Hynes: What A Difference 16 Years Makes

Hynes: What A Difference 16 Years Makes

The Chief-Leader/Pat Arnow IN HOT PURSUIT OF MORGENTHAU: With his wife Patricia looking on, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes takes the oath of office Jan. 10 marking the beginning of his fifth term. Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes began his fifth term last week vowing to continue to prosecute corrupt officials, initiate programs that emphasize prevention, and to expand centers designed to help victims of domestic violence.

Mr. Hynes listed his accomplishments and goals for the future while addressing a crowd of more than 800 supporters in the Brooklyn County Supreme Court jury room Jan. 10.

Praise From Mayor

Mayor Bloomberg, who made the opening remarks, called Mr. Hynes an "innovative" District Attorney, who cares about people and diligently works to reduce crime.

Mr. Hynes noted that when he first took office, "Brooklyn seemed to be a place under siege." In 1990, there were 167,000 serious felonies committed along with 750 murders, he said. "There was one serious felony for every 16 citizens," he remarked. "We achieved the unenviable position of the fifth most violent place in America."

But he recalled that he then promised to initiate "programs that emphasized prevention, but would work in tandem with policies that denied plea bargains for the violent, the drug profiteers, and for those who carried unlicensed guns."

He pointed out that a drug treatment program that his office started has since been called the "most effective drug treatment modality in the country," by experts in the field.

Mr. Hynes also created an educational program for fifth graders to teach them "that it's wrong to hate anyone, regardless of what their differences might be." The program, he added, also instructs youths "that drugs are not about fast cars and gold jewelry - drugs are about debt."

Last year, the DA's Office opened the first family justice center in the city to help victims of domestic violence by offering them an array of social services. The center was established with the help of a Federal grant. "As a survivor of a home filled with that indescribable terror, I was determined to do something to end this nightmare for countless women such as my mother and kids like me that have to watch stuff," he said.

Mr. Hynes had faced a tough re-election primary, defeating state Senator John L. Sampson, 41 percent to 37 percent. The veteran prosecutor was dealing with added pressure stemming from his campaign corruption probe into Assemblyman Clarence Norman Jr., who is African-American. The Brooklyn Democratic leader was sentenced Jan. 11 to two to six years in prison for stealing $5,000 that was donated to his re-election committee in 2001, and of trying to conceal $10,000 in contributions.

Mr. Hynes asserted that he will continue his probe into judicial corruption for as long as it takes "to liberate the reputation of our public servants from rumor and baseless allegations."

He stressed that the overwhelming majority of the borough's public servants, "are women and men of unimpeachable integrity."