Broome DA Paul Battisti shares successes, surprises during first 6 months in office

In November, Battisti, who ran as a Republican, defeated Democrat and former Binghamton mayor Matt Ryan with nearly 55% of the vote.

In his close to 20 years as a defense attorney, Battisti has handled thousands of cases in federal, state, municipal and county courtrooms across New York. He also worked on the Broome Drug Treatment Court Team and is a former president of the Broome County Bar Association.

While running for office, Battisti said one of his main goals was to make Broome County safe for residents and their families, prioritizing mental health and addressing the opioid epidemic.

At the end of June, Battisti took time to reflect on his first six months in office, the lessons he has learned, the successes and surprises of the job and what he has planned for the future.

Six months in, Broome DA takes stock

Battisti said one of the highlights of his first six months in office has been the establishment of the "Motivation to Change" program, a collaboration between the DA's office, the Broome County sheriff's office and Helio Health, a Syracuse-based group which aims to help those with substance abuse and mental health disorders.

"It allows individuals who need in-patient treatment to not sit in jail — they go directly to treatment programs upon their arraignment for low-level nonviolent offenses," said Battisti.

As part of the program, victims and offenders of domestic violence are being educated, Battisti said, with the aim of reducing recidivism rates for that type of crime.

Another campaign goal which Battisti said is being worked on is the establishment of a mental health treatment court.

These are the challenges facing Broome DA’s office

Battisti called "difficulty with discovery" one of the largest problems in criminal justice. In order to certify a case, the defense must receive the same information law enforcement has. Before the information is given to the defense, it must pass through the DA's office, which has to verify information within a certain amount of time.

Battisti said many cases have been thrown out in the past due to difficulties adhering to discovery timelines and regulations, a situation he called unacceptable.

The office has reworked the discovery system and protocols through collaboration with local law enforcement. The changes aim to ensure free flow of information from law enforcement to the DA, and then to the defense. Battisti said they have created new discovery tech positions and seen a "dramatic increase in productivity," without creating any additional expenses for the taxpayers.

One of the most surprising aspects of the job for Battisti was the discovery of how many teenagers were committing violent crimes, and finding the best way to deal with the issue.

"I was astonished to see how many youths are committing violent crimes — it's troubling," said Battisti. "Those violent crimes justify state prison. When you sit down and you think to yourself about sending a 17-year old to state prison. Is it warranted? Yes. Does the law allow for it? Yes. In certain circumstances, is it justified? Yes. But is it justified in every situation? That's something I struggled with."

Battisti and a group of leaders from community organizations, law enforcement and local schools recently introduced a youth diversion program.

The program will create opportunities to receive mentorship, ensure teenagers remain in school, enroll them in local classes and give them the skills to stay out of jail. Young people who apply for the program will have access to it through probation supervision for up to two years.

"Hopefully we can stop those 16- and 17-year-olds from becoming individuals in the justice systems," said Battisti. "That is by far the most troubling and difficult challenge that I have encountered since becoming district attorney. I think this is a very positive way to address it."

The office has also take steps to address understaffing.

Prior to his swearing-in, Battisti said the DA’s office was short eight attorneys. Since then, he said, they have brought back a past attorney, hired one from the Bronx County DA office, recruited another from Hofstra Law, and are in the final stages of negotiating with another two attorneys.

"They're out there, you just have to find them — you have to go to them a lot of the time, you can't just wait for them to pick up the phone and call you," said Battisti. "Broome County is an incredibly community, and it's a great place to raise a family. We are putting together a very strong, educated, diverse team, and the word is getting out — people are excited to come to Broome County."