Gregory Canale chosen as Warren County Public Defender
WARREN COUNTY, NY -- The Warren County Board of Supervisors has appointed local attorney Gregory V. Canale to serve as the county’s next Public Defender.
Canale, 60, of Queensbury, will replace Marcy Flores, who is retiring after 38 years in public service, the last 18 of which she spent in the Warren County Public Defender’s Office.
Canale, a graduate of Glens Falls High School and Vermont Law School, has worked as a lawyer in private practice for over 30 years, specializing in criminal defense. He has also worked in an attorney mentoring program in the Warren County Public Defender’s Office.
“Mr. Canale brings a wealth of experience as a lawyer in local courts, and we are confident he will be able to continue the great work that Marcy Flores has done to build our Public Defender’s Office into a well-run, skillful organization,” said Warrensburg Supervisor Kevin Geraghty, Chairman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors.
The Public Defender’s Office provides legal representation to those who cannot afford an attorney for criminal court, family court, appearance at arraignments and parole violation hearings. The office has a staff of 9 full-time attorneys and 1 part-time attorney.
Canale said: “I am very proud of the trust the Board of Supervisors have placed in me to continue the outstanding job Ms. Flores and her staff have done in giving a voice to those least likely to be heard, and to protect our most cherished ideal that all people are entitled to the equal protection of the law, which includes access to mental health and substance abuse counseling.”
Flores co-founded the Public Defender’s Office with Sterling Goodspeed in 2004, helping the agency create a “holistic” approach to case management that includes working with clients to ensure they have access to services they need to overcome the issues that led to their involvement in the criminal justice or family court system.
“We have a fantastic group of people here who work very hard and are very dedicated. I am confident the office will be in good hands going forward,” Flores said.
Canale will start as Public Defender on Monday, May 9th..
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