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February 4, 2019 judgeackermanpress@gmail.com

HON. ANDRA ACKERMAN ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR

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.
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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.
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