Podcasts about assistant district attorney

Sometime ago I had the pleasure to have as a guest a gentleman named Rob Wentz. Rob appeared in episode 212 on March 8, 2024. Recently Rob introduced me to a man he described as amazing and definitely unstoppable. That introduction led to me having the opportunity to have today, Ken Kunken, the man Rob introduced me to. Ken's story is atypical to most. He had a pretty normal childhood until he went to Cornell. Rob was pretty short, but he loved all things sports and active. In his junior year he participated in a lightweight football game against Columbia University. On a kickoff he tackled an opponent but broke his neck in the process. Immediately he became a quadriplegic from the shoulders down. As he tells us, his days of physical activity and sports came to an abrupt end.   I asked Ken how he dealt with his injury. As he tells me, his family rallied around him and told him they were all there to help with whatever he needed to continue in school and to move on with his life. They were true to their word and Ken did continue to attend school after nine months of hospitalization. He secured a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering. He went on to get a Master's degree from Cornell in Industrial Engineering and then a second Master's degree this time from Columbia University in Psychology as he decided he really wanted to “help people especially those with serious disabilities” rather than continuing in the Civil Engineering arena. Ken then secured a job that led to him becoming a successful rehabilitation counselor in New York.   Ken wasn't done growing nor exploring. After two years working in the rehabilitation field through circumstances and advice from others, he went to Hofstra school of law where he obtained a Juris Doctor degree in 1982. He then went to work in the office of a district attorney where, over 40 years he progressed and grew in stature and rank.   Ken tells us how his life changed over time and through the many jobs and opportunities he decided to take. Twenty-two years ago, he married Anna. They ended up having triplet boys who now all are in school at the age of Twenty.   Ken is as unstoppable as it gets. He refused to back down from challenges. He is now retired and loving the opportunity to be with his family and help others by telling his story.     About the Guest:   In 1970, while a junior in Cornell University's College of Engineering, Ken Kunken broke his neck making a tackle on a kick-off in a lightweight football game against Columbia University. Ken sustained a spinal cord injury at the C 4-5 level, rendering him a quadriplegic, almost totally paralyzed from the shoulders down. Ken spent more than 9 months in various hospitals and rehabilitation facilities. While still a patient, Ken testified before a United States Senate Sub-Committee on Health Care, chaired by Senator Edward Kennedy. In 1971, almost 20 years before the Americans with Disabilities Act, Ken returned to the Cornell campus, where he completed his undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering. Ken estimates that he had to be pulled up or bounced down close to 100 steps just to attend his first day of classes.   Ken is the first quadriplegic to graduate from Cornell University. Upon graduation, Ken decided to change his career goal. He wanted to work with and help people, particularly those with disabilities. Ken went on to earn a Master of Arts degree at Cornell in education and a Master of Education degree at Columbia University in psychology. Ken is the first quadriplegic to earn a graduate degree from Cornell University. In 1977, Ken was hired by Abilities Inc. in Albertson, NY to be its College Work Orientation Program Coordinator. Ken coordinated a program which provided educationally related work experiences for severely disabled college students. He also maintained a vocational counseling caseload of more than 20 severely disabled individuals.   While working at the Center, Ken became a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor and made numerous public presentations on non-discrimination, affirmative action and employment of the disabled. In 1977, Ken was named the Long Island Rehabilitation Associations “Rehabilitant of the Year” and in 1979 Ken was the subject of one of the Reverend Norman Vincent Peale's nationally syndicated radio broadcasts “The American Character”. Wanting to accomplish still more, Ken enrolled in Hofstra University's School of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor degree in 1982. Ken then went to work as an assistant district attorney in Nassau County, Long Island.   Ken was promoted a number of times during his more than 40 years with the District Attorney's Office, eventually becoming one of the Deputy Bureau Chiefs of the County Court Trial Bureau, where he helped supervise more than 20 other assistant district attorneys. In addition, over his years working in the Office, Ken supervised more than 50 student interns.   In 1996 Ken received the Honorable Thomas E. Ryan, Jr. Award presented by the Court Officers Benevolent Association of Nassau County for outstanding and dedicated service as an Assistant District Attorney. In 1999, Ken was awarded the George M. Estabrook Distinguished Service Award presented by the Hofstra Alumni Association, Inc. Beginning in 2005, for nine consecutive years, “The Ken Kunken Most Valuable Player Award” was presented annually by The Adirondack Trust Allegiance Bowl in Saratoga Springs, NY, in recognition of Ken's personal accomplishments, contributions to society and extraordinary courage.   In 2009, Ken became a member of the Board of Directors of Abilities Inc., and in 2017 he became a member of the Board of Directors for the parent company of Abilities Inc., the Viscardi Center.   In 2020, Ken was inducted into “The Susan M. Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame,” as a member of the class of 2019.   In December 2023, “The Kenneth J. Kunken Award” was presented by the Nassau County District Attorney's Office, for the first time, to an outstanding Nassau County Assistant District Attorney who personifies Ken's unique spirit and love of trial work, as well as his commitment and dedication, loyalty to his colleagues and his devotion to doing justice. The Award will be presented annually.   In March 2024, Ken was named one of the Long Island Business News Influencers in Law. Ken retired from full-time employment in 2016, but continued to work with the District Attorney's Office for the next eight years in a part time capacity, providing continuing legal education lectures and litigation guidance.   For years, Ken has tried to inspire people to do more with their lives. In October 2023, Ken's memoir “I Dream of Things That Never Were: The Ken Kunken Story” was published. In 2003 Ken married Anna and in 2005 they became the proud parents of triplet boys: Joey, Jimmy and Timmy. On June 23, 2023 the triplets graduated from Oceanside High School, fifty-five years after Ken had graduated from the same school. Ways to connect with Ken:   https://www.facebook.com/ken.kunken https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566473121422 https://www.instagram.com/ken.kunken/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-j-kunken-b4b0a9a8/ https://www.youtube.com/@Ken.Kunken https://bsky.app/profile/kenkunken.bsky.social   About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:20 Well, hello once again, and welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset. I am your host, Michael hingson, and today we have a fascinating guest, I believe. Anyway, his name is Ken. Kuan, kunken. Am I pronouncing that right? Yes, you are. Oh, good. And Ken, in 1970 underwent a problem when he was playing football and doing a tackle on a kickoff. Namely, he broke his neck and became a quadriplegic, basically from the shoulders down. I'm sort of familiar with the concept, because my wife, from birth was in a wheelchair. She was a paraplegic, paralyzed from the t3 vertebrae down, which was like right below the breast, so she was able to transfer and so on. So not quite the same, but a lot of the same issues, of course, and we're going to talk about that basically, because when you're in a wheelchair, like a lot of other kinds of disabilities, society doesn't tend to do all they should to accommodate. And I can, can make that case very well. Most people are light dependent, and we have provided reasonable accommodations for them by providing light bulbs and light on demand wherever they go, wherever they are, whatever they do, while at the same time for people who are blind, we don't get the same degree of access without pushing a lot harder. And people in wheelchairs, of course, have all sorts of physical issues as well, such as stairs and no ramps and other things like that. And I know that Ken's going to talk some about that from university days and my wife Karen face some of the same things. But anyway, we'll get to it all. Ken, I want to welcome you to unstoppable mindset. And I think your wife, Anna is visiting with us also, right, right? Thank you. Michael, so Anna, welcome as well. Thank you so Ken. Why don't we start if we could by you telling us sort of about the early Ken, growing up and all that from being a child, and tell us a little bit about you.   Ken Kunken ** 03:40 Okay, well, if you're going back to my childhood area, Yeah, it sure is. It's quite a while ago, but I was born in 1950 and that happened to be in the midst of the polio epidemic, and unfortunately, my mother contracted polio and died when I was less than one month old. So I have an older brother, Steve, who's two years older than me, and my father brother and I ended up moving in with my grandparents for a few years before my father remarried when I was four years old. A long shot. But what's your birth date? Right? My birth date is July 15, 1950 on   Michael Hingson ** 04:23 February 24 1950 So, okay, was was just kind of hoping there was the possibility, right? Anyway, go ahead.   Ken Kunken ** 04:30 So, um, during my father's second marriage, that's when my sister Merrill was born. She's 10 years younger than I am, but unfortunately, that was not a happy marriage, and it ended in a divorce. And when I was 18, my father married for the third time. So you know, growing up in a household with a number of individuals seemingly coming and going was a little different than most people's   Michael Hingson ** 04:57 households when they were growing up. How. Was that for you?   Ken Kunken ** 05:01 Well, you know, it was nice in the sense that I got involved with a lot of different family members in my extended family. I'm very close, growing up with my grandparents, with aunts, uncles, cousins, as well as my sister and brother. And you know, I had the opportunity to interact with a lot of different people. It was difficult during my father's second marriage, because it was not a happy marriage, and, you know, it worked out in everybody's best interest when that ended in divorce. But I look back at my childhood, and I just basically call it as a very happy childhood?   Michael Hingson ** 05:42 Oh, good. Well, so no real major traumas, certainly differences, but no real harrowing kinds of things that just threw you into a complete topsy turvy at least as far as you're concerned, right? Yeah. Well, then you decided to go to Cornell, as I recall, and I know Cornell has a, I think it's a master's program, but an advanced program in hospitality. So did they feed you well at Cornell?   Ken Kunken ** 06:13 Yes, they had a very good system and fed us very well. And they have a program in hotel management, right, which I was not involved in, but there was a lot of good food at Cornell when we were there.   Michael Hingson ** 06:28 Well, that's that's always important, you know, you got to have good food at UC Irvine. We were okay. Food wise. I was on the food committee for the dorms, actually, and the food was all right, but when they had steak night that they always made a big deal about the steak was usually pretty tough, and so we we had sometimes that the food wasn't great, but they had a great soft serve ice cream machine, so lot of people took advantage of that. But anyway, so when you were at Cornell, you played football,   Ken Kunken ** 07:01 right? I was on their lightweight football team. It's for people that were smaller than the heavyweight team. When I was playing, you had to weigh 154 pounds or less two days before the game. So most of the people had played on their high school teams was too small to play on the varsity college team, but it was a varsity sport. Most of the people were very good athletes and very fast, and it was very competitive sport.   Michael Hingson ** 07:35 So tell us about that and what happened.   Ken Kunken ** 07:38 Well, during my junior year, I was injured making a tackle on a kickoff in a game against Columbia University, and when I tackled the ball carrier, I broke my neck and damaged my spinal cord, and as a result, I'm a quadriplegic. I'm almost totally paralyzed from the shoulders down,   Michael Hingson ** 08:01 and so, what kind of effect? Well, that clearly that that was pretty bad news and so on. So what kind of effect did that have on you, and how did that shape what you did going forward?   Ken Kunken ** 08:15 Oh, it totally changed my perspective on everything about myself. I mean, growing up, my life seemed to center around sports. In high school, I played on the varsity football team. I wrestled on the varsity wrestling team. I played on four different intramural softball teams. I worked on the summer as a lifeguard. Everything in my life revolved around athletics and being physically active. Now, suddenly, I couldn't be physically active at all. In fact, I am totally sedentary, sitting in a wheelchair, and I need assistance with all my activities of daily living now.   Michael Hingson ** 08:54 So what did you do when the injury happened and so on? So how did you deal with all of that?   Ken Kunken ** 09:01 Well, it was a really difficult adjustment to make. I mean, suddenly I became dependent on everybody around me, because there was not one thing I could do for myself. So it was very difficult knowing that now not only was I dependent on others, but I had to be more outgoing to be able to have asked for help when I needed it, which was difficult for me, because I had always considered myself a bit of shy person, a bit of an introvert, and now I needed to be more vocal with respect to all of my needs. So I swear, go ahead. Well, I spent the next nine months and 20 days in various hospitals and rehabilitation centers, and it was really, really difficult getting used to my new physical condition.   Michael Hingson ** 09:52 But at the same time, you could have taken the position that you just hated yourself and you just wanted to I. Make life end and so on. And it doesn't sound like that was the approach that you took.   Ken Kunken ** 10:04 Mike, I was so fortunate that I had a very supportive family who were with me and helped me every step of the way. In fact, they basically assured me that they would act as my arms and legs to make sure I could still do everything I wanted to do in my life   Michael Hingson ** 10:22 doesn't get much better than that, having a real supportive village, if you will.   Ken Kunken ** 10:27 Right? I was so fortunate, and you know, I think that helped me be able to do many things in my life that most people thought would not be possible for someone in my condition, and I was able to do it because of the help I received from my family.   Michael Hingson ** 10:44 So what did you major in at Cornell? Let's say, before the injury.   Ken Kunken ** 10:50 I before my injury, I was majoring in industrial engineering, okay? And you know, after my injury, I went back to school and continued my studies in industrial engineering and actually obtained my degree, a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering.   Michael Hingson ** 11:08 Now, what primarily is industrial engineering?   Ken Kunken ** 11:12 Well, you know, it's kind of a technical aspect of dealing with men, material, machines, and, you know, most likely working at a business where there are a lot of different people working there, where you would try and find out what the best way of people to operate, whether it be in a factory or just in a large business setting, when you're dealing with technical aspects of the job. But I never actually worked as an engineer, because, following my degree, based on the recommendation of one of my psychology professors, I stayed at Cornell and pursued a career in counseling. And I find that a lot more suitable to not only my physical condition, but what I really wanted to do. Because, following my injury, I knew that what I really wanted to do was to devote my life and career to helping others.   Michael Hingson ** 12:08 So you very well could have made the same switch and made the same choices, even if you hadn't undergone the accident,   Ken Kunken ** 12:17 absolutely and hopefully, I would have, because I found it a lot more enjoyable, and I believe it taught me a lot about dealing with people, and it made me feel very good about myself to know that I was still in a position, despite my disability, where I could help others.   Michael Hingson ** 12:40 So you stayed at Cornell and got that master's degree in counseling, which, which really gave you that opportunity. What did you do after that?   Ken Kunken ** 12:50 Well, to increase my counseling credentials, I then went to Columbia University, where I obtained my second degree. This one was also in counseling. That degree was in psychological counseling and rehabilitation, and I decided to look for a job in the rehabilitation counseling field. And now that I had two degrees from Cornell and one from Columbia, three prestigious Ivy League degrees, two master's degrees, I didn't think I'd have much difficulty securing employment, but to my dismay, no one would hire me. This was in the mid 70s, and everyone seemed to feel I was just too disabled to work.   Michael Hingson ** 13:32 Now, why did you go to Columbia to get your second degree, your masters in rehabilitation,   Ken Kunken ** 13:39 you know? And incidentally, it that was the school I actually was injured against during the football   Michael Hingson ** 13:44 I know that's why I asked the enemy, right?   Ken Kunken ** 13:47 Yeah, but I actually applied there for my doctorate, doctorate in counseling psychology. And initially I didn't get into that program, but they invited me to participate in their master's program, and said that they would reconsider my application when I finished that degree. Now, I thought that was a special letter that I got from them because of my injury, and I thought they just wanted to see me that I could do graduate work. As it turned out, virtually everybody that applied for that program got a similar letter, and when I first met with my advisor there at Columbia, he said, you know, if you didn't get in the first time, you're probably not going to get in even when you graduate. So since I had nothing else to do at that point, I enrolled in the master's program, and I completed my second master's degree. And you know, at the time, even my advisor was pessimistic about my work prospects, wow, just because of my ability, because of my disability, and despite. Fact that here they were training people to be rehabilitation counselors and encouraging people to go into that field, they felt that due to my disability, I would still have a very difficult time gaining employment,   Michael Hingson ** 15:14 which is as ironic as it gets,   Ken Kunken ** 15:17 absolutely, absolutely and I was just very fortunate that there was a facility on Long Island called abilities Incorporated, which was part of what was then called the Human Resources Center. Is now called the Viscardi Center, after its founder, Dr Henry Viscardi, Jr, and they hired me to work as a vocational rehabilitation counselor for other individuals who had severe disabilities.   Michael Hingson ** 15:46 I'm a little bit familiar with the buscardi Center, and have found them to be very open minded in the way they operate.   Ken Kunken ** 15:54 They were terrific, absolutely terrific. And I was so fortunate to get involved with them, to be hired, to work for them, and, you know, to be associated with all the fine work they were doing it on behalf of helping other individuals with disabilities.   Michael Hingson ** 16:13 So was it primarily paraplegics and quadriplegics and so on, or did they do blind people and other disabilities as well.   Ken Kunken ** 16:21 They did a lot of different disabilities, but they did not work with people that were visually impaired. For that in New York state, there was a special agency called the commission for the visually handicapped that helped people with visual impairments, but we dealt with all different types of disabilities, whether people were hearing impaired or had not just spinal cord injuries, but other disabilities, either from birth or disabilities that they developed through diseases. And as it turned out, I was probably one of the most severely disabled of the people that I dealt with.   Michael Hingson ** 17:02 Well, but you were also, by any definition, a good role model.   Ken Kunken ** 17:06 Well, I was fortunate that I was able to help a lot of different people, and I felt that when they looked at me and saw that I was able to work despite my disability, I know it encouraged them to do their best to go out and get a job themselves.   Michael Hingson ** 17:24 And of course, it really ultimately comes down to attitude. And for you, having a positive attitude had to really help a great deal.   Ken Kunken ** 17:34 I think it made all the difference in the world. And I was very fortunate that it was my family that instilled that positive attitude in me, and they gave me so much help that after a while, I thought I'd be letting them down if I didn't do everything I could do to make something out of my life.   Michael Hingson ** 17:53 So what did you do? Well, not only   Ken Kunken ** 17:57 did I go back to school and complete my education, but I went to work and, you know, got up early every day, and with the aid of a personal care attendant, I was able to go to work and function as a vocational counselor and help others in trying to achieve their goals.   Michael Hingson ** 18:17 Now, were you going to school while you were doing some of this?   Ken Kunken ** 18:20 No, I finished my second okay, and now was able to work full time.   Michael Hingson ** 18:27 Okay, so you did that, and how long did you work there?   Ken Kunken ** 18:32 Well, I worked there for a little over two years, and you know, my duties and responsibilities kept expanding while I was there, and one of my duties was to speak at conferences before groups and organizations concerning affirmative action and non discrimination for people with disabilities. And often after my talks, I would be asked questions, and while I would do my best to respond appropriately, I was always careful to caution the question is that they should really consult with a lawyer about their concerns. And I guess it didn't take long before I started to think, you know, there's no reason why I couldn't become that lawyer. So after a little over two years, I decided to leave the job, and I went to Hofstra University School of Law.   Michael Hingson ** 19:20 So now what? What year was this?   Ken Kunken ** 19:24 I left the job. I started the job in 77 I left in 79 when I started law school.   Michael Hingson ** 19:32 Okay, so you went to Hofstra,   Ken Kunken ** 19:35 right? And while I was at Hofstra through my brother's suggestion. My brother was working as a public defender at the time, he suggested I do an internship at the district attorney's office. So after my second year of law school, I did an internship there during the summer, and I found a new way. I could help people and serve the community as a whole, and I really enjoyed that work. So when I was in my third year of law school, I applied for a full time position with the district attorney's office, and I was very fortunate that the district attorney was a very progressive, self confident individual who based his hiring decision on my abilities rather than my disability.   Michael Hingson ** 20:27 Wow, that had to be, especially back then, a fairly, as you said, progressive, but an amazing thing to do, because even today, there are so many times that we get challenges and too many things thrown in our way, but you had someone who really thought enough of you and obviously decided that your abilities were such on the job that you could do   Ken Kunken ** 20:51 it. I was very fortunate to have come in contact with the district attorney at the time. His name was Dennis Dillon, and he seemed to know that when I'd go to court, a jury was not going to base its verdict on my inability to walk, but rather on my skill and competence as an attorney. And thanks to the training and guidance I received in the office, I became a very confident and competent, skilled trial attorney   Michael Hingson ** 21:22 well, and it had to be the way you projected yourself that would convince a jury to decide cases in the right way. So again, kudos to you.   Ken Kunken ** 21:33 Thank you. Well, I certainly did my best to do that, and at the time that I applied for this job, I didn't know of any quadriplegics that were trial attorneys. May have been some, but I didn't know of any. Certainly there were none on Long Island, and certainly no assistant district attorneys at the time that I knew of who were quadriplegics.   Michael Hingson ** 21:59 Now, of course, the question that comes to mind is, so was the office accessible?   Ken Kunken ** 22:05 No question. And you know, let me just go further by telling you that my first day in court, I couldn't even fit through the swinging doorways in the courtroom. They were too narrow to let me get through to get to the prosecutor's table, because my electric wheelchair was too wide.   Michael Hingson ** 22:24 What did you do? Or what happened?   Ken Kunken ** 22:27 Well, eventually they had to take off the swinging doorways and the screws and bolts that kept them in place, but usually I had to go very roundabout on a long way to get to the back of each courtroom and go through the back, which was really difficult. And one of my assignments happened to be to our traffic court Bureau, which was in a neighboring building on the second floor, and unfortunately, there the elevator was broken. So after three days, I was actually received my first promotion, because they didn't know when it would be fixed. But eventually I was able to get into court, and I did a lot of litigation while I was   Michael Hingson ** 23:10 there. How did judges react to all of this?   Ken Kunken ** 23:15 You know, it was very new to them as well. And you know, there are times when you needed to approach the bench and talk very quietly, you know, to so the jury wouldn't hear you, and it was very difficult, because benches are elevated, yeah. And I had difficulty approaching the bench or even turning my head side enough to look up at the judges and then for them to hear me. And sometimes they would have to get off the bench, and, you know, meet me on the side of the courtroom to have conferences and but for the most part, I thought they were very supportive. I thought they appreciated the hard work that I was doing, and I think they tried to be accommodating when they could.   Michael Hingson ** 23:58 Did you ever encounter any that just were totally intolerant of all of it,   Ken Kunken ** 24:02 sure, you know, many of them were very impatient. Some of them had difficulty hearing and when I was trying to look up and talk to them without the jury hearing, some of them had trouble hearing me because, you know, they were much higher up than I was in my wheelchair. So it was very challenging.   Michael Hingson ** 24:23 I was involved in a lawsuit against an airline because they wouldn't allow me and my guide dog to sit where we wanted to sit on the airplane, which was in direct violation of even the rules of the airline. And when it went to court, the judge who was assigned it was a federal judge, and he was like 80, and he just couldn't hear anything at all. It was, it was really too bad. And of course, my and my wife was was with me, and of course, in her chair, so she wasn't sitting in a regular row. And he even grilled her, what are you doing? Why aren't you sitting in a row? And she said, I'm in a wheelchair. Oh, yeah, it's amazing that hopefully we are we have progressed a little bit from a lot of that the last thing. So, yeah, the lawsuit was 1985 so it was a long time ago, and hopefully we have progressed some. But still, there are way too many people who don't get it, and who don't understand nearly as much as they should, and don't internalize that maybe we're not all the same, and we can't necessarily do everything exactly the same every single time,   Ken Kunken ** 25:35 right? And you know, I had the added misfortune of having my injury 20 years before the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, and that made an enormous difference for not just people in wheelchairs, but people with all different types of disabilities.   Michael Hingson ** 25:53 So how did you, in general, learn to deal with people's perceptions of you, rather than the reality? Well, that is a lot. Yeah, there are lots of perceptions, right?   Ken Kunken ** 26:07 You know, many people think that because you have a physical disability, that you must also have an intellectual disability. And people would often come into my room and wherever I was, whether it was when I was first in the hospital or later at the office and speak to the person next to me and ask them questions about me, as if I couldn't speak for myself, yeah, even as if I wasn't even there. And it took a while for me to be more outgoing and convince people that, yes, they can deal with me. You know, I can still talk and think. And I think whenever a jury came into the courtroom for the first time, I think they were very surprised to see the prosecutor as somebody with a disability who was sitting in an electric wheelchair.   Michael Hingson ** 26:56 I know once we went to a restaurant, and of course, having a family with two people in two different disabilities, went to this restaurant, and we were waiting to be seated, and finally, Karen said the hostess is just staring at us. She doesn't know who to talk to, because I'm not making eye contact, necessarily. And Karen, sitting in her chair is way lower. And so Karen just said to me, Well, this lady doesn't know who to talk to. So I said, Well, maybe we can get her to just ask us what what we want and what help we need. Are carrying on the conversation. Got this, this nice lady to recognize. Oh, you know, I can talk with them. And so she said, Well, how can I help you? And we both kind of said we'd like to sit and have breakfast. Oh, okay, and it went well from there. But it is, it is a challenge, and people have crazy perceptions, I know, going down the stairs at the World Trade Center on September 11, when I encountered the firefighters coming up for a while, they blocked me from going because they decided that I needed help, and they would, they would ask me questions, like, we're going to help you. Is that okay? And I said, No, it's not. But they always talked loud, because if you're blind, you obviously can't hear either, right? And it was difficult to get them to deal with all of that. And finally, I had to just say, Look, I got my friend David over here, who can see we're working together. We're fine, and they let us go because I had a sighted person with me, not that I had the ability to go downstairs, even though I had to help keep David focused sometimes, and also, there's no magic for a blind person to go downstairs. You know, you go down the stairs, you hold the rail, you turn left there, in this case, and you go down the next batch of stairs. But people don't recognize that. Maybe there are techniques that we use to deal with the same things that they deal with, only in a different way.   Ken Kunken ** 29:03 Absolutely, and that applies to work as well. I mean, people assume that if you can't do a job the way most people seem to do it, who don't have a disability, they automatically assume you're not going to be able to function at all at the job. Yeah, and a lot of times, it takes a lot of convincing to show people that there are other ways of approaching a problem and handling a work situation.   Michael Hingson ** 29:27 One of the common things that we as blind people face, and it happens in schools and so on, is, Oh, you don't need to learn braille that's outmoded. You can listen to books that are computer generated or recorded and so on. And the reality is, no we need to learn braille for the same reason the sighted people learn to read print, and that is, it's all about learning to spell. It's learning about sentence structure and so on, and it's learning about having better ways to be able to truly enter. Interact with the text as I tell people, I don't care what anyone says, you will not learn physics as well from recordings as you can by truly having access to everything in a braille book, because you can refer back easier, and they've done some improvements in recording, but it's still not the same as what you get when you do Braille, which is the same thing for you reading print, or any other sighted person reading print. You read that print because there are various reasons why you need to do that, as opposed to learning how to just listen to books recorded anyway,   Ken Kunken ** 30:36 right? Well, I had the added misfortune of being injured well before they had laptop   Michael Hingson ** 30:41 computers. Yeah, me too. Well, I yeah, not. I wasn't injured, but yeah,   Ken Kunken ** 30:46 right. So trying to do my schoolwork or later work at a job, you know, it posed even more challenges. Now, of course, having ebooks and being able to use a computer, it's made a big difference, not just for me, but for many individuals.   Michael Hingson ** 31:04 Sure, do you use like programs like Dragon Naturally Speaking to interact with the computer?   Ken Kunken ** 31:10 You know, I tried that, and I had a lot of difficulty with it. I know you need to train it. And when I first tried it, which was in its infancy, it just wasn't responding well to my voice, so I don't use that. I've been fortunate with that with advancements in wheelchairs, my wheelchair now has a Bluetooth device connected to my joystick, and I could actually move my left arm a little bit where I could work the joystick and move the mouse on my computer, moving my joystick. You   Michael Hingson ** 31:45 really might want to look into dragon again. It is just so incredibly different than it was years ago. I remember when Dragon Dictate first came out, and all of the challenges of it, but they have done so much work in developing the language models that it's it's a whole lot better than it used to be, and, yeah, you have to train it. But training isn't all that hard nowadays, even by comparison to what it was, and it gives you a lot of flexibility. And I am absolutely certain it would recognize your voice without any difficulty?   Ken Kunken ** 32:22 Well, it's good to hear that they've made those advancements,   Michael Hingson ** 32:26 and it's not nearly as expensive as it used to be, either. Well, that's good   Ken Kunken ** 32:30 to hear. I know when I first tried it, it was incredibly frustrating, yeah, because it wasn't responding well to my voice, and   Michael Hingson ** 32:38 it was like $1,500 as I recall, it was pretty expensive right now, it's maybe two or $300 and there's also a legal version of it and other things like that. Yeah, you really ought to try it. You might find it makes a big difference. It's worth exploring Anyway, okay, but be that as it may, so you you dealt with people's perceptions, and how did you, as you continue to encounter how people behave towards you, how did you keep from allowing that to embitter you or driving you crazy?   Ken Kunken ** 33:15 Well, you know, certainly at work, I needed to go in a jacket and tie, and I found that when you're wearing a jacket and tie, many people treated you differently than when you're just wearing street clothes. So I think that certainly helped that work. But I later became a supervisor in the district attorney's office, and people saw that, you know, not only could they talk with me on an intellectual level, but they saw I was supervising other assistant district attorneys, and I think that convinced a lot of people pretty quickly that I knew what I was doing and that they should treat me no different than they would any other lawyer, Assistant District Attorney.   Michael Hingson ** 33:59 Yeah, well, and it is projecting that confidence in a in a positive way that does make such a big difference,   Ken Kunken ** 34:08 absolutely. And I think when people saw me at work, one of the things that I appreciated was I never even needed to mention again that somebody with a disability could work, and not just at an entry level position, that a very responsible position. I was convinced them, just by showing them, without ever having to mention that somebody with a disability could do this kind of work.   Michael Hingson ** 34:35 I never bring it up unless it comes up, and a lot of times, especially when talking on the phone and so on, it never comes up. I've had times when people eventually met me, and of course, were themselves, somewhat amazed. I'm a blind person and all that I said, nothing's changed here, folks. The reality is that the same guy I was when you were just talking to me on the phone. So let's move forward. Word. And mostly people got it and and dealt with it very well.   Ken Kunken ** 35:08 Well, I used to have a lot of people, when they meet me for the first time, were very surprised to see that I was in a wheelchair. I never would say, Boy, you didn't sound like you were disabled. Yeah, right. And I think they were very surprised when they met me.   Michael Hingson ** 35:23 I've had some people who've said that to me, Well, you didn't sound blind on the telephone. And so depending on how snarky I feel or not, I might say, Well, what does a blind person sound like? And that generally tends to stop them, because the reality is, what does a blind person sound like? It doesn't mean anything at all, and it's really their attitudes that need to change. And I know as a keynote speaker for the last 23 years, just by doing the things that I do, and talking and communicating with people, it is also all about helping to change attitudes, which is a lot of fun.   Ken Kunken ** 36:03 You know, Michael, when I first went back to college, I was approached by a student on campus, and when he asked if I was Ken kunken, and I responded that I was, he asked, aren't you supposed to be in the hospital? Now, you know, I was very tempted to say yes, but I escaped. Please don't tell anyone. But you know, it even took a while to just show people, somebody with a disability does not need to be permanently in a rehab facility or a hospital or staying at home with their families, that there's an awful lot somebody could do and to be seen out in public and show people that you can work, you can go to school, you can do basically what everybody else does once you're given the opportunity.   Michael Hingson ** 36:55 Of course, being spiteful, my response would have been, well, yeah, I should still be in the hospital doing brain surgery, but I decided that I didn't want to be a doctor because I didn't have any patients, so I decided to take a different career, right? Oh, people, yeah, what do you do? And we all face it, but the reality is, and I believe very firmly and have have thought this way for a long time, that like it or not, we're teachers, and we do need to teach people, and we need to take that role on, and it can be difficult sometimes, because you can lose patience, depending on what kind of questions people ask and so on. But the reality is, we are teachers, and our job is to teach, and we can make that a very fun thing to do as we move forward, too.   Ken Kunken ** 37:44 You know, Michael, I found most people really want to be helpful. Yeah, a lot of times they don't know how to be helpful or how to go about it, or what to say or what to do, but most people are really good people that want to help. And you know, the more they come in contact with somebody with a disability, the more comfortable they will feel   Michael Hingson ** 38:04 right, and they'll learn to ask if you want help, and they won't make the assumption, which is, of course, the whole point.   Ken Kunken ** 38:14 You know, Michael, when you leave the job the district attorney's office, you would go through what they call an exit interview, where they would ask you what you thought was the best part of the job, what you thought could be improved. And I'm so happy and proud to say that I was told that a number of assistant district attorneys said that one of the best parts of their job was meeting and getting to know and working with me. And the reason why I wanted to highlight that was I know they weren't talking about me being Ken kunken, but me being somebody with a disability. Because unless they had a close relative with a disability, people rarely came in daily contact with somebody with a disability, and for them, it was often a revelation that they found helped motivate and inspire them to work harder in their job, and they were very appreciative of that,   Michael Hingson ** 39:12 but they also learned that the disability wasn't what defined you. What defined you was you and your personality and what you did not necessarily exactly how you   Ken Kunken ** 39:24 did it, absolutely. And I think it was also a revelation that working with me did not involve additional work for them, right? I was able to carry my own weight, and often was more productive than many of the people I was working with. Right?   Michael Hingson ** 39:42 Well, and I think that's a very crucial point about the whole thing. When you became a lawyer, did that change your view of yourself? I mean, I know it was a kind of an evolution that got you to being a lawyer. But how did becoming a lawyer and when go. Answer, and getting the law degree and then working in a law office. How did that change your perceptions and your attitudes and outlook?   Ken Kunken ** 40:06 You know, it really changed it a great deal, because I had people look at me with a very different eye when they were looking at me. You know, I enjoyed my work as a vocational rehabilitation counselor very much. And I encourage people to do that work. But I felt that there were people that looked at me and thought, you know, he has a disability. Maybe he could only work with other people had disabilities. And I was very proud of the fact that when I became a lawyer, I was working with very few people that had disabilities. Most of them were able bodied. And I wanted to show people that you're not limited in any way with who you're going to work with and what you could do. And I think it's so important for people to keep their perceptions high, their expectations high when they're dealing with individuals, because just because somebody has a disability does not mean they cannot perform and do as much as virtually anybody else on the job   Michael Hingson ** 41:14 well, and you clearly continue to have high expectations of and for you, but also I would suspect that the result was you had high expectations for those around you as well. You helped them shape what they did, and by virtue of the way you functioned, you helped them become better people as well.   Ken Kunken ** 41:38 Well, I certainly tried to and from the feedback that I've gotten from many of the people I worked with, that seemed to be the case, and I'm very proud of that. In fact, I might add Michael that two years ago, the district attorney, now her name is Ann Donnelly, actually started an award in the district attorney's office that's given out annually that they named the Kenneth J kunken award. They named it for me because they wanted to recognize and honor the outstanding Assistant District Attorney each year who displayed the work ethic and the loyalty and devotion to the office as well the person in the wheelchair, right? And I'm very proud of that,   Michael Hingson ** 42:25 but I will bet, and I'm not trying to mitigate it, but I will bet that mostly that award came about because of the things that you did and your work ethic, and that the wheelchair aspect of it was really somewhat second nature. And far down the list,   Ken Kunken ** 42:41 I'm very proud of the fact that that seems to be the case and and one of the aspects of that award was they talked about the effect that I had on my colleagues, and the beneficial effect that that was Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 42:56 because the reality is, it ultimately comes down to who you are and what you do and and I'm not, and again, I'm not mitigating being in a wheelchair or having any kind of disability, but I really, truly believe ultimately the disability isn't what is not what defines us, it's how we are and what we do and how we behave in society that really will be what helps us make a mark on whatever we're involved with,   Ken Kunken ** 43:28 right? And I think for some, as I say, it was a revelation to see that somebody with a disability had the same needs, wants and desires as everybody else. We were certainly no different with respect to that right.   Michael Hingson ** 43:43 So how long did you work as a lawyer and in the district attorney's office?   Ken Kunken ** 43:49 Well, I worked there full time for more than 33 years, and then I worked there in a part time capacity for an additional eight years. So all told, more than 40 years I worked there, and in fact, I'm one of the longest serving Nassau County assistant district attorneys that they've ever had.   Michael Hingson ** 44:09 Now, why did you go back to part time after 33 years?   Ken Kunken ** 44:15 Well, there are a number of reasons. You know, I I thought that due to some health issues, I wanted to play it safe and make sure that I locked in my pension, because I thought there would be a bigger payout if I retired while I was still working than if I died while I was working on the job. As it turned out, my health issue seemed to resolve itself, but I decided that, you know, retiring, when I did, gave me some more time to spend at home with my family, and I really appreciated being able to do that.   Michael Hingson ** 44:53 That's a very admirable thing. Can't complain about that. So what keeps you going?   Ken Kunken ** 45:00 What keeps me going now is my family. Just so your listeners know, I'm married to the wonderful woman that's actually sitting to my right right now. My name is Anna, and we're actually the parents of triplet sons. We have three incredible boys, Joseph, James and Timothy. They're now 20 years old, and they're currently sophomores at three separate colleges in upstate New York, and they're the light of my life. I couldn't be more proud. And they're what keeps me going these days.   Michael Hingson ** 45:33 What colleges?   Ken Kunken ** 45:36 Well, James is going to the State University of New York at Morrisville, where he's studying renewable energy. Timothy is pursuing a dual major at the SI Newhouse School of Communications in the Maxwell School of Public Policy at Syracuse University. And my son Joseph is actually attending my alma mater, Cornell University, where he's majoring in mechanical engineering.   Michael Hingson ** 46:06 And do they all go watch football games on the weekend? I mean, given the fact that least a couple of those are at schools with good football   Ken Kunken ** 46:13 teams, right? But you know what? They never wanted anything to do with football. But they are all physically active, in great shape, and in fact, all of them have pursued the martial arts, and all three of them are second degree black belts in Taekwondo. And they've all even worked as instructors in the Taekwondo studio here in Long Island.   Michael Hingson ** 46:35 So dad has to be careful, though they'll take you out, huh?   Ken Kunken ** 46:39 You bet. In fact, I've got my own three personal bodyguards when   Michael Hingson ** 46:43 I got right, you can't do better than that. And and Anna, which I'll bet is more formidable than all of them   Ken Kunken ** 46:53 on, is incredible. I mean, she is just a force that is unstoppable. She's incredible.   Michael Hingson ** 47:01 Well, that's cool all the way around, and it's, it's great that you, you have a good neighborhood around you to support you, and I think we all need that. That's that's pretty important to to deal with. So with your job and all that, now that you are retired, I don't know whether you have much stress in your life, but how do you deal with stress? And how does stress affect you and or does it make any difference with a disability?   Ken Kunken ** 47:30 It sure does. It's an interesting question, because before my injury, one of the ways I would deal with stress would be out of the football field, yeah, you know, being physically active, running into an individual, you know, to tackle or block, that was a great way to relieve some of my stress. Once I had my injury, I no longer had that outlet, so I had to find different ways of dealing with it. One of my ways was, you know, trying to sit outside and sit in the garden or by water and, you know, just enjoy nature and try and relax and clear my mind. But now my best stress relievers are my three children. I'm spending time with them, watching all that they're doing. I find that the best way of me to be able to relax and relieve any anxieties that I have?   Michael Hingson ** 48:23 Well, I think there's a lot of value in doing things that keep you calm and focused. I think that is the best way to deal with stress. All too often, we don't think or be introspective about ourselves and our lives, and we don't really step back and get rid of that stress mentally, and that's where it really all comes from. I mean, I know people have physical manifestations of stress and so on, but I would submit that typically, stress is so much more an emotional thing because we haven't learned how to deal with it, and you clearly have   Ken Kunken ** 49:02 it took a while, but yeah, now I have my family to help every step of the way, and that includes relieving the stress that I've under.   Michael Hingson ** 49:10 Yeah, and stress is important to get rid of and not have around. It will help you live a whole lot longer not to have stress I just went through a week ago and op was, you know, an operation to change a heart valve. And people keep asking me, well, Weren't you worried? Weren't you stressed over that? And my answer was, No, I had no control over it really happening to my knowledge, I don't think that I've been a very poor eater, and all of my arteries and everything were good. And so no, I wasn't stressed, even when I first learned that there was an issue and wasn't an emergency room for over 24 hours, mostly sitting around, I chose not to be stressed, and it was a choice. And so I just listened to things around me and became quite entertained at some of the people. People who were in the emergency room with me, but being stressed wasn't going to do anything to help the process at all. So I refuse to get stressed.   Ken Kunken ** 50:09 That's great. And you know, I think this finally retiring has helped me deal with stress as well, because working as an assistant district attorney, there can be a lot of stressful situations in the office, and it's, it's nice to finally be retired and be able to enjoy all of my activities outside of the office.   Michael Hingson ** 50:33 What would you say is probably the most stressful thing that you had to endure as an attorney? You were, I mean, you did this for 40 years, or almost 40 years? So what? Well, actually, yeah, for 40 years. So what would you say is the most stressful thing that you ever had to deal with?   Ken Kunken ** 50:50 Well, I had to rely on, you know, my memory, because it was difficult for me even turning pages of a book or pulling, you know, pieces of paper out of a file, and there was a lot of paperwork that you get to be familiar with, whether they be grand jury testimony or prior witness statements. And I had to rely a lot of my memory and through the help of student interns or paralegals or secretaries, and it was very difficult. And I might add, you know, just to give you one anecdote, one day after I had convicted a defendant of, you know, felony, you know, he was a person with a lot of prior involvement with the criminal justice system, and I was about to go down for his sentencing, he jumped in the elevator with me, and now we're alone in the elevator riding down, and here I am with this person that I convicted of a serious case, and I'm about to recommend that he go to an upstate prison. And he approaches me and says, I have a proposition for you. If you don't send me to jail, I'll agree to work as your personal care attendant for a year, which really struck me as odd. I mean, he must have thought that working for me for a year would be the equivalent of going to prison for a few years. But fortunately, the elevator door opened and I politely turned down his request and went to court, and he was sentenced to two to four years in an upstate prison.   Michael Hingson ** 52:28 Still was creative,   52:30 right?   Michael Hingson ** 52:33 So in all of your life and all the things you've done, what are you most proud   Ken Kunken ** 52:36 of, well, but definitely most proud of my family life? I mean, as I indicated, I'm married now, married for more than 21 years now, my three boys are sophomores in college and doing absolutely great, and make me proud every single day. But I'm proud of the fact that I was able to go back to school, complete my education and work at a job and earn a living where I was able to support myself and able to purchase a house and live now with my wife and children and lead as just about as normal a life as any other family would lead.   Michael Hingson ** 53:18 Now being married to Ana is that your first marriage? It sure is. So there we go. Well, I hear you and but you guys met late, and I'm going to step out on a limb and say it proves something that I've always felt, which is, you'll get married when the right person comes along, especially if you're mature enough to recognize it,   Ken Kunken ** 53:41 you're right. And I was very fortunate that the right person came along in my life, and we have a very happy marriage that I cannot picture life without him right now,   Michael Hingson ** 53:56 my wife and I got married when I was 32 she was 33 but we knew what we wanted in a partner, and when we first met each other, it just sort of clicked right from the beginning. We met in January of 1982 and in July, I asked her to marry me, and we got married in November of 1982 and so we were married for 40 years before she passed. And you know, there are always challenges, but, but you deal with it. So it must have been really an interesting time and an interesting life, suddenly discovering you have three boy triplets.   Ken Kunken ** 54:31 You know, it really was well, you know, when I decided to get married, she told me that she wanted to have my baby, and not just any baby my baby, she said she wanted to see a little pumpkin running around our home. And this really seemed impossible at the time. I had been paralyzed for more than 30 years, and I was already in my 50s, but we looked into various options, including in vitro fertilization and. And we're very excited, excited to learn we could still, I could still father a child. So we pursued it. And you know, through good fortune, good luck, and I guess somebody smiling on us from above, Anna became pregnant with triplets, and I couldn't be happier to have these three wonderful boys in my life.   Michael Hingson ** 55:21 So did becoming a father change you? Or how did you evolve? When that all happened,   Ken Kunken ** 55:26 it sure did. I mean, you know, it went from me being number one in honors life to suddenly being number four after all, three boys got the attention they needed, but it was wonderful for me to be able to help shape their lives and guide them so that they would develop the right character and values and learn the importance of helping others throughout their lives, which they do, and It's I think it's made me a better person, being able to help and guide them. That's cool.   Michael Hingson ** 56:07 Well, the the other thing I would ask is, if you had a chance to go back and talk to a younger Ken, what would you say? What would you teach them so that they would maybe make mistakes that you made?   Ken Kunken ** 56:18 Well, I'd say there's an awful lot you could still do in life, even without your physical movement, and sometimes it takes a lot of patience and a lot of self reflection, but to realize there's an awful lot you can do and that they need to keep their expectations high for themselves as well as for others, and to realize that just because something has not been done before doesn't mean they cannot do it now. They've got to find different ways of approaching problems and handling it and developing some self confidence in themselves and their ability to deal with difficult situations.   Michael Hingson ** 57:03 How did the Americans with Disabilities Act improve all that you did and make your life, especially on the job, better?   Ken Kunken ** 57:12 Well, it, you know, made facilities so much more accessible. When I first went back to college, there was not one ramp or curb cut on the entire campus. On my first day back in school, I had to be either pulled up or bounced down close to 100 steps just to attend my classes, and as I indicated, in the DAs office, I couldn't even fit through the swinging doorways to get in the courtroom. So it made it tremendously easier to not have to deal with all the physical challenges, but it also made it better for dealing with other people and their attitudes about dealing with people with disabilities, because thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act, you see more people with disabilities out in public. So people are more used to seeing, dealing, interacting with people, and seeing what they can do and that they're just like everybody else. And as a result, people's attitudes have been changing, and I think that's helped me as well, in many different ways.   Michael Hingson ** 58:20 Cool, well, you have written a book about all of this. Tell me about the book.   Ken Kunken ** 58:27 Okay, I actually started writing a book when I was still in the rehab facility. Not long after I was hurt, a friend of my aunt Lorraine's by the name of Albert meglan visited me in the hospital and thought that one it may help me deal with my depression by talking about what I was going through, but also inform other individuals what a spinal cord injury was like and what's involved with rehabilitation. So he used to visit me in the rehab facility one day a week for a number of weeks for me to start writing a book about my experiences. And then when I went back to school, I started working on it on my own, but I would pick it up and stop and start and stop again over the course of 50 years. And then once I retired, I had more time to sit down with my wife, and I would dictate to her, and she would type it on her laptop computer until we finally finished my memoir, which is called I dream of things that never were, the Ken kunken story, and it's published by a company called 12 tables Press, and they could learn more about my book by going on my website, which is kenkunkin.com and I might add that where I got the title of my book was six months after my injury. I was asked to testify before a United States Health subcommittee chaired by Senate. Senator Edward Kennedy. And eight days after my testimony, Senator Kennedy sent me a glass paperweight in the mail that had an inscription on it that the senator said his late brother Robert Kennedy liked very much. And the inscription read, some men see things as they are and say, Why I dream of things that never were. And say, why not? And that's where I got the title of my book. I dream of things that never were.   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:28 Yeah, that's cool. And where can people get the book?   Ken Kunken ** 1:00:35 Well, it's available on Amazon. It's also available at the Cornell bookstore, and if they go on my website, Ken kunken.com spellkin For me, please. It's K U N, as in Nancy. K e n that tells of a number of ways that they could purchase the book, both the hardcover book, it's also available as a Kindle version as an e book, and just recently, we put it out as an audio book as well. And they could learn all about it by going to the website, but certainly it's available on Amazon. If they wanted to order in bulk, they could contact my publisher directly, and he could help them fulfill that type of order. Cool.   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:22 That is great. So now the real question is, are there any more books in Ken to come out?   Ken Kunken ** 1:01:28 Well, this book took me 50 years to I know you got to go a little bit faster. So no, I think I wrote down everything that I wanted to convey to people in that book, and now I'm actively just promoting the book like you. I've spoken at a number of different events as a motivational speaker, and you know, the book has given me a way to get m

X: @JayRuderman @americasrt1776 @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk Join America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio co-hosts Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy with Jay Ruderman, the President of the Ruderman Family Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, Jay's career began in law as an Assistant District Attorney in Salem, Massachusetts. Jay Ruderman is the author of the new book which was released recently titled “Find Your Fight: Make Your Voice Heard for the Causes That Matter Most” (Greenleaf Book Group Press). Jay Ruderman has focused his life's work on advancing empowerment for individuals - by advocating for people with disabilities worldwide, and educating Israeli leaders on the American Jewish Community. As President of the Ruderman Family Foundation, his ambitious approach has led the Foundation to become a leader in this vital arena and disability rights advocacy both nationally and in Israel. americasrt.com (https://americasrt.com/) https://summitleadersusa.com/ | https://jerusalemleaderssummit.com/ America's Roundtable on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-roundtable/id1518878472 X: @JayRuderman @americasrt1776 @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk America's Roundtable is co-hosted by Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy, co-founders of International Leaders Summit and the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio program - a strategic initiative of International Leaders Summit, focuses on America's economy, healthcare reform, rule of law, security and trade, and its strategic partnership with rule of law nations around the world. The radio program features high-ranking US administration officials, cabinet members, members of Congress, state government officials, distinguished diplomats, business and media leaders and influential thinkers from around the world. Tune into America's Roundtable Radio program from Washington, DC via live streaming on Saturday mornings via 68 radio stations at 7:30 A.M. (ET) on Lanser Broadcasting Corporation covering the Michigan and the Midwest market, and at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk Mississippi — SuperTalk.FM reaching listeners in every county within the State of Mississippi, and neighboring states in the South including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. Tune into WTON in Central Virginia on Sunday mornings at 6:00 A.M. (ET). Listen to America's Roundtable on digital platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Google and other key online platforms. Listen live, Saturdays at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk | https://www.supertalk.fm

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the Embracing "Only" podcast, we are featuring one of the most impactful moments from episode 30 with guest Sanhita Sen. How do you stay true to your values in corporate systems that resist change? Sanhita is sharing insight on navigating identity, power, and purpose in corporate environments.Sanhita is an experienced Assistant District Attorney with a demonstrated history of working in the law practice industry. She has a Doctor of Law from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. This episode is just a short snippet that highlights the best and most powerful learning moment from a past episode. You can listen to the full episode (filled with more wisdom) here: Episode 30: Choosing to Challenge Systemic Racism in the U.S Justice System with Curiosity And Kindness.Key Discussion Points:00:59 Moving Beyond Surface-Level Diversity: We need to stop running from real conversations about power and privilege, and instead confront them honestly and intentionally.05:01 Staying True to Your Values Within the System: You do not have to dedicate your life to the downfall of capitalism; rather, you can choose to act intentionally in the systems you live in.03:35 The Social Networking Aspect to Dismantling Racism: People are more likely to change when ideas have been introduced to them by a friend.10:29 Making Space for Less Privileged Voices:  You can use your privilege and platform to make room for voices that don't naturally have access to that privilege. In Summary: Sanhita Sen encourages those more privileged to use that power to amplify marginalized voices. She explains that investing in imagination is the only way to create a more inclusive future.Resources from this episode:Follow Sanhita on LinkedIn. If you happen to be a woman of color and you are looking for a community of like minded women, join Olivia here: https://www.mysistersshoulders.com/ Ready to make a change?→ If you are struggling to navigate your corporate career but are ambitious and have goals you want to accomplish quickly, Olivia is the coach for you. She can help you reach your goals. Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit oliviacream.com.→ If you are ready to transition out of Corporate and want to start building a profitable portfolio career as a business owner, board member or more, but you're unsure of the next steps, Archita can guide you through a successful transition to entrepreneurship.Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit architafritz.com.Connect with your hosts:Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website.Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website.Follow Embracing Only on Ready to make a change?→ Struggling with your corporate career but have big goals? Reach out to Olivia on LinkedIn or visit oliviacream.com.→ Ready to leave corporate or start a side venture? Archita can guide your next steps.Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit architafritz.com.

"It was the most horrific crime ever to come before this Court,” said the Judge. A renowned forensic pathologist shouted from the witness stand, “Torture!” when describing the beating three-year-old Kyson Rice took at the hands of a 6-foot 3-inch, 240-pound monster. Read the account of an ambulance team desperately trying to keep a badly beaten boy alive and a high-risk arrest by a well-equipped professionally trained police force to take down a murderer. Follow in the footsteps of four investigators who reached as far as Arizona to gather information. Relive the courtroom drama as a seasoned District Attorney and a skilled Assistant District Attorney forge a compelling case in which there were no witnesses, no weapons, and a questionable motive. Follow the longest trial in Monroe County Court history, with the most witnesses ever to testify, often leaving the jury in tears. Read the heartbreaking account of a mother and community losing a loving, intelligent, and happy youngster to a painful and excruciating death at the hands of a cowardly psychopath who refused to accept responsibility for torturing Kyson to death. Author Larry Scheckel joins me to discuss, MURDER IN A SMALL TOWN: The Kyson Rice Case—Larry Scheckel  Follow and comment on Facebook-TRUE MURDER: The Most Shocking Killers in True Crime History https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064697978510Check out TRUE MURDER PODCAST @ truemurderpodcast.com

Send us a textWhat happens when a football tackle changes everything? Ken Kunken's life pivoted dramatically in 1970 when he broke his neck during a Cornell University football game, leaving him almost completely paralyzed from the shoulders down. Doctors delivered a devastating prognosis—they didn't expect him to survive the week. If he did, they predicted a shortened life in a nursing home.Ken refused to accept these limitations. Just eleven days after hospital discharge, he returned to Cornell—navigating a campus with no wheelchair accessibility—and became the first quadriplegic to graduate from the university. This was merely the beginning of his boundary-breaking journey.Through raw, honest conversation, Ken shares how he earned two master's degrees and faced crushing employment discrimination despite his impressive credentials. When over 200 job applications went unanswered, he finally found opportunity at Abilities Inc., counseling others with disabilities. But Ken wasn't finished redefining possibility—he graduated from law school and spent over 40 years as an Assistant District Attorney, even though he couldn't initially fit through the courtroom doors in his wheelchair.Perhaps most powerfully, Ken opens up about finding love later in life and becoming a father to triplet sons through in vitro fertilization. Now in their twenties and attending prestigious universities, his sons represent the life Ken was told would be impossible.Throughout our conversation, Ken's philosophy shines through: "Just because something has not been done before doesn't mean you cannot do it now." His memoir, "I Dream of Things That Never Were," captures this spirit of relentless possibility. Whether you're facing challenges or simply need inspiration, Ken's story proves that with determination and support, extraordinary achievements are possible regardless of physical limitations.Subscribe to Glass Half Full for more conversations that challenge assumptions and celebrate the resilience of the human spirit.Please reach Ken: www.kenkunken.com,  kennethkunken@gmail.com. Also, is via messenger connected to facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ken.kunken/) Support the show

RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - On this month’s Rutherford County District Attorney’s Show, host J. Paul Newman—retired Assistant District Attorney—guides list

PODCAST: On this episode of The District Attorney's Show, host J. Paul Newman—retired Assistant District Attorney for Rutherford County—dives into the world of col

In this episode of The Ethics Experts, Nick welcomes Steven Robinson. Steven Robinson (CIPP/US, CIPP/E, CIPT, FIP, AI Security & Governance) is the former Chief Privacy Officer and Associate General Counsel at Ricoh USA, Inc., where he led technology transactions teams and supported U.S.-based technology development, privacy, security, and compliance teams. In that role, he spearheaded AI, privacy, and compliance policy development and provided comprehensive legal support for new technology initiatives. Mr. Robinson came to Ricoh as the Chief Legal Officer of mindSHIFT Technologies, Inc., when Ricoh acquired it. He began his career as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan DA's Office. https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenhrobinson/ https://stevenhrobinson.substack.com/

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Attorney Tessie D. Edwards. Tessie D. Edwards & Associates, P.C. is a local, family-owned law firm that has been serving the Atlanta, GA, community for over 15 years. Our attorneys enthusiastically represent their clients and bring extensive experience. We strive to provide personalized, affordable legal services with special discounts for military personnel and first responders. Tessie D. Edwards fights to find the right solutions for families in crisis. With her years of experience as a prosecutor, attorneys respect Tessie as an aggressive advocate who can achieve clients’ objectives. Clients see her compassionate side, where she and her team take the time to listen and understand the situation entirely.With a passion for justice, Tessie started her career in criminal law, serving as an Assistant Solicitor General in Clayton County and an Assistant District Attorney in Fulton County. She prosecuted over 2,000 cases involving a variety of offenses, including crimes of family violence. Over time, her zeal to help children and families drew her toward the practice of family law. She strives to help families recognize how to put the best interests of their children at the forefront and to find solutions that meet the needs of the family while still fulfilling legal requirements demanded by the courts.Tessie leads a team that understands the nuances of family law and how courts apply statutory guidelines and legal precedents to reach their decisions. They find alternative methods of helping clients get what they want while protecting the overall needs of the family. #BEST #STRAW #SHMS Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Attorney Tessie D. Edwards. Tessie D. Edwards & Associates, P.C. is a local, family-owned law firm that has been serving the Atlanta, GA, community for over 15 years. Our attorneys enthusiastically represent their clients and bring extensive experience. We strive to provide personalized, affordable legal services with special discounts for military personnel and first responders. Tessie D. Edwards fights to find the right solutions for families in crisis. With her years of experience as a prosecutor, attorneys respect Tessie as an aggressive advocate who can achieve clients’ objectives. Clients see her compassionate side, where she and her team take the time to listen and understand the situation entirely.With a passion for justice, Tessie started her career in criminal law, serving as an Assistant Solicitor General in Clayton County and an Assistant District Attorney in Fulton County. She prosecuted over 2,000 cases involving a variety of offenses, including crimes of family violence. Over time, her zeal to help children and families drew her toward the practice of family law. She strives to help families recognize how to put the best interests of their children at the forefront and to find solutions that meet the needs of the family while still fulfilling legal requirements demanded by the courts.Tessie leads a team that understands the nuances of family law and how courts apply statutory guidelines and legal precedents to reach their decisions. They find alternative methods of helping clients get what they want while protecting the overall needs of the family. #BEST #STRAW #SHMS See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Attorney Tessie D. Edwards. Tessie D. Edwards & Associates, P.C. is a local, family-owned law firm that has been serving the Atlanta, GA, community for over 15 years. Our attorneys enthusiastically represent their clients and bring extensive experience. We strive to provide personalized, affordable legal services with special discounts for military personnel and first responders. Tessie D. Edwards fights to find the right solutions for families in crisis. With her years of experience as a prosecutor, attorneys respect Tessie as an aggressive advocate who can achieve clients’ objectives. Clients see her compassionate side, where she and her team take the time to listen and understand the situation entirely.With a passion for justice, Tessie started her career in criminal law, serving as an Assistant Solicitor General in Clayton County and an Assistant District Attorney in Fulton County. She prosecuted over 2,000 cases involving a variety of offenses, including crimes of family violence. Over time, her zeal to help children and families drew her toward the practice of family law. She strives to help families recognize how to put the best interests of their children at the forefront and to find solutions that meet the needs of the family while still fulfilling legal requirements demanded by the courts.Tessie leads a team that understands the nuances of family law and how courts apply statutory guidelines and legal precedents to reach their decisions. They find alternative methods of helping clients get what they want while protecting the overall needs of the family. #BEST #STRAW #SHMS Steve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As part of our series, “A World Beyond Revenge” on Restorative Justice, today's episode features Yoana Tchoukleva. She is an attorney, community organizer and restorative justice practitioner. She has held dozens of restorative justice accountability processes, both inside of carceral institutions and in the community. Most recently, she served as Assistant District Attorney in the San Francisco District Attorney's Office where she expanded access to Restorative Justice Diversion for youth and adults facing felony charges. Currently, she teaches Restorative Justice Diversion at UC Berkeley School of Law, leads a new reentry project at Impact Justice, and supports many movements for change. Yoana received her JD from Berkeley Law and her BA in International Human Rights from the University of Chicago. You can email Yoana at ioanaq@gmail.com. You can reach out to her on Instagram @yoana.tch, and on LinkedIn. Please consider donating to Atunse Justice League through their fiscal sponsor Restorative Community Solutions, and to The Ahimsa Collective. Yoana would like to give special thanks to Sujatha Baliga, Shilpa Jain, Zakee Hutchison and Jonathan Bradley. When not working, Yoana serves as an elected delegate to the California Democratic Party, Vice Chair of the Oakland Public Safety and Services Oversight Commission (SSOC), and Legislation Committee Co-Chair of the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee. She lives in Oakland on unceded Ohlone land and loves to dance.Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits Content/Trigger Warnings: crime, assault, justice, incarceration, explicit languageLINK TO OUR LISTENER SURVEY! We've come up with a short audience survey, which you can find linked in our show notes and in the bio of our Instagram page @actuallyhappening. We'd love to hear your opinions and feedback, and we'd really appreciate your point of view. Link below:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfxV-6qeNAOuIAbBnuSJpoyqE3tlvusxb069dZCUC1RWeLfEg/viewform Social Media:Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcast Website: thisisactuallyhappening.com Website for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happening Wondery Plus: All episodes of the show prior to episode #130 are now part of the Wondery Plus premium service. To access the full catalog of episodes, and get all episodes ad free, sign up for Wondery Plus at wondery.com/plus Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: thisisactuallyhappening.com/shop to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop. Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com Intro Music: "Illabye" – Tipper ServicesIf you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources: National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988 National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sponsored by Harford County Health DepartmentIn this inspiring episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, we sit down with Kenneth Kunken, a man whose journey redefines resilience and determination. After a tragic football injury left him paralyzed in 1970, Ken refused to let his circumstances define him. He became the first quadriplegic to graduate from Cornell University, earned multiple Ivy League degrees, and went on to have an impressive 40-year career as an Assistant District Attorney. Ken shares how he transitioned from an aspiring engineer to a motivational speaker, disability advocate, and father of triplets—all while overcoming the odds. His memoir, I Dream of Things That Never Were: The Ken Kunken Story, details his incredible journey of breaking barriers and proving that a positive mindset and a strong support system can change everything. This episode is sponsored by the Harford County Health Department, promoting their free 12-month Diabetes Prevention Program, designed to help individuals manage weight, diet, stress, and physical activity. Learn more at HarfordCountyHealth.com/diabetes-prevention. https://kenkunken.com/ Sponsor Message:This episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett is proudly sponsored by the Harford County Health Department. Did you know that 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. is pre-diabetic, and most don't even know it? Taking charge of your health starts with awareness—and action. The Harford County Health Department's Diabetes Prevention Program is a FREE, 12-month program designed to help you:·         Lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle·  Send us a textHarford County Health DepartmentTo protect, promote, and improve the health, safety, and environment of Harford County residents.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showFollow the Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast on Social Media:Facebook – Conversations with Rich Bennett & Harford County LivingFacebook Group (Join the conversation) – Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast group | FacebookTwitter – Conversations with Rich Bennett & Harford County LivingInstagram – Harford County LivingTikTok – CWRB (@conversationsrichbennett) | TikTok Sponsors, Affiliates, and ways we pay the bills:Recorded at the Freedom Federal Credit Union StudiosHosted on BuzzsproutRocketbookSquadCast Contests & Giveaways Subscribe by Email ...

Send us a textIn this episode, Doyle Glass shares his unique journey from Assistant District Attorney to sculptor and author, exploring the importance of preserving military history through story-telling. He reflects on the roles of prosecutors, the heroism of veterans, and the significance of remembering and honoring those who have served.• Discusses the critical role of prosecutors and the legal system• Emphasizes the importance of chain of custody in prosecution• Shares personal reflections on the influence of the Alamo• Highlights transition from sculpting to writing• Explores challenges and approaches to interviewing veterans• Discusses the camaraderie and faith of Marines in combat• Urges listeners to remember and honor Vietnam veterans• Advocates for recording veteran stories for future generations• Highlights the lessons learned from military leadership and experiencesSupport the showMake sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo

In 1970, while a junior in Cornell University's College of Engineering, Ken Kunken broke his neck making a tackle on a kick-off in a lightweight football game against Columbia University. Ken sustained a spinal cord injury at the C 4-5 level, rendering him a quadriplegic, almost totally paralyzed from the shoulders down. Ken spent more than 9 months in various hospitals and rehabilitation facilities. While still a patient, Ken testified before a United States Senate Sub-Committee on Health Care, chaired by Senator Edward Kennedy.  In 1971, almost 20 years before the Americans with Disabilities Act, Ken returned to the Cornell campus, where he completed his undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering. Ken estimates that he had to be pulled up or bounced down close to 100 steps just to attend his first day of classes.  Ken is the first quadriplegic to graduate from Cornell University.  Upon graduation, Ken decided to change his career goal. He wanted to work with and help people, particularly those with disabilities. Ken went on to earn a Master of Arts degree at Cornell in education and a Master of Education degree at Columbia University in psychology. Ken is the first quadriplegic to earn a graduate degree from Cornell University.  In 1977, Ken was hired by Abilities Inc. in Albertson, NY to be its College Work Orientation Program Coordinator. Ken coordinated a program which provided educationally related work experiences for severely disabled college students. He also maintained a vocational counseling caseload of more than 20 severely disabled individuals.  While working at the Center, Ken became a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor and made numerous public presentations on non-discrimination, affirmative action and employment of the disabled. In 1977, Ken was named the Long Island Rehabilitation Associations “Rehabilitant of the Year” and in 1979 Ken was the subject of one of the Reverend Norman Vincent Peale's nationally syndicated radio broadcasts “The American Character”.  Wanting to accomplish still more, Ken enrolled in Hofstra University's School of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor degree in 1982. Ken then went to work as an assistant district attorney in Nassau County, Long Island.  Ken was promoted a number of times during his more than 40 years with the District Attorney's Office, eventually becoming one of the Deputy Bureau Chiefs of the County Court Trial Bureau, where he helped supervise more than 20 other assistant district attorneys. In addition, over his years working in the Office, Ken supervised more than 50 student interns.  In 1996 Ken received the Honorable Thomas E. Ryan, Jr. Award presented by the Court Officers Benevolent Association of Nassau County for outstanding and dedicated service as an Assistant District Attorney. In 1999, Ken was awarded the George M. Estabrook Distinguished Service Award presented by the Hofstra Alumni Association, Inc.  Beginning in 2005, for nine consecutive years, “The Ken Kunken Most Valuable Player Award” was presented annually by The Adirondack Trust Allegiance Bowl in Saratoga Springs, NY, in recognition of Ken's personal accomplishments, contributions to society and extraordinary courage.  In 2009, Ken became a member of the Board of Directors of Abilities Inc., and in 2017 he became a member of the Board of Directors for the parent company of Abilities Inc., the Viscardi Center.  In 2020, Ken was inducted into “The Susan M. Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame,” as a member of the class of 2019.  In March 2024, Ken was named one of the Long Island Business News Influencers in Law.  Ken retired from full-time employment in 2016, but continued to work with the District Attorney's Office for the next eight years in a part time capacity, providing continuing legal education lectures and litigation guidance.  For years, Ken has tried to inspire people to do more with their lives. In October 2023, Ken's memoir “I Dream of Things That Never Were: The Ken Kunken Story” was published.  In 2003 Ken married Anna and in 2005 they became the proud parents of triplet boys: Joey, Jimmy and Timmy. On June 23, 2023 the triplets graduated from Oceanside High School, fifty-five years after Ken had graduated from the same school. 3 Top Tips 1 . Try to improve your knowledge, your skills and your performance. Get the best education possible, and never stop learning. Don't be satisfied with the status quo.  2 . Strive to make the impossible, possible. Just because something has not been done before, does not mean that you cannot do it now.  3 . Find time to help others. Years from now be able to say that you did everything you possibly could to make not only your life, but the lives of those around you better as well. Social Media https://www.facebook.com/ken.kunken  https://www.instagram.com/ken.kunken/  https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Doyle Glass, author of the book Swift Sword. Doyle is an author, historian, and sculptor dedicated to honoring those who fought for freedom. He is a master at recounting true stories of brave men and women who were outnumbered and out-gunned but continued to battle toe-to-toe with ferocious opponents in war. Doyle Glass was born in Midland, Texas among the fifth generation of a pioneer ranching family who was raised with an appreciation for hard work, adventure, and honor. After earning degrees in history and law from Southern Methodist University, he completed law school and worked as an Assistant District Attorney in Texas. Later, he served as Assistant Attorney General in Kentucky, prosecuting some of the worst violent crimes in the state. In 2000, Glass turned to the arts as a way to tell stories of his childhood heroes. He conceived and sculpted a bronze statue of John Squires, who braved enemy fire to save others during WWII and received the Medal of Honor. The statue stands in downtown Louisville, Kentucky as a reminder of the sacrifices made by local citizens who fought and died for freedom. In 2008, Glass designed and sculpted the Texas Medal of Honor Memorial, dedicated to George O'Brien who earned the Medal of Honor during the Korean War. The memorial stands at the International Artillery Museum in Saint Jo, Texas as a symbol recognizing those who earned America's highest award for combat valor. Besides writing and sculpting, Glass' greatest pride is being a loving husband and father to his wife and three children where they reside in Dallas, Texas. In my book review, I stated I recently finished reading Swift Sword, and it's a book that I believe should be on everyone's TBR. I grew up during the Vietnam era, which meant that my history classes didn't cover the war. I only knew what little I paid attention to on the news. Swift Sword helped me see more than American protests and swash-buckling MASH-style soldiers that often depict this tragic war. This amazing book focuses on the Swift Operation and the Marines of Mike 3/5. Doyle did thorough research, taking the reader on a detailed journey of those days of fighting. But more than that, he helps us understand the patriotism, the longing, the hope, and the fear of these young men as they faced impossible challenges. As I finished the last page, I wondered how I would have fared in such a fight, and considered the resilience that pulled these soldiers through. Perhaps, like the men in Swift Sword, we all have that kind of strength within us.   Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1   Join the Novels N Latte Book Club community to discuss this and other books with like-minded readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3576519880426290   You can follow Author Doyle Glass Website: www.doyleglass.com FB: @doyleglassauthor IG: @doyle_glass_author   Purchase Swift Sword on Amazon: Paperback: https://amzn.to/4fqlMHL Ebook: https://amzn.to/4hTkfeV   Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor IG: @terimbrown_author X: @terimbrown1   #doyleglass #swiftsword #militaryhistory #vietnam #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview *As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

In this segment of The Mark Reardon Show, Mark is joined by Phil Holloway, a FOX News Legal Analyst and former Assistant District Attorney and Former Police Officer. They discuss the latest update from the jury in the Daniel Penny trial.

In hour 3 of The Mark Reardon Show, Mark is joined by In this segment of The Mark Reardon Show, Mark is joined by Phil Holloway, a FOX News Legal Analyst and former Assistant District Attorney and Former Police Officer. They discuss the latest update from the jury in the Daniel Penny trial. He is then joined by Garret Price, the Director and Co-Editor of "Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary", an HBO Original airing on MAX. They discuss the many aspect of the documentary and how it all came together. Mark wraps up the show with The Audio Cut of the Day.

In hour 1 of The Mark Reardon Show, Mark is joined by the Reardon Roundtable which includes Jane Dueker, John Lamping, and John Gaskin. They discuss the latest in the Daniel Penny trial, Biden pardoning Hunter, STL politics, and more. In hour 2, Ethan hosts, "Ethan's News" in place of Sue. They discuss Joe Burrow's latest crazy purchase, the latest music anniversaries and birthday's, and the random fact of the day. Mark is then joined by Paul Hall with Common Guy's Film Reviews. They discuss the latest trending movies and shows including "The Order", "Nightbitch", "The Madness", and more. He is then joined by KSDK Sports Director Frank Cusumano who previews Mizzou vs Kansas basketball this weekend, Mizzou Football's big National Signing Day, the Blues recent hot stretch, and more. In hour 3, Mark is joined by In this segment of The Mark Reardon Show, Mark is joined by Phil Holloway, a FOX News Legal Analyst and former Assistant District Attorney and Former Police Officer. They discuss the latest update from the jury in the Daniel Penny trial. He is then joined by Garret Price, the Director and Co-Editor of "Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary", an HBO Original airing on MAX. They discuss the many aspect of the documentary and how it all came together. Mark wraps up the show with The Audio Cut of the Day.

Interview with retired Special Agent Federal Bureau of Investigation Ann Kirkland.Years of Service: 1996-2022Growing up in Pennsylvania, Annie knew from an early age that she wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement. With encouragement from her father, she sought a goal to become a Special Agent with the FBI.After college, she received her law degree and became an Assistant District Attorney for Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, handling minor and major criminal cases. In 1996, she achieved her goal of becoming a Special Agent with the FBI and was assigned to the New York Division.During her career, Annie served different assignments, including the surveillance operations group, behavioral analysis coordinator, and adjunct faculty instructor for violent crime and crime scene management processing. Annie was assigned to the New York Division, Los Angeles Division, FBI Headquarters, Anchorage Division, and the Philadelphia Division.She was part of the evidence response team throughout her career, which took her throughout the country and world, investigating bombings, murders, and plane crashes. Annie had an affinity for investigating violent crime but developed a deep desire to pursue cases involving children who were the victims of crime. During her career, Annie worked on investigations including bank robbery, wire fraud, kidnapping, organized crime, narcotics, human trafficking, terrorism, homicide, and January 6th protesters for a brief time.

#STSNation! Welcome to Surviving the Survivor, the podcast that brings you the very #BestGuests in all of #TrueCrime. On Monday's episode, we take a deep dive into the newly unsealed arrest affidavit in the tragic case of Suzanne Simpson, the missing Texas mother of four. Her husband, Brad Simpson, now charged with her murder, allegedly left behind a trail of disturbing evidence. What does this evidence mean for Brad Simpson's defense? And how critical is the affidavit in proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt? #BestGuests: Gen. Mark Davidson started his career as a prosecutor straight out of law school in 1994 as an Assistant District Attorney in Tennessee He began prosecuting cases in Tipton County, and within a year became the one and only prosecutor in Lauderdale County. Gen. Davidson later went to work for the Tennessee Attorney General's Office handling criminal cases on appeal and eventually death penalty cases. He was able to return to the District Attorney's Office in 2011. He was then elected District Attorney in August of 2018. Det. Phil Ramos is a Retired Senior Homicide Detective with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept 35 years of service, last 15 years were in Homicide. Assignments included 12 years Undercover Detective in Narcotics and Organized Crimes details, Instructor in the Academy. Court Certified expert in Major Crimes Investigations, Undercover and Covert Operations , Interview and Interrogation Techniques , Evidence collection. 3-time  Officer of the Year Award . Native Las Vegan. Spent years trying infiltrate the Cuban mob and was there for Tupac's autopsy, confirming his death. Also loves riding his Harley

Walking away from this week's conversation I have a new theory:If time-machines existed, a lot of attorneys would still be trying their first case. We've talked before about how perfectionism runs deep in the legal profession, but the concept of Anxious Advocacy as a root cause for this trait is something I hadn't run across until preparing for this latest episode. It's also the reason for my time-machine theory. No matter if you win or lose, as a trial attorney, you are always doing a post-mortem on a case. Why didn't something work?What can be done better?What did we miss?And while those are valuable questions to ask, all attorneys, but especially young attorneys, can get so worried about what they might do wrong that they suddenly believe they can't do ANYTHING right.And while these are my words, not her's, I think Anxious Advocacy might best be described as a self-induced imposter syndrome. To talk about this and a whole lot more, I'm joined this week by Renée Pardo.A practicing attorney with over 25 years of trial experience in both the public and private sectors, she has been an Assistant District Attorney in both Texas and New York.And as of February 2024, she is also the founder of Renée Pardo Coaching which provides coaching for attorneys, particularly women, struggling with anxious advocacy, helping them to navigate new spaces and advocate for themselves.We talk about the challenges (both old and new) faced by women in the law, Renée's skeptical embrace of self-improvement models, and why lawyers in particular seem to fall for the illusion of control. Enjoy the Show

#STSNation, Welcome to Surviving The Survivor the podcast that brings you the best guests in true crime. Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted of the grisly 1989 shotgun murders of their parents, Jose and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez, at the family's sprawling Beverly Hills mansion. They've been in prison ever since. But, do they have a new shot at freedom? A major press conference is set for Wednesday October 16th about resentencing the brothers. #BestGuests: Gen. Mark Davidson started his career as a prosecutor straight out of law school in 1994 as an Assistant District Attorney in Tennessee He began prosecuting cases in Tipton County, and within a year became the one and only prosecutor in Lauderdale County. Gen. Davidson later went to work for the Tennessee Attorney General's Office handling criminal cases on appeal and eventually death penalty cases. He was able to return to the District Attorney's Office in 2011. He was then elected District Attorney in August of 2018. Chris Lomax is the Managing Attorney at Lomax Legal. He began his career with the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice over a decade ago, and soon established a stellar reputation for taking on and winning complex, difficult cases in jurisdictions across the nation. Chris investigated and successfully prosecuted law enforcement officers who violated people's Constitutional rights, as well as individuals who committed hate crimes and human trafficking offenses. Josh Ritter is a criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles, host of Courtroom Confidential and an Award Winning Former Prosecutor. Support the show:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SurvivingTheSurvivorYouTube: Surviving The Survivor: #BestGuests in True Crime - YouTubeJoel's Book: Https://www.amazon.com/shop/surviving...Website: https://survivingthesurvivor.comAll Things STS: https://linktr.ee/stspodcast  #MenendezBrothers #TrueCrime #LyleMenendez #ErikMenendez #Menudo #BoyBand #PrisonLife #TrueCrimeCommunity #DomesticViolence #LosAngeles #GeorgeGascon #DistrictAttorney #truecrimecommunity #truecrimepodcast #truestory #justice #criminaljustice #crimestory #breakingnews #newsupdate  

While an industrial engineering student at Cornell University in 1970, Ken Kunken sustained an injury that left him a quadriplegic, nearly fully paralyzed. After spending more than nine months in care, just eleven days after his release, Ken was back at school continuing his studies. He continued on with his studies, earning degrees in counseling and eventually working to be an assistant district attorney in Nassau County. Ken hasn't let his disability stop him from achieving goals he previously had and he is now a proud husband, father, and recently authored his book “I Dream of Things That Never Were: The Ken Kunken Story.”   Connect with Ken: https://kenkunken.com https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566473121422   Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/introducingmepodcast  Want to share your story and be a guest? Email: introducingmepodcast@gmail.com    Find all the podcast social media and more on the website: https://www.introducingmepodcast.com    Artwork: instagram.com/vashaundesigns  Music/Editing: youtube.com/colemanrowlett

Please send us a text message to ask your questions or leave a comment!We appreciate the time spent with a perspective we do not always get to hear on the show. Please enjoy the time with Oklahoma Assistant District Attorney, Damon Cagle. Support the show

STS YouTube Channel: Surviving The Survivor: #BestGuests in True Crime - YouTubeIT'S HERE: STS HARDCOVER BOOK SIGNED COPIES FROM JOEL AND KARM: https://premierecollectibles.com/waldmanSTS Book on Audible: Https://www.audible.com/pd/Surviving-...STS Book on Amazon: Https://www.amazon.com/shop/surviving...STS Merch Store: https://www.bonfire.com/store/sts-store/STS Patreon: Https://patreon.com/SurvivingTheSurvivorSTS Website: https://survivingthesurvivor.com/All Things STS

For much of his adult life as an athlete and attorney, Len Elmore has balanced academics and athletics.  That work continues to this day as a Senior Lecturer at Columbia University in the Sports Management program.  The balancing act began long ago growing up in New York City, then attending Power Memorial Academy, the University of Maryland, playing in the NBA, going to Harvard Law School, serving as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn and beyond.   We are wowed by the big time nature of college sports and the gaudy salaries of the pros, where careers on average tend to be short.  The  lessons learned by balancing academics and athletics last a lifetime. I hope you enjoy the latest episode of “Before The Cheering Started with Budd Mishkin.” If you like the episode, please rate and review it on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  And please share it on social media and by old fashioned word of mouth.

Kristen Gibbons Feden is a former assistant district attorney of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, renowned for her work on high-profile cases, including the Bill Cosby trial. With a BS in neuroscience from Lafayette College and a law degree from Temple University, Kristen has dedicated her career to advocating for victims of sex crimes, domestic violence, and elder abuse. She is known for her unwavering commitment to justice and her ability to give a voice to those who have been silenced.  Listeners can learn more about at her website, and on IG @kgfeden Resources:   In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, sits down with Kristen Gibbons Feden, a former Assistant District Attorney of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, best known for her work as the prosecutor in the Bill Cosby trial. They discuss Kristen's legal career, her fight for justice in sex crimes and civil rights cases, and her advocacy for survivors of sexual violence. Kristen shares her personal journey, highlights from her notable cases, including eight-figure verdicts, and her approach to making sure survivors' voices are heard. Show Notes: (0:00) Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum   (0:30) Sheryl introduces guest, Kristen Gibbons Feden to Zone 7 (4:00) Using your voice - effective advocacy (8:00) Kristen discusses getting two 8-figure judgements in one day (14:45) The revival window (18:30) Rape is rape (19:30) The Bill Cosby case (22:00) Building rapport with survivors  (24:45) The Cosby trial preparation and strategy  (27:30) “I heard him laugh” (29:00) The closing argument (33:30) The importance of partnership (36:30) “Today in science class, I learned every cell in our entire body is replaced every seven years.  How lovely is it to know that one day I will have a body that you have never touched?” -L.M Juvenile Victim Thanks for listening to another episode! If you're loving the show and want to help grow the show, please head over to Itunes and leave a rating and review!  --- Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook., Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. Sheryl is also the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a collaboration between universities and colleges that brings researchers, practitioners, students and the criminal justice community together to advance techniques in solving cold cases and assist families and law enforcement with solvability factors for unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnapping cases.   Social Links: Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com Twitter: @ColdCaseTips Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum Instagram: @officialzone7podcast  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 193 features Allison Pierre, CEO at Innovative Prosecution Consulting (“IPC”) located in Washington, DC. Allison is a criminal justice reform advocate empowering prosecutors to make smarter policy decisions with data-driven insights. Allison shares her legal journey beginning with her first job as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn and then becoming a Special United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C.  Allison realized that reform work was not a career path but a “calling” for her and created IPC.  The IPC team, with data scientists from American University, equips prosecutors with the tools to ensure their actions align with their policies.

Rivky sits down with Rahel Bayar, a former sex crimes prosecutor and child abuse prevention expert, to break down last week's story. They discuss why it's not only the kids from difficult homes who are vulnerable, how to effectively implement abuse preventing boundaries, and why its so hard-but still important-to call the cops. Click here to listen to Rahel's previous episode of Be Impactful Rahel Bayar, CEO, is a former sex crimes and child abuse prosecutor who has worked in the field of sexual misconduct and abuse prevention for over a decade. She built her career on creating safe spacesandfacilitatingchangeinworkplacesglobally. Rahelrecently served as a Managing Director in the Sexual Misconduct Consulting & Investigations division of T&M Protection Resources, a global security and consulting firm. Previously, she spent many years as an Assistant District Attorney in both the Child Abuse/Sex Crimes and Domestic Violence Bureaus at the Bronx District Attorney's office. Rahel has piloted leadership training and child safety best practices training at multiple summer camps across the US & Canada and is a consultant to camp directors. Ms. Bayar is the author of a curriculum on teaching abuse prevention in specific faith- based communities and has been featured on webinars for camps, schools and parents on preventing sexual abuse of children. She serves on multiple faith based child protection committees, on the advisory council of Ta'amod: Transforming Jewish Workplaces, has co-authored articles on sexual abuse and was recognized by The Jewish Week 36 Under 36 in 2017 for her activism and efforts towards preventing sexual misconduct and abuse, particularly against children. Rahel is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Rutgers University and received her Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law. Click here to see the Impact Fashion collection. Click here to get an Impact Fashion Gift Card Click here to get the Am Yisrael Chai crewneck. Click here to join the Impact Fashion Whatsapp Status Click here to take a short survey about this podcast and get a 10% off coupon code as my thanks

Join my Patreon for access to all court docs, podcasts and more! https://www.Patreon.com/imnotalawyerbut Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@imnotalawyerbut In this episode of #INALB: The Debrief, we interview former Assistant District Attorney and now Current Defense Attorney, Katherine Loftus aka  @NoteMyObjection   She talks to us about what exactly a hung jury is, what a mistrial is and why she doest believe the Karen Read trial is a cover up. #KatherineLoftus #notemyobjection #KarenRead

IT'S HERE: STS HARDCOVER BOOK SIGNED COPIES FROM JOEL AND KARM: https://premierecollectibles.com/waldmanSTS Book on Audible: Https://www.audible.com/pd/Surviving-...STS Book on Amazon: Https://www.amazon.com/shop/surviving...STS Merch Store: https://www.bonfire.com/store/sts-store/STS Patreon: Https://patreon.com/SurvivingTheSurvivorSTS Website: https://survivingthesurvivor.com/#STSNation, Welcome to another episode of Surviving The Survivor, the podcast that brings you the #BestGuests in all of True Crime… The trial for Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman who is accused in the 2022 death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, is underway with Day 2 of testimony. Read, 43, of Mansfield, is charged with running down John O'Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend, and leaving him to die in a blizzard in the town of Canton on Jan. 29, 2022. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter, and leaving the scene of a collision in connection with O'Keefe's death. #BestGuests: Tim Dodd is a 1981 graduate of Georgetown University (Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and a 1984 graduate of Suffolk University, School of Law. Attorney Dodd has handled a wide variety of legal matters in his 37 years of active private practice, including extensive personal injury representation and litigation, family court matters, extensive criminal matters, DUI and refusal trials, general business litigation, zoning matters, administrative law, arbitrations and litigation. Julia Jenae is a legal correspondent for Court TV where she covers some of the most riveting trials in the nation. Julia is a three-time EMMY award recipient for investigative reports. The stories she enjoys the most are those where journalism and the law intersect because her background is in both.Darryl Cohen is an Entertainment and Criminal Defense attorney, is a partner of Cohen, Cooper, Estep & Whiteman, LLC, and previously partner with Katz, Smith & Cohen in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a former Assistant State Attorney in Miami, Dade County, Florida, and Assistant District Attorney in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia #KarenRead #Boston #Canton #cantoncoverup #criminaljustice #trial #truecrimecommunity #crime_news #JusticeforJohnOkeefe #newsupdate #murdermystery

IT'S HERE: STS HARDCOVER BOOK SIGNED COPIES FROM JOEL AND KARM: https://premierecollectibles.com/waldmanSTS Book on Audible: Https://www.audible.com/pd/Surviving-...STS Book on Amazon: Https://www.amazon.com/shop/surviving...STS Merch Store: https://www.bonfire.com/store/sts-store/STS Patreon: Https://patreon.com/SurvivingTheSurvivorSTS Website: https://survivingthesurvivor.com/#STSNation, Welcome to another episode of Surviving The Survivor, the podcast that brings you the #BestGuests in all of True Crime… The trial for Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman who is accused in the 2022 death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, is underway with Day 2 of testimony. Read, 43, of Mansfield, is charged with running down John O'Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend, and leaving him to die in a blizzard in the town of Canton on Jan. 29, 2022. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter, and leaving the scene of a collision in connection with O'Keefe's death. #BestGuests: Since 1985, Richard Gabriel has been a leader in the field of jury research, jury selection and litigation communication with experience in more than 1,500 trials in both the civil and criminal arenas across the country. Some of his big cases include Aaron Hernandez , Casey Anthony, O.J. Simpson, Phil Spector, Enron, Whitewater, Kwame Kilpatrick, Heidi Fleiss, and numerous other high profile civil and criminal matters. Richard is also the author of Acquittal: An Insider Reveals the Stories and Strategies Behind Today's Most Infamous Verdicts Meghan Sacks is a full Professor of Criminology and the Graduate Program Director at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She teaches classes including Women and Crime, Serial Killers, and Crime Policy.   Amy and Meghan co-host two podcasts: Women and Crime and Direct Appeal …NOW IN SEASON 2 Darryl Cohen is an Entertainment and Criminal Defense attorney, is a partner of Cohen, Cooper, Estep & Whiteman, LLC, and previously partner with Katz, Smith & Cohen in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a former Assistant State Attorney in Miami, Dade County, Florida, and Assistant District Attorney in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia. His Entertainment practice includes representation of television anchors, actors, photographers, models, and talent agencies. Further, he is involved with numerous syndicated television programs. As a criminal defense lawyer, he has represented the entire spectrum of clients for over thirty years. Many of his clients and cases are high profile entertainment related cases covered by the national media. #KarenRead #Turtleboy #AidanKearney #DavidYanetti #AlanJackson #JenMcCabe #BrianAlbert #MichaelProctor #TrueCrime #TrueCrimeCommunity #Canton #CantonCoverup #truecrimecommunity #crime_news #murdermystery #truecrimepodcast #crimestory #truestory

Melinda Katz became the District Attorney for Queens County in January 2020, making history as the first woman to hold the office.Under her leadership, the District Attorney's office ensures that all defendants are treated fairly and in a non-discriminatory manner, while protecting the communities it serves in the most diverse county in America. District Attorney Katz restructured the office with new bureaus and mandates to manage challenges including taking guns off the street, empowering victims of domestic violence and human trafficking and seeking justice even in the oldest of cold cases.Shanon LaCorte has extensive work experience in the legal field. Shanon is currently working as the Bureau Chief of the Crime Strategies & Intelligence Bureau at the Queens District Attorney's Office since July 2023. Prior to this, they held the role of Director of the Crime Strategies & Intelligence Unit from May 2021 to July 2023.Before joining the Queens District Attorney's Office, Shanon worked at the Office of the New York State Attorney General. Shanon served as the Special Counsel for the Statewide Organized Crime Task Force from April 2016 to May 2021. Prior to that, they were an Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Enforcement & Financial Crimes Bureau from October 2014 to March 2016.Shanon's earlier work experience includes working as an Assistant District Attorney at the Nassau County District Attorney's Office from January 2011 to October 2014. Prior to that, they worked as an Associate in the Litigation Department at Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP from September 2007 to August 2010.Shanon LaCorte obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Government from Union College between 2000 and 2004. Subsequently, they attended American University Washington College of Law from 2004 to 2007 and earned a Doctor of Law degree (JD). What are ghost guns and why should you be concerned?The United States ranks first in the world when it comes to firearms ownership with 400 million guns that we know of. Guns Incorporated is big business in the United States valued at almost 21 billion dollars with more than five percent annual growth. This will be disrupted by 3D printed guns imminently.2024 has already seen a more than 1000 percent increase in 3D printed firearm recoveries in New York City. Queens County leads New York City in ghost gun recoveries. Their impressive leadership has implemented forward looking techniques to limit the flow of 3D printed machine guns, assault weapons, mines, bombs, and bullets in New York City. In this episode, District Attorney Melinda Katz and Bureau Chief Shanon LaCorte join us to talk about the growing of ghost guns and 3D printed firearms and they are working toward keeping these guns of the street.Sign up for the Some Future Day Newsletter here: https://marcbeckman.substack.com/Episode Links:Melinda KatzLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melindakatz/Website: https://www.katzforny.com/Shanon LaCorteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanon-lacorte-921324210/To join the conversation follow Marc Beckman here:YoutubeLinkedInTwitterInstagram

RESOURCES: Quick Start Guide - www.leslievernick.com/start Domestic Violence Hotline: 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) In this episode of Relationship Truth: Unfiltered, Leslie sits down with Assistant District Attorney and Adjunct Professor, Molly Catherine Goodson to explore the intersection of faith, justice, and abuse. Molly Catherine shares personal journey and professional insights, discussing how her faith sustains her in this high-stakes role. She provides practical advice for victims of abuse, highlights the church's role in supporting and protecting them, and emphasizes the importance of empowering women within the church community.   Note: Molly Catherine is not representing the state of North Carolina in this episode. Balancing a High-Stress Job and Personal Faith: Molly Catherine discusses how her faith helps her manage the stress and high stakes of her career, sharing the importance of worship music and the powerful prayer from her pastor that helps her stay grounded. Maintaining Faith Amidst Evil: Leslie and Molly Catherine explore the challenge of maintaining faith in God's goodness despite witnessing daily evils, emphasizing the importance of viewing circumstances through the lens of God's character. Biblical vs. Legal Justice: A discussion on the differences between biblical justice and legal justice, explaining that while Jesus takes on our sins, earthly actions still have consequences. Forgiveness and Consequences: Addressing common misconceptions in churches that forgiveness erases consequences, stressing that actions have consequences and forgiveness does not negate the need for justice. Empowering Women: Encouraging women to learn essential life skills to become less dependent on their abusers, highlighting the empowering effect of managing finances, household tasks, and other responsibilities. Church Support for Victims: Practical ways churches can support victims of abuse, such as knowing local resources, helping with logistics, and offering emotional support. Emphasizing the church's role in ensuring the safety and well-being of individuals over maintaining relationships at all costs. Hope and Redemption: Molly Catherine shares a hopeful story of a victim of sexual abuse within a church community and how proper support and handling of the case led to justice and healing.

"In a way, if you were a juror on this case, you got educated on cryptocurrency, terrorist financing, and also the Syrian Civil War." - Edward Burns In this episode, Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) has a full house as he speaks to several key members of the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, including the District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, the Assistant District Attorney, Edward Burns and the Chief of the Counterterrorism Unit, David Stuart.  As well as Dan Heesemann, Intelligence Research Specialist at the NYPD. The team discusses a fascinating case involving cryptocurrency and terrorism financing and shares how they were able to uncover an individual sending money to a terrorist group in Syria and planning violent attacks on American soil. They walk through the challenges of presenting technical evidence in court and the surprising defense strategy used by the defendant. This gripping episode sheds light on the intersection of crime, cryptocurrency, and counterterrorism efforts and the persistence and collaboration law enforcement and the District Attorney's office have to utilize in order to bring these criminals to justice.  Minute-by-minute episode breakdown 2 | Background of the public sector guests and their entrance into cryptocurrency     4 | The People  vs. Victoria Jacobs: The cryptocurrency terrorist financing case 9 | Unveiling the terrorist financier's intent and tactics 14 | The elusive Salman Belarusi: Operational security mastermind 18 | Simplifying cryptocurrency for jury understanding 20 | Terrorism, cryptocurrency and the Syrian Conflict 22 | Jury deliberates for hours and finds the defendant guilty on all counts  25 | Manhattan DA, Alvin Bragg explains provides an update on sentencing and closure in case Related resources Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key. Website: Manhattan District Attorney's Office: One Standard of Justice for All Website: New York City Police Department (NYPD) is the largest and one of the oldest municipal police departments in the United States Press Release: Victoria Jacobs Sentenced To 18 Years In Prison For Using Cryptocurrency To Fund Syrian-Based Terrorist Groups; Launder Supporters' Contributions Registration: Digital premiere of Links 2024 (NYC Main Stage Content and more - Register Now!) Report -  Crypto Investigations: Blockchain Intelligence for Law Enforcement (Available Now) YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain Tik Tok: Building trust in #blockchains among people, businesses, and governments. Telegram: Chainalysis on Telegram  Speakers on today's episode Ian Andrews * Host * (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis) Alvin Bragg (District Attorney, Manhattan District Attorney's Office) Edward Burns (Assistant District Attorney, Manhattan District Attorney's Office) David Stuart (Chief of the Counterterrorism Unit, Manhattan District Attorney's Office) Dan Heesemann (Intelligence Research Specialist, NYPD) This website may contain links to third-party sites that are not under the control of Chainalysis, Inc. or its affiliates (collectively “Chainalysis”). Access to such information does not imply association with, endorsement of, approval of, or recommendation by Chainalysis of the site or its operators, and Chainalysis is not responsible for the products, services, or other content hosted therein. Our podcasts are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Listeners should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. Chainalysis does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material.  Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Chainalysis. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Chainalysis employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.

David is an accomplished trial lawyer with more than 30 years of courtroom experience. Prior to co-founding Hassett | Donnelly, David served as an Assistant District Attorney, Middle District, Worcester. He is an AV-Preeminent rated attorney with an exemplary track record of defense verdicts and dismissals throughout the region. In addition to regularly appearing in state and federal courts, David has argued insurance coverage issues before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justice Patricia M. DiMango serves as one of three judges on Amazon Freevee's Tribunal Justice, created by Judge Judy Sheindlin. Most recently, Justice DiMango was a judge on the Emmy-nominated series, "Hot Bench." Justice DiMango was first appointed to serve as a Judge of the Criminal Courts for the City of New York by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. She became the first Italian-American woman ever appointed to that position. Thereafter, she was elected to the New York State Supreme Court bench in the 2nd and 11th Judicial Districts, and again was the first Italian-American woman elected to that position. Justice DiMango's reputation was that of a stern but fair judge combined with a balance of street smarts and legal knowledge. In the course of her judicial career she gained public recognition for handling high-profile trials, particularly those involving murders of young children, other crimes against children and hate-crime murders. She was also recognized for handling large volumes of serious felony cases from their arraignment through trial. Justice DiMango became further known for her efficiency in closing a vast number of cases in a fair and timely fashion. Her judicial acumens came to the attention of the Chief Judge of the State of New York and selected her to spearhead his initiative to reduce the backlog of felony matters in the Bronx. This initiative garnered front-page coverage in The New York Times. These assignments resulted in her appointment to the position of Administrative Judge of the New York State Supreme Court, Criminal Term, Brooklyn, Kings County. Upon her graduation from college, Justice DiMango was an elementary school teacher in the New York City Public Schools, focusing on special education of children with emotional and cognitive needs. During her teaching years and before law school, she received her Master's Degree. In addition to her Juris Doctorate, Justice DiMango holds a Master's Degree from Columbia University in Developmental Psychology and a Bachelor's Degree cum laude from Brooklyn College in both Psychology and Education.  Thereafter, she went on to receive her law degree from St. John's University where she graduated in the top of her class, and received awards and scholarships in recognition for her other academic achievements. In 2012, she received the Alumna of the Year Award from Brooklyn College and was also the recipient of the prestigious Rapallo Award. In 2013, she was the recipient of the Distinguished Judiciary Award from the Catholic Lawyers Guild and was named "Woman of the Year" by the New York State Supreme Court Officers Association. In 2014, she was named "Woman of the Year" by The New York State Court Officers Association. Additionally, she served as Master of Ceremonies for the NY State Broadcasters Association Awards. In 2015, Justice DiMango was the Grand Marshal of the Brooklyn Columbus Day Parade. She was also recognized as being the "Woman Of The Year" for the Home Reporter and Brooklyn Spectator's "Kings of Kings" event. Justice DiMango was also the honored celebrity speaker at The Greater New York Dental Association National Convention.  In 2016, she was named "Woman of The Year" by the Italian Charities of America. In 2019, Justice DiMango was selected to be the keynote speaker by the Brooklyn Daily Eagle for its "Champions of Justice" event honoring outstanding women in the court system. Justice DiMango has appeared on numerous television programs, including "The View," "Wendy Williams," "Rachael Ray" and "Steve Harvey" and can be heard on many talk radio shows and podcasts. She has also been featured giving legal insight on stories on "Entertainment Tonight," Fox News, "VH1," "Banfield" and "Inside Edition" among others. Upon her graduation from law school, she served five-and-a-half years as an Assistant District Attorney in the Kings County District Attorney's Office. During her tenure there, she was given the extra responsibility of being cross-designated as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. She later worked as a law clerk in both Kings and Queens Counties to Supreme Court Justices Steven Fisher, Reinaldo Rivera and Luigi Marano. During this time, Justice DiMango volunteered as a Small Claims Court Arbitrator. Justice DiMango returned to her passion for education and became an Adjunct Associate Professor of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Legal Research and Writing and Forensic Psychology at St. John's University for approximately 10 years. Thereafter, she was an Adjunct Associate Professor at New York City Technical College teaching Criminal Law and Procedure. More than a dozen of Justice DiMango's court decisions have been published along with her contributions to numerous bar association journals. Justice DiMango was the chairperson on the Board of Directors of the Law and Paralegal Studies Department at New York City Technical College, the chairperson on the Assigned Counsel Advisory Committee for the 2nd, 11th and 13th Judicial Districts and on the Board of Directors for The Cathedral Club of Brooklyn. ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones is a podcast featuring host Randall Kenneth Jones (bestselling author, speaker & creative communications consultant) and Susan C. Bennett (the original voice of Siri). ON THE KNOWS is produced and edited by Kevin Randall Jones. Tribunal Justice Online: Web: www.tribunaljustice.tv ON THE KNOWS Online:    Join us in the Podcast Lounge on Facebook. X (Randy): https://twitter.com/randallkjones  Instagram (Randy): https://www.instagram.com/randallkennethjones/ Facebook (Randy): https://www.facebook.com/mindzoo/ Web:  RandallKennethJones.com X (Susan): https://twitter.com/SiriouslySusan Instagram (Susan): https://www.instagram.com/siriouslysusan/ Facebook (Susan): https://www.facebook.com/siriouslysusan/ Web: SusanCBennett.com LinkedIn (Kevin): https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-randall-jones/  Web: KevinRandallJones.com   www.OnTheKnows.com

Lucie Kwon is a career prosecutor, serving as an Assistant District Attorney over the last two decades with the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. … Read More

IT'S HERE: STS HARDCOVER BOOK SIGNED COPIES FROM JOEL AND KARM: https://premierecollectibles.com/waldmanPre-Order Joel's Book: Https://amzn.to/48GwbLxSTS Website: https://survivingthesurvivor.com/STS Merch Store: https://www.bonfire.com/store/sts-store/STS Patreon: Https://patreon.com/SurvivingTheSurvivor#STSNation, Welcome to another episode of Surviving The Survivor, the podcast that brings you the #BestGuests in all of True Crime… The trial for Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman who is accused in the 2022 death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, is underway with Day 2 of testimony. Read, 43, of Mansfield, is charged with running down John O'Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend, and leaving him to die in a blizzard in the town of Canton on Jan. 29, 2022. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter, and leaving the scene of a collision in connection with O'Keefe's death. #BestGuests: David Davis has been a Cambridge-based jury consultant for 35 years. His resume includes working with prosecutors to pick a jury for the OJ Simpson double murder trial. Darryl Cohen is an Entertainment and Criminal Defense attorney, is a partner of Cohen, Cooper, Estep & Whiteman, LLC, and previously partner with Katz, Smith & Cohen in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a former Assistant State Attorney in Miami, Dade County, Florida, and Assistant District Attorney in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia Meghan Sacks is a full Professor of Criminology and the Graduate Program Director at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She teaches classes including Women and Crime, Serial Killers, and Crime Policy.   Amy and Meghan co-host two podcasts: Women and Crime and Direct Appeal #KarenRead #Turtleboy #AidanKearney #DavidYanetti #AlanJackson #JenMcCabe #BrianAlbert #MichaelProctor #TrueCrime #TrueCrimeCommunity #Canton #CantonCoverupof

IT'S HERE: STS HARDCOVER BOOK SIGNED COPIES FROM JOEL AND KARM: https://premierecollectibles.com/waldman Pre-order HERE: Pre-Order Joel's Book: Https://amzn.to/48GwbLx 

It's #Aprilsweeps where we celebrate the TV movies made by New World Television.  We're kicking things off with 1989's False Witness starring Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show) and Philip Michael Thomas (Miami Vice).  Lynne Jacoby (Phylicia Rashad) is a district attorney investigating the attempted murder of a popular daytime TV talk show host not unlike luminaries like Sally Jessy Raphael.  Bobby Marsh (Philip Michael Thomas), an Assistant District Attorney and Jacoby's lover, joins the investigation and shows the world that not all investigators are good at their job.   What lacks in real suspense is more than made up for with uncomfortable shoulder kissing.  We learn that Marc doesn't recognize the difference between CSI and Law & Order, Erica talks about the many musical roles Philip Michael Thomas was up for, Ryan struggles to pronounce "Phylicia" and we debate which is the best Miami Tourism Board theme song.  You will want to witness this episode.  

IT'S HERE: STS HARDCOVER BOOK SIGNED COPIES FROM JOEL AND KARM:  https://premierecollectibles.com/waldmanPre-Order Joel's Book: Https://amzn.to/48GwbLxConnect with STS, join our Patreon: Https://patreon.com/SurvivingTheSurvivorSTS Website: https://survivingthesurvivor.com/STS Merch Store: https://www.bonfire.com/store/sts-store/#STSNation, Welcome to another episode of Surviving The Survivor, the podcast that brings you the #BestGuests in all of #TrueCrime… Karen Read, the girlfriend of late Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, has been accused of backing over her boyfriend in Canton, MA, and leaving him to die in a January 2022 blizzard. She says she wasn't even there when it happened. Is she being framed? But, more importantly, what has made this story so polarizing? #BestGuests: Melanie Little has 25+ years as a trial lawyer in NY state and federal courts; Lead attorney for the plaintiffs in the clergy sex abuse cases as depicted in the film "Spotlight"; Frequent guest as legal analyst on live true crime podcasts; Real courtroom experience as a practicing attorney, requiring the use of real life improv skills; Multiple local and national television news interviews for various cases and commentary; Mother of 5. Firm grasp of complex medical and legal terminology. Darryl Cohen is an Entertainment and Criminal Defense attorney, is a partner of Cohen, Cooper, Estep & Whiteman, LLC, and previously partner with Katz, Smith & Cohen in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a former Assistant State Attorney in Miami, Dade County, Florida, and Assistant District Attorney in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia. His Entertainment practice includes representation of television anchors, actors, photographers, models, and talent agencies. Further, he is involved with numerous syndicated television programs. As a criminal defense lawyer, he has represented the entire spectrum of clients for over thirty years. Many of his clients and cases are high profile entertainment related cases covered by the national media. Meghan Sacks is a full Professor of Criminology and the Graduate Program Director at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She teaches classes including Women and Crime, Serial Killers, and Crime Policy.   Amy and Meghan co-host two podcasts: Women and Crime and Direct Appeal

The state of Wisconsin has firmly established itself as a battleground state: Four of the six past presidential elections have been decided by fewer than 23,000 votes, and the political stakes have never been higher. Yet, the state's politics echo many that we see here in Ohio, right down to a tense dispute over Wisconsin's Republican-drawn legislative maps, which were overturned in December.rnrnIn April 2023, Justice Janet C. Protasiewicz was elected to serve her first term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court after a race that garnered national attention. Her accession was viewed as a liberal shift for the court, the first in 15 years, and as a check on a long-standing conservative grip on the state's government.rnrnPrior to her election, Justice Protasiewicz spent nearly a decade on the bench as a circuit court judge in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Before her time as a judge, she served more than 25 years as Assistant District Attorney, where she prosecuted serious crimes. Throughout her career, Justice Protasiewicz has been deeply involved in the community and has held many leadership positions.rnrnJoin us at the City Club as we hear from Justice Protasiewicz in conversation with Dean of CSU College of Law Lee Fisher on the latest in Wisconsin, and what Ohio can learn from Wisconsin's highest court.

IT'S HERE: STS HARDCOVER BOOK SIGNED COPIES FROM JOEL AND KARM: https://premierecollectibles.com/waldman Pre-Order Joel's Book: Https://amzn.to/48GwbLx 

Kevie Murphy is the founder and principal of k.a. murphy interiors, a full-service design firm focused on high-end residential interiors. In Kevie's interiors, function dictates and informs, while beauty always transcends. Balancing both, in striking and elevated ways, is fundamental to her vision. Design wasn't Kevie's first career. Growing up in Port Jefferson Station, New York, Kevie went to Boston University and then attended law school. This led to her working as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, after which she entered the private sector and became a partner at a New York City firm. It was when Kevie and her husband purchased a Brooklyn Heights home that required extensive renovation, that she realized her passion for interior design and enrolled at the New York School of Interior Design. Everything has brought Kevie to this moment: her passion, her enthusiasm, and her ability to connect with people, which she uses, today, to help make people's lives better. This starts with her own life: 1 husband, 4 kids, and 3 houses. All of which Kevie sees as “ongoing, always changing, and forever works in progress.” They're also the perfect examples of what Kevie means when she says, “Home is your memory maker.” https://www.kamurphyinteriors.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kamurphyinteriors/

IT'S HERE: Pre-Order Joel's Book: Https://amzn.to/48GwbLx 

IT'S HERE: Pre-Order Joel's Book: Https://amzn.to/48GwbLx 

Andrew is the Owner and Managing Partner of the Salinas Defense Law Firm, PLLC where he specializes in Criminal Defense and Immigration law. Since recording this episode, he has also started his own firm in Houston, Texas! He has  secured many dismissals and favorable plea deals for clients charged with serious crimes, many of whom were facing deportation if they plead guilty to certain convictions.  Prior to starting his own firm, Andrew was an attorney at a prominent Criminal Defense and Immigration law firm in Austin, TX that specialized in "crimmigration". Andrew handled hundreds of cases, including misdemeanors like Driving While Intoxicated and Assault Family Violence and felonies like Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Engaging in Organized Crime. He also has experience as an Assistant District  Attorney at the Kings County District Attorney's Office and as a Managing Attorney in charge of a brand-new Immigration Department at a boutique law firm in Brooklyn. Andrew graduated from Baylor University from the Baylor Interdisciplinary Honors Program with a B.A. in History and a minor in Rhetoric & Argumentation. He graduated from the Washington and Lee University School of Law where he actively competed and coached in several national  moot court competitions. He had the pleasure of serving as a law clerk for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a civil rights organization, in Washington, D.C., as a legal intern for the most  respected non-profit immigration legal aid organization in the  D.C.-Maryland-Virginia region,  Ayuda, and as a Summer Fellow at the New York County District Attorney's Office in Manhattan. While in the Immigrant Rights Clinic in law school, Andrew and a fellow student attorney fought for their client to be granted asylum in an uphill  battle case – and won. He also got a taste for federal appellate work  when his team filed an appeal before the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals for a Stateless client who had been fighting to remain in the  U.S. for 20 years. In addition to being an editor for the Washington  and Lee Journal for Civil Rights and Social Justice, he also proudly formed the leadership board  of the Latin American Law Students' Association, serving as Moot Court Director and Vice President. https://salinasdefense.com/  https://www.instagram.com/abogadotejano https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553453914861 #leducentertainment #SpaghettiOnTheWall #newpodcast #trailer #LegalJourney #AndrewSalinas #CrimeAndImmigration

The Assistant District Attorney struggles with a challenging case. Then she learns it's not just the defense attorney she's up against, it's her own office.If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault, here are some resources:The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) survivor helpline is 1-800-656-4673.The National Sexual Violence Resource Center provides resources for sexual violence and prevention education. You can find them at nsvrc.org.The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 988.To read Laura Beil and Bianca Fortis' article about this story on ProPublica visit: https://www.propublica.org/article/columbia-obgyn-sexually-assaulted-patients-for-20-yearsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.