ALBANY COUNTY COURT JUDGE Cohoes City Court Judge, former special victims prosecutor and U-CAN founder launches campaign to serve Albany County
COHOES, NY – Cohoes City Court Judge Andra Ackerman, an experienced jurist,
former special victims prosecutor and creator of the unique and widely acclaimed U-CAN mentoring program, today announced her candidacy for Albany County Court Judge. Judge Ackerman, who would be the first woman ever to serve as Albany County Judge, seeks to bring to the County Court bench the diligence, professionalism, fairness and creativity she brought to the Cohoes City Court bench. “I became a lawyer because I wanted to make a difference, improve my community and stand up for the most vulnerable members of society,” Judge Ackerman said. “I have devoted my entire career to public service, and I believe my experience, track-record, determination and commitment make me uniquely qualified to serve as Albany County Judge.” Judge Ackerman’s judicial appointment followed a distinguished career as a special victims prosecutor. Her expertise as a prosecutor, her compassion for victims and her unparalleled work ethic have made her known statewide. She has accepted assignments as a special victims prosecutor in several counties including Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Warren, Monroe and Erie. Additionally, Judge Ackerman served as the Director of Human Trafficking Prevention and Policy for the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). In that role, she trained prosecutors, law enforcement officials and child protection workers in developing and successfully prosecuting cases involving modern day slavery. When Judge Ackerman took the city court bench in 2016, she inherited a considerable and chronic case backlog. She cleared the backlog within a matter of months, and today the Cohoes City Court is one of the top performers in the seven- county Third Judicial District. - more - Judge Ackerman’s signature achievement as a judge is the creation of the United Against Crime-Community Action Network, or U-CAN. U-CAN is a first-of-its-kind court-based mentoring program in which volunteer mentors work with troubled young defendants. Courts across the state are now planning to replicate Judge Ackerman’s highly successful model. “I created U-CAN because I believed I could do more to prevent crime and save young lives than simply sit back and wait for an angry young person to commit a felony and for a member of my community to fall victim to a preventable crime,” Judge Ackerman said. “I am proud to say that I created and implemented U-CAN without seeking any funding from the Court System.” Judge Ackerman has lived in several communities in Albany County and the Capital Region. She grew up in foster care, went on to graduate from Hudson Valley Community College, Siena College and the University at Buffalo School of Law. “My courtroom is open to the public and I welcome anyone who wishes to witness the type of judge I am in City Court, and the type of judge I would be in County Court, to visit my courtroom unannounced,” Judge Ackerman said. -30-