MONTICELLO – There is still a full quarter of 2018 left, but the number of major criminal cases handled by the Sullivan County District Attorney’s office has already topped last year’s total.
That was part of an update DA James Farrell presented at Thursday’s county legislature Public Safety committee meeting.
“Last year, we did 195 criminal information indictments. Those are serious felony cases in Sullivan County. Right now, as we stand, we’re at 205. So our numbers are up, up considerably. I expect they’re going to continue to go up through December and we’re going to have a number that’s going to trounce last year’s.”
Farrell put a positive spin, of sorts, noting that in even the most tragic of situations, county and state agencies – the DA’s office, sheriff and police, and even citizens – come together.
Sheriff Michael Schiff cited last week’s brutal burglary and murder of an elderly Town of Delaware woman. Two Good Samaritans helped apprehend the suspect.
“Everybody did what they were supposed to do,” Schiff said. 911 was right on the mark; got people rolling. Our deputy was there very quickly. But, the heroes of the day were the two civilians who apprehended the defendant, Mr. Smith.” Without them, the sheriff said, apprehension could have taken much longer and people in the Kenoza Lake area would have been living in fear.
The 83-year-old woman’s neighbor, Toby Smith, is in jail, charged with murder and facing possible life in prison.
