Media Personality Jennifer S. Wilkov to Speak at It Could Happen to You 2nd Annual Summit

March 13, 2012 - PRLog -- NEW YORK, NY (March 12, 2012):  Media personality Jennifer S. Wilkov will speak this Thursday, March 15th, in Albany, NY, at the It Could Happen to You 2nd Annual Summit: Implementing Fair Prosecutorial Practices which will be held at the University at Albany Campus Center located at 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, on the Academic Podium between the Education and Physics buildings from 8:45am – 3:30pm.

Ms. Wilkov will talk during the opening presentation entitled, “Time to Demand Fair Prosecutorial Practices” which will highlight The Freedom Tour Ms. Wilkov will be participating in this year as a speaker with the It Could Happen to You organization. During her portion of the presentation, she will share the stories of what happened when she found herself at the center of a legal storm where she was incarcerated in Rikers Island for a crime she says she didn’t commit, how the criminal justice system failed to uphold her rights to fair prosecutorial practices and proper representation, and how it has changed and shaped her life.

She has previously addressed this controversial case in her award-winning feature article that appeared in the April 2009 issue of Marie Claire and during her March 2009 interview on CNBC Squawk Box. She has also spoken publicly about it during her TEDx Talk at the TEDxBroadStreetNY event in June 2011 which was held in New York City.

Ms. Wilkov will reveal insights resulting from her experience with the criminal justice system including being sentenced to one of New York’s and the nation’s most violent prisons – Rikers Island. She will discuss her belief and newly discovered understanding of why New York’s prosecutorial practices require reform.

“I’m delighted to have the unique opportunity to reveal these important insights for the attendees of the It Could Happen to You 2nd Annual Summit,” says Jennifer S. Wilkov. “Going to jail as an innocent man or woman is a fear held by many across the United States  Oftentimes, we are uncertain about what we are going to do when we are hit with what appears to be a devastating situation and, moreover, we are not confident about how we are going to handle it. The Freedom Tour with the It Could Happen to You organization is the perfect way to educate citizens in New York State about how easy it is right now to find themselves facing an inappropriate indictment and prison sentence for something they didn’t do.”

Ms. Wilkov will join in this year’s It Could Happen to You Annual Summit event which was attended last year by participants from the Center of Appellate Litigation, Center for Law and Justice, Judicial Process Commission, New York City Legal Aid Society, Catholic Charities Criminal Justice Committee, New York State Defenders Association, New York Civil Liberties Union and others.

“New York State should be the national trailblazers in criminal justice reform. A critical element in the transformation of our state’s justice system is the enactment of rules to enhance Fair Prosecutorial Practices including the common sense requirement for prosecutors to automatically turn over all evidence relevant to the defense of the accused. It Could Happen To You is building a diverse grass roots coalition to drive Discovery reform and the establishment of a State Commission on Fair Prosecutorial Practices.  The It Could Happen You Freedom Tour will help mobilize public opinion for reform by bringing the true stories of the falsely accused to thousands of citizens,” says Bill Bastuk, Chair of It Could Happen to You Inc. “We're grateful to have Jennifer S. Wilkov, a former successful financial planner, join us to bring her unique story to this tour. She clearly defines how vulnerable successful business people are to false accusations involving white collar crimes.”

For more information about the It Could Happen to You 2nd Annual Summit, please visit http://itcouldhappen.eventbrite.com/.

About Jennifer S. Wilkov

Jennifer S. Wilkov’s passion for communication has led to her being a # 1 radio show host on WomensRadio, a best-selling award-winning author, an international speaker, an award-winning freelance writer, a successful book business consultant and entrepreneur.   She survived being incarcerated in one of New York’s and the nation’s most violent prisons, Rikers Island, after inappropriately being told to plead guilty to a crime she didn’t commit by an attorney who mishandled her case. Her Sixth Amendment right was then overlooked by the judge in her case when she was denied her request for an adjournment to seek new representation after her attorney was granted a withdrawal just prior to her sentencing hearing.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) denied charges of fraud, withholding material facts, failure to disclose and breach of franchise agreement in their entirety which were brought by Ameriprise Financial against Ms. Wilkov as a third party respondent during an arbitration held in May 2011. Ms. Wilkov is currently on appeal in the New York State criminal justice system.

Jennifer continued to succeed as an author, media personality, entrepreneur and speaker after enduring this devastating, unimaginable experience.  She knows what it takes to live the life you love in the face of any challenge.

As a speaker, Jennifer fans the flames of the Human Spirit in each audience member and empowers them with her inspiring message: “You have the right to remain fabulous!”  

For more information, go to http://www.JenniferSWilkov.com.

For interviews with Ms. Wilkov, please contact Barbara Martin at bmartin@thetalentconnection.biz or 877-243-8716.

For more information about It Could Happen to You Inc., please refer to http://www.itcouldhappen2you.org

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About The Talent Connection USA, Inc.
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