Jason Laing was our speaker last week, telling us about the life of his daughter, now in her late 30s, who has written a book (under the pen name Ruby Lucas) about her struggles with bipolar disorder. She's doing well now, he said. More information about the book can be found at Home - Ruby-Lucas.
Saratoga County District Attorney Brett Eby, who was elected last November, was our speaker on Thursday.
He's been making changes, but said he offered to retain everyone who was working in the office. He plans to be aggressive in seeking grants to fund new hires.
Eby is starting a unit to handle appeals in-house, which should cut down the need to pay for outside counsel. He's also expanding the use of treatment court, trying to reduce prison time for nonviolent felons with substance-abuse and mental health issues. He's gearing up for summer, a busy season in the DA's office, when crimes such as sex trafficking peak.
Eby grew up in Clifton Park and attended Shenendehowa schools. Now married with a daughter, he had wanted to be an FBI agent, but there was a hiring freeze when he was seeking employment there so he sought other opportunities.
