Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced the appointment of 48 new Assistant District Attorneys – which is the largest class ever – to join the Queens District Attorney’s Office. Of the 48 new prosecutors, 27 are women and 21 are men.

“I am proud to welcome this diverse group of talented, dedicated professionals and look forward to working with them in support of the Office’s mission to keep those who live and work in Queens safe while helping to ensure the criminal justice system is fairer for all,” DA Katz said.

The new ADAs began their prosecutorial careers with an intensive, five-week-long training program, which included lectures, courtroom observation and interactive workshops. They received practical, hands-on experience by participating in Ride-Alongs with members of the NYPD and visiting the NYPD Firearm’s Training Facility. The class members were given a tour of the New York City Police Department’s 113^th Precinct and the Emergency Service Unit. They gleaned knowledge of alternative sentencing options from members of Samaritan Daytop Village, a community-based treatment program, and met with members from Queens Community Justice Center, a community-based youth outreach program.

To comply with the guidelines set forth by the Center for Disease Control during this pandemic, the District Attorney’s Office utilized a local movie theater to greet all 48 new ADAs, who were sworn in on their first day at work.

These new assistants will be assigned to either the Criminal Court Bureau, Intake Bureau, Domestic Violence or the Appeals Bureau. Thereafter, they will be eligible for assignments in the Investigations or Trials Division.

The new prosecutors and the law schools from which they graduated are: Tarek Abiassaf, Pace University; William E. Acevedo Hernandez, Pace University; Robert M. Baurley, Esq., Syracuse University; Edan E. Benmelech, CUNY Law School; Alexandra P. Betzios, Tulane University; Alexander Blisko, Fordham University; Katira D. Campos, Fordham University; Caitlin S. Cash, Brooklyn Law School; Sarah E. Colgan, Brooklyn Law School; Jairo Z. Coronado, Hofstra Law School; Benjamin N. Costanza, Columbia Law; Semyon Davydov, Brooklyn Law School; Joseph M. DiPietro, New York University; Joanne Stahr Febus, Cardozo Law School; Brian A. Gersh, Cardozo Law School; Carly G. Gersham, Pace University; Matthew I. Hauszpigel, Hofstra Law School; Tara E. Hayes, Fordham University; Dina P. Hodges, New York Law School; Jennifer N. Hout; Cardozo Law School; Jaedon J. Huie, Rutgers Law School; Kathryn M. Ingle, St. John’s University; Jacob M. Jones, University of Virginia; Dorothy Kong, Esq., Touro University; Eliza T. Lewis, Hofstra Law School; Xuan Lu, Brooklyn Law School; Walid O. Mabrouk, Esq., Nova Southeastern University; Kylie Mason, Syracuse University; Alison R. Miller, Georgetown University; Alexa M. Moreno, St. John’s University; Veronika Podoprigora, St. John’s University; Aliyah M. Polner, New York Law; Omar R. Rafiq, New York Law; Alexine J. Ralph, St. John’s University; Corey S. Reisman, Esq., Albany Law School; Adalgiza M. Rodamis, St. John’s University; John R. Roque, Fordham University; Jacob J. Saks, Fordham University; Leanna C. Samson, American University; Joseph K. Scianablo, Hofstra Law School; Marina D. Shew, Columbia Law School; Taylor R. Slotin, New York Law School; Michael Tadros, Charleston University; Priyanka L. Virmani, Hofstra Law School, Jessica Wang, St. John’s University; Brianna M. White, Hofstra Law School; Andrew Z. Wu, University of California Hastings College and Theresa H. Yuan, Notre Dame University.

Training for the new ADAs was supervised by Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Trial Division Pishoy Yacoub and led by Assistant District Attorney Laura Dorfman, Training Administrator.