This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Judge Stephen Ukeiley Addresses the National Organization for Women

District Court/Acting County Court Judge Stephen Ukeiley addressed the Mid-Suffolk Chapter of the National Organization for Women on Saturday, May 31, 2014 from 11:00 AM - 1 PM at the Hauppauge Library, 601 Veterans Memorial Highway.

Judge Ukeiley presides in Suffolk County's Human Trafficking Court, one of eleven such courts in New York State. Joining Judge Ukeiley were Dawn Brown and Jennifer Garcia-Hernandez, Executive Director and Assistant Executive Director respectively of Brighter Tomorrows, a licensed New York State shelter facility that assists victims of domestic violence and their children. The presentation focused on how this specialty court and the advocacy providers address the scourge of abuse and exploitation of women and children in Suffolk County. 

"NOW, National Organization for Women, has been at the forefront of anti-trafficking activism, conducting many educational workshops on how women and their families can protect themselves from this ever-present threat," said Grace Welch, president emerita of the Western Suffolk chapter. "We're grateful to Judge Ukeiley for joining us and educating our members on how the judicial system works to protect our Suffolk County families."

Find out what's happening in Three Villagewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Attending to victims of human trafficking and the myriad of issues they are presented with are extremely daunting and frequently overlooked in the criminal justice system," said Dawn Brown. "However, Judge Ukeiley has demonstrated the unique ability to understand the trauma induced circumstances that have brought these individuals into his courtroom. He is truly invested in the well being of each victim and procuring successful outcomes for their future," said Brown.  

"In addition to addressing the defendant's underlying criminal conduct, the Human Trafficking Court was established in part to assist in breaking the vicious cycle of abuse," said Judge Ukeiley. "I’m grateful to the Mid-Suffolk Chapter of the National Organization for Women for providing this opportunity to discuss the Court and its impact with their membership and the public." 

Find out what's happening in Three Villagewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?