Jennifer S. Wilkov Invited to Testify Before Commission on Statewide Attorney Discipline

NEW YORK - July 27, 2015 - PRLog -- Jennifer S. Wilkov, a victim of the New York State criminal justice system’s and Ameriprise Financial’s erroneous campaigns as well as a board member of the It Could Happen to You organization, has been invited to speak during the hearings for the Commission on Statewide Attorney Discipline in Albany, NY, on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, at 12:15pm. The hearings will take place on Tuesday from 11:00am to 1:00pm at the New York State Court of Appeals located at 20 Eagle Street, Albany, NY, 12207.

Ms. Wilkov is one of the very few individuals who has been invited by the Commission to testify orally. The focus of her testimony will be on the white collar, non-DNA perspective of the impact of wrongful convictions on licensed professionals and the need for oversight of the District Attorneys’ offices statewide that includes a supervision standard that is consistently upheld from county to county. As part of her testimony, Ms. Wilkov will be speaking about the pending legislation regarding the State Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct that will establish accountability and uniform best practices for these most powerful players in the criminal justice system.

Other licensed professionals in a variety of industries, including most elected officials -- judges and the legislators themselves -- as well as police, firefighters, Catholic bishops, athletic team owners and their coaches and players, teachers, social workers, doctors and nurses, airline pilots, train conductors, bus drivers, accountants, insurance agents, real estate agents, bankers, investment advisors, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, engineers, chefs, and hairdressers, are subject to the enforcement of best practices and accountability. The only professionals and elected officials seemingly not subject to the enforcement of best practices and accountability are District Attorneys and Assistant District Attorneys.

Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman created the Commission on Statewide Attorney Discipline to conduct a comprehensive review of the state’s attorney disciplinary system to determine what is working well and what can work better, and offer recommendations to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of New York’s attorney discipline process. In connection with its responsibility, the Commission will hold three public hearings to receive the views of interested individuals, organizations and entities.

The hearings are scheduled to be held in Albany, NY, on Tuesday, July 28, 2015; in Buffalo, NY, on Tuesday, August 4^th, 2015; and in New York City on Tuesday, August 11^th, 2015.

Among the issues under consideration by the Commission are whether New York’s departmental-based system leads to regional disparities in the implementation of discipline; if conversion to a statewide system is desirable; the point at which disciplinary charges or findings should be publicly revealed; and how to achieve dispositions more quickly in an effort to provide much-needed closure to both clients and attorneys.

Ms. Wilkov 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 the Assistant District Attorney 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.

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 held in New York City, at the It Could Happen to You 2015 Summit, multiple times with counsel to the Governor of the State of New York Andrew Cuomo, with various New York State Senate and Assembly Representatives in Albany, and in other venues upon request.

“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,” says Jennifer S. Wilkov. “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 consistently from county to county across New York State. I’m delighted to have the unique opportunity to stand up for licensed professionals and put forth my support to establish the Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct in New York State.”

“New York State should be the national trailblazer in criminal justice reform. New York State faces an epidemic of wrongful prosecutions and ranks second in the nation in wrongful convictions. A critical element in the transformation of our state’s justice system is the enactment of rules to enforce best prosecutorial practices and provide accountability for this group of elected officials and professionals,” says Bill Bastuk, Chair of It Could Happen to You Inc. “We're grateful to have Jennifer S. Wilkov, a former successful Certified Financial Planner, join us to bring her unique story to the discussion with the Commission on Statewide Attorney Discipline. She clearly defines how vulnerable successful business people are to false accusations involving white collar crimes.”

Currently, none of the fifty states has established an independent oversight authority to review and provide consistent disciplinary standards for state prosecutors. When the bill for the Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct passes, New York State will be the first state 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.

For more information about the It Could Happen to You, please visit www.itcouldhappen2you.org.

For more information about the Commission on Statewide Attorney Discipline hearings, please visit http://www.nycourts.gov/attorneys/discipline/publichearin....

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, in 2008 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 next 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 leader.

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