Thursday, December 06, 2007

Don Williams says his Farwell as Ulster's D.A.


Ulster County District Attorney Donald Williams had his retirement party today at the Wiltwyck Golf Club. I did not make it down there but I'm sure it was very well attended. While I do not necessarily agree with the philosophies of Mr. Williams' office, he has been a great District Attorney, who has dedicated his entire professional career to that office. Starting out as an a.d.a and working his way up the ladder to become a two term District Attorney of Ulster County. I wish Williams the best in his retirement but I have a feeling we have not seen the last of Donald Williams.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don's party was wonderfully attended and a great deal of fun. Not to be missed were the great comic timing of the Sheriff and Undersheriff, as well as a slew of Don A's longtime friends.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately we probably havn't heard the last of him either. His measured droning I'm sure will be a constant on the local political scene.

Anonymous said...

Glad to see him go.....He was a
crappy DA

Anonymous said...

Too bad we have another lame duck replacing him, we should of backed Sennett.

Anonymous said...

I am disappointed to see that the justice system can be purchased in Ulster County. At least, that is what the Hugh Reynold's story alludes to.

There are no golden parachutes for public servants. Why would any taxpayer approve a $22k payday for a part time position that should be used year round and NOT on a 3-month basis?

Also, putting Williams in an advisory position with URGENT...cops do not like the fact that as DA he required three drug buys before seeking prosecution. This put police and members of the public in danger between sale one and three.

Even more important, how in the world can the sheriff or DA approve of an anonymous donor to cover $7K? Perhaps this is someone with ties to the drug trade.

All of this is exactly the reason we need a public integrity unit.

Perhaps Don Williams is in line for that job as well. A full time position that he can do three months of the year?

Please keep in mind that Williams was the guy who said he would not persue a criminal investigation in the jail debacle because no one called to tell him that a crime had been committed.

Taxpayers should not stand for any nepotism or turning the county into an employment agency for friends and family of elected officials. We need to end business as usual and political paybacks.

Hopefully, the Attorney General's office of investigation will catch wind of Hugh Reynold's story and keep an eye on it. The sheriff has compromised the integrity of his office.

Anonymous said...

Another reason we are commonly viewed as one of the most corrupt counties (IF NOT THE MOST)in New York State. What a proud legacy!!!

Anonymous said...

Bad choice Van Blarcum. You have soiled your reputation.

Anonymous said...

We can't have don williams be elected to anything else. He is no good.

Anonymous said...

The guy spen thrity years in public service to this community and has the expertise to assist the Sheriff's Office in improving its use of the urgent task force. And whoever said the cops do not have respect for Williams does not know any cops, that is obvious. Williams has done nothing but serve this community for thirty years and if he needs three months for his retirement to take affect, then we as a community should make sure he gets three months. Williams may have been many things, but he was not political and he ran that office in a manner that it should be run. Kudos to the Sheriff for recognizing that and doing the right thing. Sometimes doing the right thing is more important than political party affiliation. Something most of the writers on this blog fail to recognize. As he has shown throughout his career, Van Blarcum is a man of integrity and shows respect where it is due. Williams deserves this..this was not nepotism or anything like that. You people are morons and will ruin what is great about living here very quickly. This has nothing to do with public integrity, nepotism or being friends. it simply was the right thing to do..it was all above board and out in the open. That would be a huge waste of resources to investigate something that is perfectly appropriate and out in the open. And who is more qualified than Williams for that. The sheriff can certainly hire advisors within the budget approved for his office when he sees fit and he did here. Ties to the drug trade...Please. You sound like an idiot.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous donors should not be able to curry favors with any member of law enforcement. The point about drug trade connections was meant to illustrate the dangers of accepting anonymous donations. It was not meant to be a fact.

How's that jail investigation going?

Anonymous said...

Yes, how is that jail investigation going? Can we pay {WASTE} some more money and have him stay on for that, since he didn't seem to get it done in the last four years?.

When will we wake up and smell the cow dung?

Anonymous said...

I like Don Williams and how he gets involved in trying to clean up some of the crime around here. He can't get every lawbreaker but he seems to help nail the dangerous ones. I live in Kingston and he has helped support the denial of prison release with dangerous inmates. Glad to have Mr. Williams.

Anonymous said...

I'm looking foward to seeing Donald Williams as County Court Judge, hoping everyone realizes how more than qualified and well prepared he is for it.