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FORMER RI ATTORNEY GENERAL TO SERVE AS ELECTION MONITOR IN ARTSAKH
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/07/18/former-ri-attorney-general-to-serve-as-election-monitor-in-artsakh/
July 18, 2012
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (A.W.)-Former Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick
C. Lynch arrives in Artsakh on July 18 to serve as an election monitor
for the presidential election of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic,
which will be held on July 19.
Patrick C. Lynch "I congratulate the government of NKR for their
commitment to a transparent and fair election. I look forward to
participating in this democratic process," Lynch told the Armenian
Weekly before his departure to Artsakh.
Although there are four registered candidates, the election is widely
viewed as a race between President Bako Sahakian and Deputy Defense
Minister Vitaly Balasanian.
Serving from 2003 to 2011, Patrick C. Lynch, is the 72nd person to
hold the office of Rhode Island Attorney General since its inception
in 1650. Lynch, during his tenure as Rhode Island's Attorney General,
was the first Attorney General in state history to serve as the
President of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG). A
Special Assistant Attorney General from 1994 to 1999, he prosecuted
cases at every level of Rhode Island's criminal justice system and
led the State's prosecution of gang-related offenses. Lynch worked
for one of Rhode Island's top law firms until the 2002 election,
which capped his first campaign for public office.
An emphasis of his two terms as the Attorney General, Lynch had a
strong voice in the shaping of legislation aimed at toughening the
state's criminal justice system, advancing the rights of victims,
and affording additional protections to consumers. Lynch made reducing
juvenile crime the centerpiece of his administration, believing that
the career criminals of tomorrow start off as the youth offenders
of today.
During his tenure, Lynch, who as Attorney General of Rhode Island had
primary criminal authority, served from 2003 to 2011 on the Board of
the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA). He also served
on the Executive Working Group on Prosecutorial Relations through the
Department of Justice from 2004 to 2006. Lynch also served as Chairman
of the Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA) from 2004 to
2006. During Lynch's stewardship of DAGA, the number of democratic
attorneys general surged to 31 and fundraising and membership soared.
It was while hosting the NAAG 2008 Summer Meeting in Rhode Island
that Lynch was inducted as President of NAAG. In selecting The Year
of the Child as his presidential initiative, built on his work of
furthering protections for youth, including increasing safeguards in
the area of technology such as those attained by recent agreements
with attorneys general and social networking sites, as well as the
nation's cable operators.
In response to an increase in the number of crimes committed against
senior citizens in Rhode Island, which has one of the nation's
highest concentrations of the elderly, Lynch established, in 2005,
a specialized Elder Abuse Unit within the Department of Attorney
General. The Unit's primary functions are investigating reports of
alleged exploitation of seniors and prosecuting crimes involving
elderly victims of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.
Committed to championing the civil liberties of all Rhode Islanders,
Lynch created, with legislative approval, the Attorney Genenif's DUlce
01 CIvil Rights Aavocate -in 7lJ\J5. This specialized unit empowers
the Attorney General to be more proactive in protecting the rights
of Rhode Islanders from civil rights violations involving race,
ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, and age.
The father of two teenagers, Lynch's greatest emphasis during his
tenure was promoting the well being of children. Whether it was
healthcare legislation, safety on the Internet, the dangers of alcohol
and drugs, bullying or the early onset of the scourge of domestic
violence, Lynch was a tireless advocate for children. As Attorney
General, Lynch visited at least a school a week-making hundreds of
such visits since first taking office in January 2003-to speak to
children about making good choices in their lives. He was also an
unwavering advocate for the Rhode Island Judiciary's anti-truancy
and anti-drug initiatives, the Truancy and Drug Courts. In 2004,
the New England Association of Drug Court Professionals presented him
with its President's Award for his "support of drug courts and their
graduates." A year later Lynch became a member of the Executive Board
of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.
Lynch's energy and leadership on important legal and social issues
has earned him the respect of his peers throughout the nation. Not
only did Lynch lead several important amicus filings, he very
actively participated and chaired or co-chaired many committees at
NAAG including Youth Access to Alcohol, the Criminal Law Committee,
and Co-chaired (along with Colorado Attorney General John Suthers)
the Task Force on School and Campus Safety in the wake of the murders
at Virginia Tech.
Lynch took particular pride in fighting to protect the environment
in his role as the
Environmental Advocate and in the public utilities process in Rhode
Island, the New England region and with his colleagues nationally.
Environmental accomplishments include is leadership on local
matters from individual rate cases for consumers, a first in the
nation settlement with the Department of Navy for its spoliation of
Rl lands and water bodies. On a national front he was involved in
prominent environmental matters before regulatory agencies and every
level of our legal system including clean air court cases including
coal emissions and car emissions cases against both industries and
our Federal government (in the nation s first supreme court case on
global warming).
Lynch aggressively took the lead defending his Ocean State's economy
and natural resources by leading the fight to defeat efforts to site
an LNG facility in Providence and joined with anti-LNG forces in
nearby Fall River, Massachusetts, where another facility had been
proposed. Stating that safety and security measures are inadequate
to protect the public, the infrastructure, and the environment, he
continues to advocate for the sovereign rights of states against the
unwanted introduction of LNG terminals.
A 1987 graduate of Brown University, Lynch earned his law degree from
Suffolk University Law School. While playing professional basketball
in Belfast, Northern Ireland also participated in graduate studies
at Queen's University School of Law.
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/07/18/former-ri-attorney-general-to-serve-as-election-monitor-in-artsakh/
July 18, 2012
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (A.W.)-Former Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick
C. Lynch arrives in Artsakh on July 18 to serve as an election monitor
for the presidential election of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic,
which will be held on July 19.
Patrick C. Lynch "I congratulate the government of NKR for their
commitment to a transparent and fair election. I look forward to
participating in this democratic process," Lynch told the Armenian
Weekly before his departure to Artsakh.
Although there are four registered candidates, the election is widely
viewed as a race between President Bako Sahakian and Deputy Defense
Minister Vitaly Balasanian.
Serving from 2003 to 2011, Patrick C. Lynch, is the 72nd person to
hold the office of Rhode Island Attorney General since its inception
in 1650. Lynch, during his tenure as Rhode Island's Attorney General,
was the first Attorney General in state history to serve as the
President of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG). A
Special Assistant Attorney General from 1994 to 1999, he prosecuted
cases at every level of Rhode Island's criminal justice system and
led the State's prosecution of gang-related offenses. Lynch worked
for one of Rhode Island's top law firms until the 2002 election,
which capped his first campaign for public office.
An emphasis of his two terms as the Attorney General, Lynch had a
strong voice in the shaping of legislation aimed at toughening the
state's criminal justice system, advancing the rights of victims,
and affording additional protections to consumers. Lynch made reducing
juvenile crime the centerpiece of his administration, believing that
the career criminals of tomorrow start off as the youth offenders
of today.
During his tenure, Lynch, who as Attorney General of Rhode Island had
primary criminal authority, served from 2003 to 2011 on the Board of
the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA). He also served
on the Executive Working Group on Prosecutorial Relations through the
Department of Justice from 2004 to 2006. Lynch also served as Chairman
of the Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA) from 2004 to
2006. During Lynch's stewardship of DAGA, the number of democratic
attorneys general surged to 31 and fundraising and membership soared.
It was while hosting the NAAG 2008 Summer Meeting in Rhode Island
that Lynch was inducted as President of NAAG. In selecting The Year
of the Child as his presidential initiative, built on his work of
furthering protections for youth, including increasing safeguards in
the area of technology such as those attained by recent agreements
with attorneys general and social networking sites, as well as the
nation's cable operators.
In response to an increase in the number of crimes committed against
senior citizens in Rhode Island, which has one of the nation's
highest concentrations of the elderly, Lynch established, in 2005,
a specialized Elder Abuse Unit within the Department of Attorney
General. The Unit's primary functions are investigating reports of
alleged exploitation of seniors and prosecuting crimes involving
elderly victims of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.
Committed to championing the civil liberties of all Rhode Islanders,
Lynch created, with legislative approval, the Attorney Genenif's DUlce
01 CIvil Rights Aavocate -in 7lJ\J5. This specialized unit empowers
the Attorney General to be more proactive in protecting the rights
of Rhode Islanders from civil rights violations involving race,
ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, and age.
The father of two teenagers, Lynch's greatest emphasis during his
tenure was promoting the well being of children. Whether it was
healthcare legislation, safety on the Internet, the dangers of alcohol
and drugs, bullying or the early onset of the scourge of domestic
violence, Lynch was a tireless advocate for children. As Attorney
General, Lynch visited at least a school a week-making hundreds of
such visits since first taking office in January 2003-to speak to
children about making good choices in their lives. He was also an
unwavering advocate for the Rhode Island Judiciary's anti-truancy
and anti-drug initiatives, the Truancy and Drug Courts. In 2004,
the New England Association of Drug Court Professionals presented him
with its President's Award for his "support of drug courts and their
graduates." A year later Lynch became a member of the Executive Board
of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.
Lynch's energy and leadership on important legal and social issues
has earned him the respect of his peers throughout the nation. Not
only did Lynch lead several important amicus filings, he very
actively participated and chaired or co-chaired many committees at
NAAG including Youth Access to Alcohol, the Criminal Law Committee,
and Co-chaired (along with Colorado Attorney General John Suthers)
the Task Force on School and Campus Safety in the wake of the murders
at Virginia Tech.
Lynch took particular pride in fighting to protect the environment
in his role as the
Environmental Advocate and in the public utilities process in Rhode
Island, the New England region and with his colleagues nationally.
Environmental accomplishments include is leadership on local
matters from individual rate cases for consumers, a first in the
nation settlement with the Department of Navy for its spoliation of
Rl lands and water bodies. On a national front he was involved in
prominent environmental matters before regulatory agencies and every
level of our legal system including clean air court cases including
coal emissions and car emissions cases against both industries and
our Federal government (in the nation s first supreme court case on
global warming).
Lynch aggressively took the lead defending his Ocean State's economy
and natural resources by leading the fight to defeat efforts to site
an LNG facility in Providence and joined with anti-LNG forces in
nearby Fall River, Massachusetts, where another facility had been
proposed. Stating that safety and security measures are inadequate
to protect the public, the infrastructure, and the environment, he
continues to advocate for the sovereign rights of states against the
unwanted introduction of LNG terminals.
A 1987 graduate of Brown University, Lynch earned his law degree from
Suffolk University Law School. While playing professional basketball
in Belfast, Northern Ireland also participated in graduate studies
at Queen's University School of Law.