FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez Announces a Promotion and the
Hiring of New Prosecutors, Enhancing Diversity of Leadership and Staff
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced recent personnel moves that further enhance his Office’s professional excellence and diversity – a promotion of Assistant District Attorney Karla Watson to a Trial Bureau Chief and the appointment of 53 new Assistant District Attorneys who will serve Brooklyn by pursuing justice and public safety while strengthening community trust.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Our Fall 2020 class of newly hired Assistant District Attorneys is truly reflective of Brooklyn’s diversity, and I’m confident that this talented group of lawyers will do an excellent job serving our communities. The promotion of Karla Watson – a tireless and dedicated advocate for the people of Brooklyn – strengthens our Trial Division and makes its leadership ranks even more representative of the community we serve. I wish them all success and know they will make us proud.”
The District Attorney said that of the 53 new ADAs, 27 are attorneys of color. There are 24 men and 29 women. They finished a course of virtual training last month that familiarized them with all aspects of the criminal justice system – Criminal and Supreme Court practice and procedure and Grand Jury practices, as well as classes on criminal justice reform, prosecutorial ethics, signs of wrongful convictions and more. They have since been assigned to various bureaus in the DA’s Office.
ADA Karla Watson has been promoted this month to Chief of the Red Zone Trial Bureau, which handles criminal cases in East New York, Canarsie, Flatlands, Fort Greene, Marine Park and Mill Basin. She most recently served as a Felony Deputy in the Red Zone.
A graduate of Hofstra University School of Law, ADA Watson joined the Brooklyn DA’s Office in 1999 and since then has worked in Trial Bureaus and the Domestic Violence Bureau, indicting more than 100 felony cases. She tried a wide variety of felony cases, including attempted murders, robberies, home invasions, serious assaults and gun cases. In 2014, she was promoted to Felony Deputy, supervising prosecutors in all aspects of case investigation, preparation and trial. She also investigates complaints in her role as EEO counselor, and represents the Office at precinct council meetings.
ADA Watson is replacing ADA Kin Ng, this year’s recipient of the NYC Bar Association’s Thomas E. Dewey Medal, who will be taking over as Chief of the Blue Zone Trial Bureau. The other Trial Bureau Chiefs are James Lin (Green), Danielle Eaddy (Orange) and Robert Walsh (Grey). Janet Gleeson will be taking on a new position as Chief of Court Operations.
The new ADAs and the law schools from which they graduated are listed below:
Meredith Abrams Columbia University School of Law
Pious Pavitar Ahuja American University, Washington College of Law
Sahira Asia Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University
Gillian R. H. Barna New York University School of Law
Ingrid Bilowich Emory University School of Law
Lauren Bisogno St. John’s University School of Law
Saeng Bounyasane Indiana University School of Law—Bloomington
Bria Carr Drake University Law School
Audrey E. Chao Columbia University School of Law
Kathleen Conlon Brooklyn Law School
Amelia Digirolamo Boston University School of Law
Arique Dross Charlotte School of Law
Janai Fraser Rutgers University School of Law—Newark
Troy H. Gayle Syracuse University College of Law
Adam Ghalmi University of Connecticut School of Law
Kaley Annette Hanenkrat The University of Michigan Law School
Breana Harris Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center
Devyn Hebert Columbia University School of Law
Garrett D.C. Hines Tulane University Law School
Hannah Howard New York University School of Law
Alexander W. Iorio Tulane University Law School
Prianka Kazi Fordham University School of Law
Kaitlin Marie Kinsella The George Washington University Law School
Sophie L. Kravet Brooklyn Law School
Werner Kuang Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University
Katherine La-Rotta New York Law School
Charles Lewis Texas Southern Uni.—Thurgood Marshall School of Law
Sherri Litvak City University of New York School of Law
Paige Jill Mankin Fordham University School of Law
Aaron George Marrero Pace University School of Law
Michael Lesean McGee Jr. Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Inst. of Technology
Maria J. Miranda City University of New York School of Law
Daniel Murphy New York Law School
Marjeta Papa Nikolovski Pace University School of Law
Andrew Ogbahon Hofstra University School of Law
Moise Andre Oge St. John’s University School of Law
Paul Ostrer University at Buffalo Law School
Pooja Parekh New York Law School
Jonathan Randolph Parrish Temple Uni.—James E. Beasley School of Law
Ainissa Lytrice Proctor Charleston School of Law
Kellyann Ryan New York Law School
Zachary Safrin The John Marshall Law School
Andrew James Salinas Washington and Lee University School of Law
Iris Santiago New York Law School
Brianna L. Seid New York University School of Law
Douglas Steinberg The George Washington University Law School
Benjamin Eric Swanson New York University School of Law
Tyler Joseph Tagliaferro Case Western Reserve University School of Law
Zachary Charles Trkla Northwestern University School of Law
Alicia M. Trujillo New York Law School
Alejandro Vera University of Colorado Law School
Carmen L. Weaver William & Mary Law School
Andrew Jackson Yoo South Texas College of Law