The final two speakers at the Niagara Falls Block Club Council annual retreat discussed topics of great interest to those in attendance.

The first was Hon. Sara Sheldon Sperrazza, Niagara County judge and Surrogate. She began by telling us what she does in her capacity as a county judge. She hears and decides serious criminal cases such as felonies, murder cases, white collar crime and medical fraud matters. These include fugitive cases, as we are a border city. All of the above include arraignments, pretrials, and trials, including jury and non-jury and sentencing. She also handles appeals from City Courts. County Court Judge Matthew Murphy III also has the same type of caseload and both serve as surrogate judges sharing the caseload, which is huge as we have an aging population in this county. Surrogate judges appoint guardians to handle estates and Judge Sperrazza said she meets with all parties to obtain a better understanding of the case before her.

In addition, she often serves as a full time Acting Supreme Court Judge and handles most of the felony domestic violence cases in Niagara County. She originated what is known as the integrated Domestic Violence Court which was established to assist the parties who often had to attend matters in several Courts (Family Court, Supreme Court if a divorce was pending, and City Court for the criminal portion) to reach any satisfaction. Supreme Court Justice Frank Caruso now presides.

This judge has been called one of the hardest working judge in the state as she also provides statewide training for new judges and training on new techniques for sitting judges.

The next topic was bail as I had asked her to touch on this subject when I invited her to attend. We were interested to learn that most states do not allow release on bail for repeat offenders. New York state only allows bail to secure the return to court. The judge cannot use bail as a punishment but “can deny bail” if it is felt the defendant may commit another crime, if there are mental issues and consideration of previous criminal records and the weight of evidence against defendant also has a bearing in the decision to allow or deny bail.

The possible sentence (i.e. life imprisonment) can also enter into the consideration.

She praised the block club movement and citizen involvement in crime prevention and reporting and inquired about joining a club in her area.

Letizia Tagliafierro, Esq. from the Buffalo District of the state Attorney General’s office was our final guest and she spoke on several topics. She told us the Attorney General (currently Andrew Cuomo, Esq.) brings cases on behalf of New Yorkers. Some of these involve home contractors, identify theft, foreclosure and mortgage rescue scams.

Speaking about scam artists, she warned consumers to know your contractor. Beware of door-to-door fix-it types as home improvement scams are one of the most common type their office encounters. Credit card debt settlement scams are also prevalent and we were told to ask for references on these companies before signing up for assistance and debt consolidation. We were advised to monitor our credit often to check on stolen identity problems and she referred us to 1-800-322-8228 where a free credit report is available.

Scams involving payment to citizens to act as mystery shoppers and telemarketers soliciting for charities are also popular and everyone should not be lured into giving out any personal or financial information to anyone over the telephone or the Internet. Large-scale cases involving corporations handling title insurance and energy delivery have also been won through the efforts of the state Attorney General.

Tagliafierro offered to attend block club meetings to present detailed programs on these matters.

I have only touched on the information presented, highlighting the important data. We were impressed with the speakers and felt we learned from our attendance. The retreat has become an annual event sponsored by the Niagara Falls Block Club Council as it is important for citizens to learn from their public officials, both elected and employed, and take this information back to their own neighborhoods and organizations.

We are fortunate to live in a community with over 35 block clubs and several business and civic associations who take an active interest in their surroundings. Quality of life is dependent on knowledge so appropriate action can be taken to improve upon it. If you have a block club in your neighborhood, join in, help those already involved, and if you do not have one — start one. I can provide assistance and you can call me at 282-3599. Just becoming a real neighborhood again is worth the effort we all put into this. Thanks again to those who participated and to those who attended.

Norma Higgs serves with the Niagara Beautification Commission and Niagara Falls Block Club Council. Her columns appear Mondays in the Gazette.