay strong!

felix sanchezsergeant-at-arms

we sUPPorT oUrnyc doc soccer Team

Mr. Sanchez is Assigned to:transportationbKdcmdcbHPw/eHPw

Felix [email protected]




in August 2004, Ashaki started herdistinguished career with the new yorkcity department of correction, assignedto the Anna m. Kross center and thebrooklyn detention complex.

As the correction officers’ benevolentAssociation first city-wide trustee,Ashaki is the executive board memberassigned to the manhattan detentioncomplex, Anna m. Kross center, andbrooklyn detention complex, whichincludes brooklyn Supreme court, brooklyncriminal court, and Queens court. Ashakiis also tasked with making sure our voicesand concerns are heard at the board ofcorrection’s monthly meetings.

Although, we have a long road ahead ofus within these next four years, Ashaki iscommitted to bringing forth more respectfor all correction officers. respect fromthe officials in city Hall, to the board ofcorrection committee members, to all ranks of leardership within thedepartment of correction. every day wepatrol the toughest precincts in new yorkcity and it’s time we are recognized andrespected for our hard work. Safety andsecurity within the facilities will continueto be a focal point of her daily agenda.

fair and equal treatment mixed with thebest representation for all correctionofficers is also a priority.

Health and wellness for correctionofficers is a priority. As a breast cancersurvivor and a true advocate of communityservice, Ashaki can attest to the importanceof mental, physical, and emotional health.it’s Ashaki’s goal to meet the need ofevery officer who is in need of theseservices. Silence is never the answer,education is!

Prior to Ashaki’s election as cobA’s firstcity-wide trustee, she was the vicePresident of the Association of caribbeanAmerican in correction. She has sincedresigned from the vice President positionof the caribbean Association, but remainsa strong advocate and supporter ofall fraternal organizations within thedepartment of correction.

in closing, Ashaki wants to remind you allthat: “it’s not one giant step that gets thejob done, it’s the little steps taken inbetween. Progress is the ultimate goaland we can achieve it together.”

ashaki antoine first city wide Trustee

coBa Joins TransPorTaTion family day

Ms. Antoine is Assigned to:AmKcbKdcmdc

board of correction

“i see you!i hear you!

i’m here for you! i am YOU!”

Ashaki Antoinefirst city wide trustee

[email protected]




charles J. wingate began his career as adedicated correction officer in 2004 aftermaking a major decision to leave his then-promising career on wall Street as a Series7 broker. upon entry into this new career,wingate was assigned to the eric m. taylorcenter (emtc), where his easy-going spiritand calm demeanor immediately invitedboth the senior staff and new members ofthe department to endear him.

during wingate’s tenure he has alwaysexcelled when assigned to the intake “A”post and other high-volume areas. inparticular, his assignment to the Generaloffice is where wingate earned therespect of his fellow colleagues whonoticed the inequalities in the treatmenttowards correction officers. it was theirconfidence in wingate that inspired themto nominate wingate for the position ofunion delegate in the correction officers’benevolent Association (cobA). Hiswelcoming personality, strong character,and tenacious willingness to advocate onbehalf of others made it an easy win.Hence, he served as a union delegate atthe eric m. taylor center (emtc) prior toits recent closure.

through his understanding of the rightsand obligations of correction officerswithin the workplace, wingate was able tosecure fair and equitable treatment in hisnegotiations with the department. thismarked only the beginning of wingate’ssuccess in representing his fellowcolleagues. He considers it an honor toserve correction officers within the cobA.

in his spare time, wingate also hasthe honor of working as a volunteercoach with the department’s basketballteam. being immersed with coachingand communicating with his peers, herealized his fellow brothers and sistersneeded a knowledgeable and trust-worthyrepresentative to advocate for them. thissparked his decision to run for the positionof manhattan borough trustee.

As manhattan borough trustee, wingatewill be entrusted to oversee unionoperations in Grvc and nic. in addition,he will act as a liaison with the board ofcorrections. His dedication to his officersis nothing short of noble and will be vitalin the years to come as a manhattanborough trustee.

charles J. wingatemanhattan Borough Trustee

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Mr. Wingate is Assigned to:Grvcnicwest facility

Charles J. Wingatemanhattan borough [email protected]




edward r. yates began his distinguishedcareer with the new york city departmentof correction on february 11, 1999. Afterreceiving great knowledge and trainingwhile in the correction Academy, hestarted behind the gates of Grvc, knownas the beacon. in 2002, edward decidedto advance his career by joining theemergency Services unit support team.

in 2005, his hard work, dedication, andreliability paid off and the emergencyServices unit offered him a full-timeposition. His interest in the cobA beganto grow after he joined eSu, believing hecould be of great help to the membership.in 2011, he was appointed to the positionof a cobA trustee, which is now known asthe rapid response unit.

in this role, he responded to hospitals,precincts, jails, and assisted with parades,funerals, and cobA functions, just toname a few of the many things donewhile being part of the cobA rapidresponse unit. As of July 1, 2020, he waselected to the position of brooklynborough trustee, and now overseesGrvc, Qdc, K-9, Sod, and eSu.

He will continue to strive for thebetterment of his fellow brothers andsisters in blue. He has been, and willcontinue to be the caring, good hearted,helping hand professional he's beenthroughout his tenured career. fightingfor the rights and assisting in the needsof the members is and always will be hisnumber one priority.

edward yates Brooklyn Borough Trustee

Visit cobanyc.orgPlease visit our website to stay informed of all the latest information regarding your Union.news, Benefits, contract, and much moreinformation that affect you and your family.

Mr. Yates is Assigned to:GrvcQdcSod

eSu/K9

Edward Yatesbrooklyn borough trustee

[email protected]




matt started with the department ofcorrection in 2007, where he wasassigned to the north infirmary command.in february 2009, he was given theopportunity to attend the instructordevelopment course and after a fewyears, he was transferred to the George r.vierno center.

in november 2010, he was transferred tothe firearms and tactics unit where hebecame a firearms instructor. whileassigned to ftu, matt trained themembers of this agency from recruits tothe most senior members in firearmssafety and proficiency. He developed apassion to help and teach the members ona daily basis, where the goal is to go homethe same way they came to work.

in 2013, he proudly joined the nycd Pipeband, where he honored the members inthe department in countless ceremonies,funerals and memorial services.

in october 2014, matt was electeddelegate of the firearms and tactics unit,and held that position for six years. He applied his passion and knowledge to benefit members throughout thedepartment. in June 2020, matt waselected to the cobA executive board,holding the position of bronx boroughtrustee. the areas matt covers are asfollows: vcbc, bronx courts, Horizon,nic/wf, and the correction Academy andfirearms and tactics unit.

matt’s goal along with the delegates in the commands, is to help provide a safe working environment, improvecommunication and to build comradery.what is most important is that the officershave the knowledge, equipment, andbacking of the union so they can performtheir jobs to the best of their abilities. Heis dedicated to providing the best possiblerepresentation for his fellow brother andsister officers.

matthew romanoBronx Borough Trustee

essenTial worKer’s rally

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Mr. Romano is Assigned to:nicvcbcbronx courtswest facilitycA/rangeHorizon

Matthew Romanobronx borough [email protected]


CORRECTION OFFICERS’ BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION


it’s my pleasure to introduce myself as thenewly elected Queens borough trustee. iwould first like to thank you for yourcontinued support and dedicated hardwork. this challenging moment for ourmembership is a distinct reminder of howimportant it is for this administration tostand strong in defense of you, theessential worker. i’ve met many of youover the years, in particular during my timeas a delegate at AmKc. i look forward toworking for you.

during this pandemic, cobA membersneeded time off either because ofexposure to covid-19 symptoms or apositive test. However, the departmentattempted to designate some members inthis category as chronically sick. over thelast few months we helped a substantialmajority of those members avoid thatdesignation.

in addition, on September 2, 2020, wefiled a class action grievance against thedepartment because it refused to relenton designating other members aschronically sick. we filed that grievance atStep iii. this grievance asserts that underthe department’s own rules, you cannotcome to work when you experiencecovid-19 symptoms, and may not returnuntil cleared by Hmd.

we believe that the members at issue inthis grievance satisfies that criteria.

Please rest assured that we will not restuntil the department complies with its ownrules. we will not rest until the departmentrespects your health.

neil renois Queens Borough Trustee

we sUPPorT oUr nyc doc fooTBall Team

Mr. Renois is Assigned to:trAnS

QdcoAtH

GrievAnceSoSHA/PeSH

Neil RenoisQueens borough trustee

[email protected]

THE BOLDEST UNION




coBa deleGaTesANNA M. KROss CENTER[AMKC] t. 718.546.3520Reginald FisherMishame HinesIan FeinsteinKevin Ohlenschlager

BELLEvUE HOsPiTAL PRisON WARD [BHPW] t. 212.562.4331Joann CoutourierEddie Pinckney

BROOKLYN DETENTiON COMPLEx [BKDC] t. 718.797.8347Aisha BattsAndre Watson

BRONx COURTs [BxCTs] t. 718.590.2980Jamar McMorrisMelinda Martinez

CORRECTiON ACADEMY[CA] t. 718.707.2300Cynthia GreenChristopher Cruz

CORRECTiON ACADEMY/RANgE[CA/RANgE] t. 718.707.2300Phillip GreeneMaurice Smith

CORRECTiON iNTELLigENCE BUREAU [CiB] t. 718.546.3520 Anthony ScomaDaniel Monaco

CORRECTiON iNDUsTRiEs DivisiON [CiD] t. 718.546.1418Amado Rico Jr.

DONALD CRANsTON JUDiCiAL CENTER[DCJC] t. 718.546.8111Darren BrownRaymond Lastra

EMERgENCY sERviCE UNiT[EsU] t. 7718.546.1525Alason Henry Roddy Richardson

EMERgENCY sERviCE CANiNE UNiT[EsU/K9] t. 7718.546.1525Julio GomezRaquel Rosario

FACiLiTY MAiNTENANCE REPAiR DivisiON[FMRD] t. 718.546.1413 Michael Jones

gEORgE R. viERNO CENTER[gRvC] t. 718.546.2020Ngozi AkuaLinda NoelMauricio PetersonGiovanna Velez

HEADQUARTERs[HDQTRs] t. 718.546.0300Bridget JonesLisa D’Agostino

HEALTH MANAgEMENT DivisiON[HMD] t. 718.595.2500Marilyn Calleja

HORiZON JUvENiLE CENTER[HOJC] t. 718.533.4600Shaun Hardy

iNvEsTigATiON DivisiON[iD] t. 718.546.0300Kareem ClaxtonShaukat Shah

MANHATTAN DETENTiON COMPLEx[MDC] t. 212-225-1540Keith FrazierKenneth HarrisonOctavio PerezYesenia L. Santiago

NORTH iNFiRMARY COMMAND/WEsT FACiLiTY[NiC/WF] t. 718.546.1120Tricia BazzeyTerrence BogleEdward McCauleyRommel Parris

OTis BANTUM CORRECTiONAL CENTER[OBCC] t. 718.546.6420Patrice NathanKonain RasheedSean SampsonShane Sterling

QUEENs DETENTiON COMPLEx[QDC] t. 718.575.5387Nilda MolinaDonna Schnirring

ROsE M. siNgER CENTER[RMsC] t. 718.546.7420Latoya ColeyLaron McKoyStephanie OyolaVanessa Quiñones

ROBERT N. DAvOREN CENTER[RNDC] t. 718.546.6920Steven BellJeffrey Warren Gloria RichardsonAlan Schmalacker

sECURiTY OPERATiONsDivisiON[sOD] t. 718.546.1525William Rodriguez Lamont BantonMark Beharry

TRANsPORTATiON DivisiON[TD] t. 718.546.1360Gabriel CheryDerrick LasckoAnthony Ring

vERNON C. BAiN CENTER[vCBC] t. 718.579.8341Joseph HehlKamaal MooreJoseph Travalino

RAPiD REsPONsE DELEgATEsStephanie Taibi (GRVC)Kathee Coger (DCJC)Angel RestoJames Stanton (RNDC)




for more than two decades, i havespent my career fighting to protect therights and freedoms of correctionofficers, private citizens, and families.it is a great pleasure and privilege formy team and myself at JOEYJACKSON LAW, the J. Jackson firm, to represent every member of the new york city correction officersbenevolent Association (cobA) incriminal & disciplinary matters.

every member of this outstandingunion is important, and no one will beleft behind. we will listen to you, valueyou, respect you, and go above andbeyond to fight for you. Please knowthat every member of my teamunderstands how hard you work, thedifficult nature of your job, the

unfairness that you often face, and thestress that you endure. it is with this inmind that every lawyer in this firm iscommitted to protecting your job, yourbenefits, your money, your liberty andyour family. we take that job veryseriously, and those opposing us inthat effort will become very well awareof our persistence and tenacity.

Please stay safe, stay secure, stayhealthy, and stay aware. the time forchange is now, and here we are. weare grateful to benny boscio and hisnew executive board for having thecourage to make this importantchange, and to put their members first.thank you ALL.

every member

of this outstanding

union is important,

and no one will be

left behind.

IntroductionJoey JacKson law Pllc



mr. Jackson has been a member of thenew york bar since 1995. After graduatingfrom Hofstra Law School, mr. Jackson wasappointed Assistant district Attorneyunder robert morgenthau. following asuccessful career as a prosecutor wherehe received the distinguished PublicService Award, mr. Jackson joined the firmof Koehler & isaacs LLP where he servedas Senior trial counsel specializing incriminal defense. mr. Jackson has triedcases and received favorable verdicts inmanhattan, brooklyn, Queens, and thebronx, as well as nassau, rockland,Suffolk, and westchester counties. At thefederal level, he handles cases in both theeastern and Southern districts. mr.Jackson's straight-talking legal expertiseis held in high regard by media outlets, ashe has frequently appeared on variouscable news programs over the lastdecade. He is currently employed bycnn/HLn as a Legal Analyst. mr. Jacksonattended Hofstra Law School. while in lawschool, he served as editor for the HofstraLabor & employment Law Journal and amember of the national moot court andnational trial teams. Prior to Law School,he earned his m.P.A. from Suny Albany'srockefeller college of Public Affairs andPolicy. while earning his master's degree,

he worked for the n.y.S. Assembly Speakeras a Legislative Analyst. He also holds a b.A.from Suny brockport, where heparticipated in the honors program,directed the student-run Legal informationService, served as student body president,and interned with the n.y.S. educationdepartment as well as congressmancharles b. rangel (d-ny) in washington,d.c. He also worked for the n.y.c. mayor'soffice in the division of Special Projects. mr.Jackson is a former professor at monroecollege where he taught business and civilrights Law.

edUcaTion:

• J.d., Hofstra Law School, 1995• m.P.A., Suny Albany, 1992• b.A., Suny brockport, 1988

admiTTed To PracTice:

• u.S. district court for the Southerndistrict of new york

• u.S. district court for the easterndistrict of new york

• Supreme court

JOEY JACKSON LAW PLLC Legal Team

Joey Jackson, esq.Principal

Joey Jackson is a nationally recognizedattorney who has for two decadesrepresented individuals and labor unions instate and federal court. mr. Jackson and hisassociates have represented a diversegroup of clients under the glare of camerasas well as those who have never attractedpublic attention. He has built anoutstanding career as a trial lawyerrepresenting clients who have fallen intohigh-stakes personal and professionalcrises, as well as those who are averagecitizens in need of his fierce andbenevolent counsel.


Growing up on Long island, dan spent mostof his time playing sports which affordedhim an opportunity to play football at ionacollege, where he was named to thedean’s List and became an All-AmericanAward recipient. dan took his competitivespirit to touro Law School where heconcentrated his legal studies on criminalLaw as he wanted to be a voice for thevoiceless. dan began his legal career as acriminal defense Attorney representingclients in State and federal court. dan hassuccessfully conducted and won trials in allof the five new york boroughs and innassau county and Suffolk county. danbelieves in following your dreams andbeing a positive example. when he isn’twinning trials, dan is a youth mentor as wellas a football coach for young children inhis hometown.

Bar admissions:• new york State bar, 2014• u.S. district court eastern district of

new york• u.S. district court Southern district of

new york

edUcaTion:• touro Law School, Juris doctor, 2012• iona college, b.A., mass

communications

acTiViTies & affiliaTions:• new york criminal bar Association,

member• new york State Association of criminal

defense Lawyers, member• nassau county bar Association,

member

daniel i. walters, esq.

Attorney counselor at Law

dan is a talented attorney who was born inbrooklyn, ny and raised in Levittown, ny.




Ken maintained strong and respectfulrelationships with union leaders duringhis time representing the Sheriff. cobArockland county President briancostello, who dealt with Ken daily,described him as “one of those peoplewho always sought to do the right thing,without ever thinking about himself.”

in 2009, Ken was recruited by unionrepresentatives to join nySut, where herepresented members of new york’steachers’ union. He continued in thatposition—adding certified expertise inthe field of health insurance until joiningJoey Jackson Law. Ken has litigatednumerous just cause arbitrations,Section 75 hearings and contractgrievances. Ken was also an adjunctprofessor at St. thomas Aquinas collegein Sparkill.

while many attorneys represent

corrections officers, Ken is one of thevery few that has “escaped fromAlcatraz,” making the 1.5 mile swim fromthe prison to the San francisco marinain just over 45 minutes.

Bar admissions:

• new york State bar, 1998• u.S. district court eastern district of

new york• u.S. district court Southern district of

new york

edUcaTion:

• new york university Law SchoolJuris doctor, 1997

• boston collegeb.A., economics, Philosophy

Ken destefano, esq.Attorney counselor at Law

Ken has focused on Labor andemployment Law since he becamecounsel for the rockland county Sheriffin 2003. while there, he oversaw alllabor and personnel matters for therockland county Sheriff, focusing on thedisciplinary investigations and hearings.

federal courts. He has successfullyrepresented his clients in discipline,criminal, civil, and federal litigation forover a decade. through his passionaterepresentation, extensive experience andhard work, raoul has consistently earnedoutstanding results for his clients. He hasrecovered millions of dollars insettlements and judgments for his clients.He has helped keep and fought for thejobs of many union members. He is alsoan accomplished trial attorney who hassecured acquittals in numerous cases,ranging from murder to traffic infractions.

raoul was born and raised in chicago. Hisfamily is from russia and he speaks russianfluently. He now resides in new Jersey withhis lovely wife, Jaqueline and their threedogs, roscoe, maya and dixie.

Bar admissions:

• new york State bar, 2008 • u.S. district court eastern district of new

york • u.S. district court Southern district of

new york

edUcaTion:

• new york Law School Juris doctor, 2007

• university of illinois b.A., Political Science & english Activities & Affiliations:

• new york criminal bar Association, member

• Kings county bar Association, member

• new york State Association of criminaldefense Lawyers, member

raoul Zaltzberg, esQ

managing Attorney

raoul has handled thousands of casesthroughout new york in both state and




familiar face, providing legal commentaryon cases from around the country, onvarious media outlets including court tv,Law & crime trial network, and univision.bernarda began her career with thePhiladelphia district Attorney’s officebefore returning to brooklyn where for thelast decade, she furthered her experienceby trying over 40 violent felony casesincluding numerous homicides. She alsohas extensive experience in evaluatinglegal issues related to criminalinvestigations, wire taps, and searchwarrants. bernarda’s experience hasmade her a dynamic lawyer whopossesses strong insight into the criminaljustice system. Given her knowledge ofthe law, she can effectively analyze issueswithin cases and construct solid defensestrategies in service to her clients.bernarda is the proud daughter ofdominican immigrants and is firstgeneration American born and raised inbrooklyn. She is fluent in Spanish.

Bar admissions:• new york State bar• Pennsylvania State bar• u.S. district court for the eastern

district of new york• u.S. district court for the Southern

district of new york

edUcaTion:• boston college Law SchoolJuris doctor, 2004• b.A., State university of new york,

university at Albany

acTiViTies & affiliaTions:

• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, inc., deltarho omega chapter, treasurer

• dominican bar Association, board ofdirectors

• new york city bar Association,Judiciary committee

• federal bar council, civil rightscommittee

• national bar Association, Policebrutality & reform task forcecommittee

Bernadra Villalona, esq.

Senior trial counsel

bernarda is a seasoned trial attorney with16 years of experience in using the law tofight for others. Her courtroom instinctsmade her one of the top attorneys in thecountry, having completed well over 100trials. with her courtroom acumen and herfirst-hand understanding of the criminaljustice system, bernarda has become a

bronx district Attorney’s office. Larry hasconducted numerous hearings and trialsand acted as a mentor to junior attorneys.Larry joined Joey Jackson Law to pursuehis passion for criminal defense work andcivil service defense. Larry’s work ethic,together with his deep understanding ofthe criminal justice system set him apartfrom other attorneys. He is committed togiving each case the particularizedattention it deserves and to protecting therights and jobs of each client at everystage of the case process.

Bar admissions:

• new york State bar, 2017

edUcaTion:

• Pace Law School, Juris doctor, 2016• brooklyn college, b.A., Sociology and

Social welfare

acTiViTies & affiliaTions:• new york criminal bar Association,

member• new york State Association of criminal

defense Lawyers, member

larry carter, esq.

Attorney counselor at Law

Larry was born and raised in the east newyork section of brooklyn. He attendedbrooklyn college, where he developed apassion for social justice and law. mr.carter then attended Pace Law School.while there, Larry interned at a civil rightsfirm to hone his skill in dealing with casesalleging police brutality and retaliatoryworkplace termination.

After graduating law school in 2016, Larrybegan his legal career working at the

5 Penn Plaza23rd Floor

New York, N.Y. 10001

833.JOEYJACKSON833.563.9522

WWW.JOEYJACKSONLAW.COM




Simply because you are arrested does not mean

that you are guilty of any crime. An arrest simply

requires probable cause to believe that a crime

was committed. that is a far cry from the proof

of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt which is

required for any prosecutor to prove their case.

very few officers ever envision or imagine that

they will be arrested. As it relates to on-duty

conduct, for example, an arrest may come about

through a legitimate use of force. the

department may attempt to criminalize your

behavior by suggesting that their was no

justification for your actions. they may further

try to suggest that your report does not match

the video tape — which they have the benefit of

reviewing multiple times behind closed doors.

Similarly, for off duty conduct, you may have todisplay your firearm to protect yourself, or evenuse it during a life or death encounter. in doingso, authorities may believe that your actionsare not warranted, and are unreasonable. inother instances, you may find yourself beingfalsely accused of crimes, involved in adomestic disturbance, or being told that youdrank too much before driving. while no oneever expects to be charged with a crime, itdoes happen. when it does, just know thatforceful, competent and able representationfrom the J. Jackson firm is ready to assist you.once arrested, we will come to the policeprecinct to see and speak with you —so thatwe are involved early. As innocent as you are,please refrain from making any statements topolice. your words will be used against you.

rest assured that we will advise you and guideyour through every step of the process. you willalso need to ensure that you write a report todoc, informing your command of the date,time and place of your arrest. it should alsoinclude the charges you face and your nextcourt date. the department will generallysuspend you, and take away your firearm,shield and department id. As to felony cases,you will be suspended until the charges arereduced to misdemeanors or otherwiseresolved. the J. Jackson firm understands thesignificance of an arrest to your job, career, life,liberty and future. while we will negotiate withprosecutors for a just and appropriateresolution, we are also skilled in trial advocacy,and will take the matter before a jury — if that’swhat justice demands.

1. wHaT To do if yoU are arresTed?

the city of new york and the department of

correction (doc) were sued in 2011 by a class of

inmates. the suit was subsequently amended

twice in 2012. in essence, it alleged inmate

abuse, unfair treatment, excessive force and

unduly harsh confinement. the lead Plaintiff in

the class was an inmate by the name of mark

nunez, hence the name “nunez”. in the lawsuit,

the city of new york and doc were accused,

amongst other things, of engaging in a pattern

and practice of using excessive force against

inmates. Particular emphasis was placed upon

inmates between the ages of 16 to18 with regard

to their treatment, alleged inadequate

protection against violence, and the accusation

that punitive segregation was being improperly

imposed. instead of fighting the lawsuit, the city

and doc decided to settle the matter. in doing

so, they entered into a “consent decree”, which

permits the federal court to oversee the doc’s

compliance with various mandates. A “monitor”

was appointed to ensure that doc carries out

all of the requirements imposed in the

agreement and that they are in compliance. this

compliance is tracked in a number of reports

that are issued periodically. the first such report

covered the period of october 22, 2015 to

february 29, 2016, with the 9th (and most

recent) report covering between July 1, 2019 to

december 31, 2019. these reports, which have

not been favorable, are arguably misleading,

inaccurate, and not necessarily objective.

the monitor cannot be removed until the

department is found to be in “substantial

compliance” with various mandates for two

years. to the extent that a finding of “substantial

compliance” would mean that the monitor and

his staff would lose their jobs, it calls into

question who is monitoring the monitor. it also

calls into question how likely the monitor is to

notice how well correction officers are doing

their jobs. the mandates imposed upon the doc

are significant, and include: investigations of all

uses of forces; strict reporting and tracking

requirements of all use of force instances;

adequate staffing to investigate these

occurrences; the installation of proper cameras

within the facilities; guidelines for punishment

and accountability; procedures to limit

promotions and job assignments based upon an

officer’s history; limiting punitive segregation;

and a host of other measures. based upon past

monitor’s reports, it is likely to conclude that the

monitor will be around for a while.

2. wHaT is nUneZ?

frequently Asked

Questions- Joey Jackson law




As a result of being disciplined, the department

may be looking to exact harsh penalties against

you. Just because doc is seeking severe

discipline doesn’t automatically mean they will

get what they want. this depends upon what

happened, when it happened, how it

happened, and what the facts and

circumstances are surrounding the incident.

the J. Jackson firm will work with you to

assess the facts, review the reports,

documents, video, statements, and other

evidence to prepare your case. we will discuss

your defense, give you a fair and objective

view of what to expect, and provide you with

our expert advise. most importantly, we will

stand up for you, fight for you, and work to

protect you from harsh discipline.

4. wHaT sHoUld i do if i’m facinG sUsPension or TerminaTion?

continue to show up everyday and be the best

officer you can be. Act reasonably and

responsibly to protect yourself and your fellow

officers. the easiest way to encounter a

problem is to be involved in an excessive force

case. A monitor has been appointed to micro-

manage everything that officers do, and to find

fault in the actions that you’ve taken.

if you must use force, make sure you do so

because you are in immediate fear of serious

physical injury, or worse. Also make sure that

the force you use is proportionate to the threat

being posed. And finally, use your

interpersonal communication skills first— if

you can’t. in short, you have a right to defend

and protect yourself and your brother and

sister officers. Just make sure you don’t over

do it, as that’s exactly what they’re looking for.

if you have to act, and interpersonal skills

don’t work, just act reasonably. the J. Jackson

firm will vigorously defend your interests by

pointing out that you followed these criteria.

5. How can i ProTecT my JoB?

when writing any report, indicate what

happened by giving a general and accurate

description to the best of your ability. the doc

examines reports for false and misleading

information. it’s usually pretty difficult to have

a photographic memory of what happened, so

just be careful. with the stress, anxiety and

adrenaline resulting from a use of force for

example, it may be quite difficult to get

everything in your report correct. for this

reason, just provide general information to the

best of your recollection. So just be careful and

use your best judgment. but avoid being

overly specific about the amount of blows,

where they landed or the exact sequence of

events. Humans are not built to recount and

recreate every detail of an event, particularly

right after the incident occurs.

we at the J. Jackson firm understand this, and

make it our business to make sure that Judges

deciding these cases understand it as well.

6. How sHoUld i wriTe any rePorT?

unfortunately, there is no way to actually avoid

discipline. every officer wearing a uniform and

working inside of a facility is subject to the whim

of a supervisor or investigator who believes that

an action they did, or did not take, is improper.

cameras are everywhere to observe, scrutinize

and dissect officers‘ actions. Additionally, those

in positions of authority often play monday

morning quarterback with regard to what an

officer could have or should have done. what’s

more, false allegations may be leveled against

you by an inmate. And finally, a supervisor may

see things differently from you. while all of

these things may lead to baseless discipline,

fear not. the J. Jackson firm understands that

“accusations” of wrongdoing does not equal

guilt. we will fight for your interests and rights,

and do all within our ability to protect you, your

job, and your future. So if you are charged with

violations of rules, policies and directives, not

to worry— help is on the way.

3. How do i aVoid BeinG disciPlined?




oAtH is the office of Administrative trials &Hearings. it is the tribunal which resolvesdisciplinary disputes involving officers and thedepartment. upon being served withdisciplinary charges, which allege violationsof departmental rules, regulations &directives, officers are ultimately providedwith a date to appear for a Pre-trialconference. Prior to appearing for thisconference, an experienced attorney from theJ. Jackson firm will review the charges withyou, learn your side of the story, familiarthemselves with the facts and circumstances,and be prepared to defend you. we will also

confer with the doc lawyers to learn thedepartment’s position on the case, includingthe recommended penalty. in doing so, we willclarify our views on the case and inform themof our position. when you appear at oAtH, anAdministrative Law Judge (ALJ) will presideover the pre-trial conference. what the Judgedoes is provide their point of view as to thestrength and weakness of doc’s case and theofficers case in an effort to settle the matter.nothing the Judge says is binding or requiredto be followed. they are merely providingthoughts and perspective. you are free toreject whatever they say and go to trial as the

judge at the pre-trial conference will not be theone overseeing the trial. if a trial is scheduled,your lawyer will prepare you. in addition, yourlawyer will examine records, reports, videotape(s), documents and analyze all of theevidence. in short, our firm will be ready tovigorously defend and protect your interests.ultimately, in order to be found guilty, docmust prove that “it is more likely than not” thatyou committed the offenses charged. this iscalled a “preponderance of evidence”standard. our lawyers are very familiar with it,and will do within out ability to stand up andfight for you.

7. wHaT is oaTH & wHaT HaPPens THere?

An nPA is an agreement entered into by thedepartment and an officer which reflects aresolution and settlement of the disciplinarycharges that are pending. As a general matter,it ends the case and imposes a penalty that hasbeen negotiated and agreed upon by theParties. this Agreement, if reached, is usuallysigned at oAtH by the Parties, and usuallyresults in the conclusion of the case. it isimportant to note that the Agreement (nPA) islater reviewed by supervisory personnel in the

department and must ultimately be approvedby the commissioner. if the commissioner doesnot agree with the penalty imposed, theAgreement can get returned and otherwise“kicked back” to oAtH for renegotiation of astiffer penalty. if the officer disagrees withtaking an enhanced penalty, as is often thecase, then all bets are off. the nPA, or anymodification of it, is then deemed void, and thematter is scheduled for trial. An oAtH Judgewill then resolve the dispute after hearing all of

the facts and evidence. even after an oAtHJudge decides the case, it is subject to thecommissioner’s review. As a general matter, thecommissioner does afford deference to anoAtH Judge’s determination. there are thoseinstances, however, where the oAtH Judge isoverruled by the commissioner. in that case, theofficer can take the case to the civil Servicecommission. the J. Jackson firm is here toguide you through that process.

8. wHaT is an nPa? (neGoTiaTed Plea aGreemenT)

the civil Service commission (cSc) is an

administrative body that, amongst other things,

hears appeals of disciplinary cases brought to

it by officers. it is composed of five (5)

commissioner’s who are appointed by the

mayor for six (6) year terms. in the event that an

officer wishes to appeal an unfavorable

disciplinary determination, you may do so by

filing an appeal with the cSc. the J. Jackson

firm will do so for you, of course, when given

your permission and authority to do so. the very

reason this entity exists is to make sure that civil

Service rules are uniformly applied, and that

doc regulations, directives and policies are

similarly applied fairly and properly. the J.

Jackson firm attorneys are aware of the

intricacies of the ccS, as well as it’s protocols

and procedures. As such, we will fight your

appeal and otherwise ensure that every avenue

is explored to pursue justice on your behalf.

9. wHaT is THe ciVil serVice commission? (csc)

An meo 16 interview is an interview conducted

by doc investigators under the authority of

mayoral executive order #16. the interview

can pertain to a variety of subjects and issues

for which the department is seeking additional

information and/or clarification from an officer.

the interviews are taped by investigators, and

counsel is present to ensure that your rights

and interests are fully protected. Prior to any

questioning, you will sit down with a skilled

attorney from the J. Jackson firm who will

discuss how you should handle the questions.

there are a few important ground rules to keep

in mind. first, limit your answer to the questions

being posed. Second, if you don’t understand

any aspect of the question(s) being asked,

request that the investigator clarify, repeat or

rephrase the question.

your lawyer can certainly do this — if necessary.

third, understand that you are sitting next to

your lawyer, who is present to assist you in

every way. in that regard, if you need to speak

to your lawyer at any time, just say so. the

interview will be halted, and you will be given

ample time to confer with counsel.

Keep in mind that the department will not

hesitate to level disciplinary charges against

you if your answers to questions are in any way

false or misleading. As such, it’s important to be

mindful of that before going into the interview.

your attorney will confer with you beforehand,

and advise you accordingly. Just know that we

have your back at all times

10. wHaT is an meo-16 inTerView?




Having represented the men and womenof law enforcement for over 30 years aswell as having grown up in a family whereboth my father and maternal grandfatherwere members of the nyPd, i have beena witness with a front row seat to the trialsand tribulations that members of the lawenforcement community experience.

watching my mother standing in front ofthe door to our apartment in KewGardens, trying to stop my father fromgoing to work when the streets were onfire during the days of social unrest in theearly 60's to the pain we in the lawenforcement family experience each timea member is killed in the line of duty andeven off duty, i have never felt the concernand disgust i have experienced in the lastfew months. the scape goating of the menand women in law enforcement for themiserable failures of our political “leaders”to deal with the real and severe societalproblems of inequality, racism, housing,hunger and drug addition is nothing shortof breathtaking for the depth of theiramoral cowardly conduct.

those in law enforcement today face anexistential threat not only to their lives, butto their livelihoods as well. As i havelearned repeatedly during my 30 years asa union attorney the only thing standingbetween law enforcement officers and theabyss when it hits the fan is the union.

the two-faced double dealing politicianswould throw five officers into the fire toprevent themselves from getting 5 lines ofbad press. without the union, a membercaught up in a publicity intensive casedoes not stand a chance. it is only with astrong and supportive union that themember survives. And yet as i survey thehorizon i see the men and women of lawenforcement and their unions underattack from multiple sources as neverbefore. beside a hostile, biased press andpolitical class, members of cobA areunder the gun from a federal monitorwho, if his 9th interim report is to be takenat face value seems intent on blaming thecorrection officer for all the ills besettingour jails and the inmate population.

it is only the union that stands betweenour members and the pit. it is in thisenvironment that i believe our attorneyswho will be representing you goingforward are a team of professionals whostand ready and able to assist you in thisformidable struggle. we have all beentested in the crucible of public and mediascrutiny. we have all handled high profilecases with the white hot light of the mediaconstantly upon us.

we can promise you that every decisionwe make and every step we take inrepresenting you will be guided by ourdesire to do what is in your best interest.we may not always agree or win everybattle, but i can assure you it will not befor lack of care or interest in your case. onbehalf of all of us at Karasyk & moschella,LLP, we look forward to working for youand protecting your back 24/7.

dear cobA members,

Philip KarasykPartner

James moschella

Partner

233 Broadway

sUiTe 2340

THe woolworTH

BUildinG

new yorK, ny 10279

[email protected]

KmaTTorneys.com

We are experienced in resolving disputes through negotiation and in handling litigation in both state and federal courts for our clients. Highly regarded for ourwork, Karasyk & Moschella provides unsurpassed legal services in the areas of union representation, criminal defense, domestic relations, general civil litigation,real estate, probate, wills and trusts. While a large proportion of our clients are members of New York City’s law enforcement and civil service community, werepresent a wide array of civilians and non-union members as well.

Karasyk & Moschella combines the collective diverse experience of our attorneys to deliver timely and effective resolution of your legal matters, whateverthey might be.




For over 60 years, Queller,Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool andThe Law Firm of William A.Gallina, LLP, has served injuryvictims in New York City, theBronx and the surrounding area.

We focus our practice oncomplex cases involvingcatastrophic accidents andinjuries, worker injuries,construction accidents, vehicleaccidents, medical malpractice,premises liability and wrongfuldeath. Today we are recognizedas one of the premier personal

injury and medical malpracticefirms in the city. Our experience,skills and core values allow us tofaithfully address the fullmagnitude of our client’sphysical, mental and emotionalinjuries so that their strugglesare forcefully and poignantlycommunicated to a jury.

Our advocacy skills andresources enable us to touch thelives of our clients to ensure theyare compensated fully for theirinjuries/losses.

Introduction

QUeller, fisHer, wasHor,

fUcHs & Kool and THe law firm of

william a. Gallina, llP




All lawyers at the firm have at leasttwenty (20) years of experience and aremembers of the new york State trialLawyers Association (nyStLA).

over the years, our firm has recoverednearly one billion dollars($1,000,000,000.00) on behalf of victimswho have sustained personal injury as aresult of negligence. barry washor,dallin fuchs and Jonny Kool, all seniorpartners at the firm, have beendesignated with the prestigious rankingof Super Lawyer since 2009, and allmembers of the firm are also membersof the million dollar and multi-milliondollar forum. Senior Partner, barrywashor, has obtained verdicts and/orsettlements in over two hundredseparate personal injury or medicalmalpractice matter. barry has been on

the board of directors of new york Statetrial Lawyers for the last fifteen yearsand is heavily involved in lobbyingefforts on behalf of the rights of victims.He has also authored texts in the field ofmedical malpractice and each yearteaches a course in trial advocacy atcardoza Law School. over the years wehave represented literally thousands ofmembers in the law enforcementcommunity who have sustained injuries,both on and off the job. we haverepresented hundreds of correctionofficers and guided them through theprocess from the inception. we obtainall benefits required under the law and,due to our expertise in dealing withmembers of law enforcement, we aretotally familiar with disability, and three-quarter (¾) pension rights.

we will provide access to our firm to allcorrection officers, their families andfriends on a twenty-four (24) hour/daybasis, 365 days a year. this blanketservice is available to all correctionofficers at no cost. Any fees will be paidto us only if there is a recovery and willbe based on a percentage of therecovery. we have access to the finestphysicians in the tri-state area for allofficers’ and their families’ medicalneeds.

by going to the Queller fisher washorfuchs & Kool and the Law office ofwilliam A. Gallina, LLP website atquellerfisher.com, you can learn moreabout our firm, and meet our lawyers.

• Free consultationsregarding any personalinjury or medicalmalpractice matterinvolving any CorrectionOfficer or their familymember who sustains aninjury on or off duty

• Creation of an injury hotlineavailable for CorrectionOfficers for any inquiryregarding on or off dutyinjury

• Coordination of all Workers’Compensation matters

• Access to a network oforthopedics, neurologists

and physical therapists fortreatment of any injury in allfive (5) boroughs as well asNassau, Suffolk,Westchester, Rockland andOrange Counties

• Setting up Cancerscreening programs

• Access and referral to thefinest medical specialists inthe Tri-State region for anymedical need

• No legal fee unless there isa successful recovery

• Total familiarity andprotection of disability

pension rights associatedwith any and all injuriessustained by a CorrectionOfficer whether from an onor off duty injury

NEW YORK CITYLOCATION233 BROADWAY#1800NEW YORK, NY 10279

212.406.1700

BRONxLOCATION1250 WATERS PLACESUITE 708BRONx, NY 10461

718.892.0400

THe followinG HiGHliGHTs THe serVices weare PrePared To offer To all coBa memBers:

www.QUellerfisHer.com




1. wHaT sHoUld yoU do ifyoU or a family memBerare inVolVed in amoTor VeHicleaccidenT?

motor vehicle accidents are certainlyunplanned and can occur at any time. thefirst thing that should be done is to assesswhether you or anyone in your vehicle hassustained any injury or is feeling anydiscomfort. with motor vehicle accidents,one can certainly expect feeling greatanxiety, but it is important to stay calm,check on your passengers and not to leavethe scene of the accident. Police should becontacted so that the happening of theaccident can be properly documented. it isessential to exchange driver’s license,driver registration, insurance information,names, address and phone numbers withthe driver of the other vehicle, as well asnames of any possible witnesses. ifpossible and practical, take photographs ofthe vehicles, including areas of physicaldamage and the license plate number ofthe other vehicle. if there is any questionor concern of any possible injury, or youand your passengers are feeling anydiscomfort whatsoever, go the emergencyroom. you should contact our firm Queller,fisher, washor, fuchs & Kool and the Lawfirm of william A. Gallina, LLP at our injuryhotline number as expeditiously aspossible. finally, the accident should bereported to your own insurance companyas soon as practical.

2. wHaT To do if i sUsTaina comPlicaTion frommedical TreaTmenT orfeel THaT i, or a familymemBer, HaVe Been aVicTim of medicalmalPracTice?

it was recently reported in a studyconducted by Harvard university that overninety-eight thousand (98,000) deathsoccur in hospitals every year as a result of

the negligence of healthcare providers. ifyou feel that you sustained injury orpermanent damage as a result of thenegligence of a medical professional it isimperative that you contact Queller, fisher,washor, fuchs & Kool and the Law firm ofwilliam A. Gallina, LLP as expeditiously aspossible we have an entire unit at our lawfirm dedicated solely to the investigationand prosecution of medical malpracticelawsuits it is only through a careful reviewof the records by trained professionals thata determination can be made whether theinjury and damages sustained was a resultof medical negligence, also known asmedical malpractice.

3. wHaT sHoUld i do if iam inJUred aT worK?

you must immediately report your injury toyour supervisor and delegate. immediatelyrequest emergency medical care for theinjury sustained. ultimately, it will benecessary for you to fill out line of dutyinjury reports and to retain a lawyer torepresent you in a workers’ compensationclaim and perhaps with any disability or ¾applications we are prepared to make allproper recommendations and referrals toyou 24 hours/day, 365 days/year, so westrongly recommend that you contactQueller, fisher, washor, fuchs & Kool andthe Law firm of william A. Gallina, LLP assoon as feasible following the occurrenceof any injury at work.

4. wHaT isUnderinsUrance and isiT someTHinG THaT isHoUld oBTain for myaUTo insUrancecoVeraGe?

underinsurance is one of the best keptsecrets in the insurance industry. casualtyinsurance companies have strongly lobbiedAlbany to keep the minimum insurancerequirements down in new york. As such,the minimum insurance any driver must

maintain in order to register and drive amotor vehicle in new york State is twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000). thisamount of insurance is nearly alwaysinadequate to compensate an individualwho sustained injury in a motor vehicleaccident. underinsurance is a conceptwhere you can obtain additional autocoverage for you, your family members,and anyone in your motor vehicle wheninjured as a result of the negligentoperation of another vehicle which causedthe damage. thus, if injuries are the resultof a collision with a motor vehicle with onlytwenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) ofinsurance, by having additional coverageon your own policy, you will havesignificantly more compensation for youand “your” people, meaning our familymembers and those passengers in yourmotor vehicle. by law, the premiums mustbe minimal as the carriers are not permittedto make profit on this aspect of insurancecoverage. making a claim under theunderinsurance provision of your insurancepolicy will not in any way increase yourrates since payment will only beapportioned based upon the actions of theother driver. this coverage also applies toyou and members of your family who maybe struck by a motor vehicle as apedestrian.

5. wHaT if i’m inVolVed inanoTHer TyPe ofaccidenT oUTside ofworK (i.e., sliP or TriP and fall, PremisesaccidenT, eTc.)?

if you are involved in an accident outsideof work, contact Queller, fisher, washor,fuchs & Kool and the Law firm of williamA. Gallina, LLP as soon as possible so thatone of our attorneys specializing in yourtype of accident and injury can give youthe best immediate advice.

freQUenTy asKed QUesTions




In each edition of Boldest News,COBA will proudly spotlightCorrection Officers, who goabove the call of duty in service to our city.

in this edition, we are proud to spotlight correctionofficer Jose Arroyo from obcc.

on october 22, 2020, at approximately 1330 hours at75th Street and 13th Avenue in brooklyn, correctionofficer Jose Arroyo was sitting in his parked vehiclewhen he observed a male approach two females sittingin front of a salon. the man stopped to speak to themand immediately pulled out what appeared to be a gun.officer Arroyo could see the magazine well of the gun,which was empty. He then witnessed the man motion toload the firearm with a magazine. officer Arroyo thenimmediately exited his vehicle, watching the subjectplace the firearm back into his jacket and walk away.

officer Arroyo approached the man from behind,identifying himself as a Peace officer with his hand onhis holstered weapon. the man then turned andreached for the weapon.

officer Arroyo unholstered his weapon, making the manfreeze, then instructed him to take his weapon out anddrop it on the ground, which he did. officer Arroyo theninstructed the man to drop to the ground and hadbystanders call the police. the police came and arrestedthe man. cobA is proud to salute correction officerArroyo for his bravery and quick-thinking in effectuatingan off-duty arrest.

If you would like to nominate a Correction Officerto be spotlighted in our news magazine, please

email a story with any related pictures to:michael Skelly

communications [email protected]

MAKiNg A DiFFERENCE!COBA sPOTLigHT ON

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COBA iN THE NEWs


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Documents

NOVEMBER 2020 NEWSVOL. 1 ISSUE 1crossmediaplus.com/flipbooks/BoldestNews/COBA_NewsLetter.pdf · 2020. 11. 18. · pay for your optical, dental, and prescription drug beneﬁts, as