Broome County Courts “Catching Up” After Pandemic Slowdown

Things are beginning to get back to normal with Broome County courts following the delays and operational changes caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

District attorney Michael Korchak said "we are catching up" but "it's a slow process because anyone who wants a jury trial is entitled to one."

But Korchak said that means a sometimes lengthy wait for those who have been accused of a crime. He said "unfortunately, it's get to the back of the line." It's a case of "we just don't have enough days in the year to try all these cases."

Korchak said "it's been a very, very busy summer" for his office. In a WNBF News interview, he said "it doesn't slow down for local law enforcement, so therefore things don't slow down for the district attorney's office."

Korchak noted there had been two high profile jury trials in Broome County court in recent weeks.

In July, Lance Johnson of Binghamton was convicted of murder and attempted murder charges in connection with a August 2020 shooting incident in the town of Conklin. 38-year-old Alison Salisbury of Binghamton died and 42-year-old Shannon Brooks of Conklin was wounded during a dispute at an apartment complex.

In August, Jason Johnson of Nineveh was convicted of attempted murder of a police officer. He had been arrested after state trooper Rebecca Seager was shot in the hip in the town of Colesville in June 2021.

Korchak said area law enforcement agencies do "a great job of tracking down leads and solving crimes."

The DA said "they're doing their best but sometimes we need the public's help as well."

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.