Jennifer S. Wilkov Speaks at Manhattan Rally for Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct

NEW YORK - June 4, 2015 - PRLog -- Media personality and victim of the New York State criminal justice system Jennifer S. Wilkov will be appearing as a featured speaker during the It Could Happen to You organization’s Manhattan rally to support the bill for the establishment of a State Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct in New York State on Friday, June 5, 2015, from 12:00 noon to 1:00pm at the New York County Supreme Courthouse steps at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007.

Introduced by Syracuse State Senator John DeFrancisco  (S24) and Brooklyn Assemblyman Nick Perry (A 1131) along with co-sponsors from across the state, the State Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct will establish accountability and uniform best practices for the most powerful players in the criminal justice system. When the bill for the Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct passes, New York State will be the first in the nation to establish such an oversight commission for state prosecutors and have an answer to the burning question, “Who is prosecuting the prosecutors?” which has been troubling citizens nationwide.

Ms. Wilkov will join a team of other wrongfully prosecuted individuals at the rally in Manhattan, including Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise of the Central Park Five, Derrick Hamilton and Jeffrey Deskovic, who will band together with elected officials and activists for justice reform to continue building momentum in the State Legislature to enact bi-partisan legislation to prevent wrongful prosecutions.

Ms. Wilkov, a board member of the It Could Happen to You organization, found herself at the center of a legal storm where she was incarcerated in Rikers Island for a crime the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ruled she did not commit three years after she had been railroaded into pleading guilty by an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan and the judge in her case, who both engaged in questionable practices which caused the criminal justice system to fail to uphold her rights to fair prosecutorial practices and proper representation.

Ms. Wilkov 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 held in New York City, at the It Could Happen to You 2015 Summit, and in other venues upon request.

Endorsements for the bill to establish the State Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct include The Huffington Post, the New York Daily News, the New York Civil Liberties Union, New York Catholic Conference, New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, New York Trial Lawyers Association, New York State Defenders Association, Legal Aid Society of New York, Brooklyn Defenders Association, New York State United Teachers, the Greater Genesee Valley Rochester AFL-CIO, and more.

“I’m proud to have the unique opportunity to stand up and put forth my support to establish the Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct in New York State,” says Jennifer S. Wilkov. “Going to jail as an innocent man or woman is a fear held by many across the United States, especially licensed professionals like I was in a regulated industry that requires proper supervision by licensed supervisors. Inadequate and inappropriate prosecutorial conduct is unnecessarily hurting our innocent citizens and professionals. The time is now to reform the criminal justice system and establish a supervisory authority to oversee the prosecutors who are charged with seeking fair and ethical prosecutions of those who are truly guilty.”

Bill Bastuk, the founder of It Could Happen to You, says, “The proposed Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct is modeled after the successful forty-year New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct. The sad news is that New York State is second in the nation in wrongful convictions, only to Texas. The good news is that some state legislators want to take action to make New York a leader in justice reform.”

“New York State should be the national trailblazer 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,” Mr. Bastuk says. “We're grateful to have Jennifer S. Wilkov, a former successful Certified Financial Planner, join us to bring her unique story to the Manhattan rally. 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, please visit www.itcouldhappen2you.org..

About Jennifer S. Wilkov

Jennifer S. Wilkov’s passion for communication has led to her being a #1 international best-selling award-winning author, a keynote speaker, an award-winning freelance writer, a successful book and business consultant, a # 1 radio show host and executive producer on WomensRadio, and an entrepreneurial mentor.  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 in their entirety charges of fraud, withholding material facts, failure to disclose and breach of franchise agreement 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 preparing her appeal in the New York State criminal justice system.

Jennifer continued to succeed as a best-selling author, media personality, entrepreneur and keynote speaker after enduring this devastating, unimaginable experience.  She knows what it takes to live the life you love in the face of any challenge. She also knows the high cost of non-compliant compliance supervision for firms and their employees like Ameriprise Financial in the financial, insurance, accounting and legal industries. She is a board member of the It Could Happen to You organization and a prominent publishing industry and personal development professional.

As a keynote 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 info@jenniferswilkov.com or (917) 727-8434.

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