Banks, the founding director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law, had this reaction to the pending arrest of Trump:

• “The potential indictment and arrest of former President Trump in New York is, if unprecedented, also unsurprising. New York prosecutors have signaled their intentions to pursue the investigation of alleged unlawful hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, and they are now nearing the decision point as the grand jury wraps up its work. Trump is following his usual playbook – accusing the prosecutors of a politicized ‘witch hunt,’ and broadcasting his potential arrest more or less as a badge of honor,” said Banks. “That he also took the occasion to urge his supporters to ‘protest, take our nation back’ in reaction to a state criminal charge not in any way connected to federal or White House influence simply reinforces that Trump is milking his New York exposure for maximum political benefit in the early days of his presidential campaign,” said Banks.
• “If Alvin Bragg does charge Trump, the two alleged law violations – falsifying business records to cover up a violation of campaign finance laws – will be difficult to prove. The two violations have never been joined like this in one prosecution before. The principal witness, Michael Cohen, has questionable credibility, and it is impossible to know in advance how a jury will react to the novel legal theory or to witness testimony,”��said Banks.
• “While Trump’s conduct in the Daniels matter is just one snapshot of his long history of exploiting and dehumanizing women, and finding a measure of justice for his coverup of hush money days before his 2016 election would be a modest win for the rule of law, far more significant law-breaking by Donald Trump remains in limbo – election interference in Georgia, incitement of rioters on January 6, and interference with a classified records investigation in Florida. Any of these could provide greater legal jeopardy for Donald Trump, and all of them promise more fuel for the Trump-as-victim machine that will surely persist in the weeks and months ahead,” said Banks

For interviews, reporters should contact Ellen James Mbuqe at ejmbuqe@syr.edu or 412-496-0551.

Distinguished Professor of Art History Wayne Franits and a colleague view the painting “Roman Charity” by 17th-century Dutch artist Hendrick ter Brugghen. The painting was presumed to have been lost to the ages, but resurfaced in February 2019.

The painting, “Roman Charity,” was last recorded publicly in 1692. But in February 2019, an art dealer in Italy contacted Franits informing him that they had come across a painting believed to be by ter Brugghen.

“I immediately responded and told them that their painting had not been seen in more than 320 years and this was a major rediscovery of a work that had long tantalized scholars,” says Franits, who is a specialist in 17th-century Dutch and Flemish art and teaches in the Department of Art and Music Histories in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Later that year, Franits was invited by the dealer to see the painting himself at a warehouse in London and confirmed that this was indeed the lost “Roman Charity” by ter Brugghen. The painting was eventually sold to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City where it is currently on view.

He published an article in the September 2021 issue of the venerable British art-history journal, “The Burlington Magazine,” which offers a detailed analysis of the painting as well as its style and how it compares to contemporary works by other artists.

Franits said he does not have any knowledge concerning this Dutch painting’s prior whereabouts or how it found its way to Italy, but he said it is still incredibly exciting to be part of its discovery.

Known for his expertise of Dutch painters, Franits is a prolific author of books and articles about such Dutch masters as Vermeer and Rembrandt, as well as other studies of Dutch art of the 17th century.

“Roman Charity” on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

However, it was “The Paintings of Hendrick ter Brugghen 1588-1629: Catalogue Raisonné,” coauthored with his late professor and advisor Leonard J. Slatkes in 2007, that led the art dealer to contact him when “Roman Charity” first resurfaced.

Interestingly, Franits was first approached about working on the book about ter Brugghen by Barbara Lane, the chair of Slatkes’ department at Queens College, along with his sister, following Slatkes’ death in 2003. Slatkes had been researching a book about ter Brugghen for decades but the draft was still incomplete when he died. Franits agreed to finish the book but it took several years of additional research, traveling to the Netherlands where ter Brugghen created most of his work, and sifting through copious notes left by his coauthor.

“It is enormously complicated writing a book with a deceased person,” Franits says.

The subject of “Roman Charity” depicts a scene that is rather unusual to modern viewers. The painting illustrates a story from ancient Roman author Valerius Maximus’ “Factorum ac dictorum memorabilium libri IX” (“Nine Books of Memorable Deeds and Sayings”) written around AD 30. “Roman Charity” tells the tale of an elderly man who was sentenced to death by starvation. His daughter, rather than allow her father to die in such a manner, visits him every night to secretly give him her breast milk. The story was long held as an exemplar of filial devotion.

“At the time, it was a story that many European artists depicted due to their own fascination with ancient culture. Furthermore, the viewers of such artworks would have been well-educated and literate to recognize what the artists had portrayed,” says Franits.

Stacy Pearsall meets her service dog, Charlie, on the set of the “Today Show” on Thursday, Nov. 9.

Pearsall, who visited campus earlier this week for her Veterans Portrait Project, was a guest on��NBC’s “Today Show” Thursday, Nov. 9, where she met her new service dog, Charlie, a black Labrador retriever.

Charlie has been a frequent guest on the Today Show as part of the “Puppy with a Purpose” segment. For 14 months, “Today Show” viewers have followed along with Charlie’s development as a service dog trained for the needs of a military veteran. He first appeared on the show as an 8-week-old puppy and became a regular on the show, meeting numerous guests and celebrities.

The Today Show featured Pearsall’s military career in a segment where she described her military commitment as a family tradition that stretched back to the Civil War. Pearsall got her start as an Air Force photographer at the age of 17. She traveled to more than 41 countries and, during three combat tours, earned the Bronze Star and Air Force Commendation with Valor for combat actions in Iraq.

Due to an attack on her convoy in Iraq, Pearsall lives with the effects of that attack with traumatic brain injury, migraines, seizures and nerve pain, according to the “Today Show.”

Pearsall says she has been waiting for a service dog for two years. When Charlie and Pearsall met, he came right to her and she gave him a treat and broke out into a huge smile.

She told the hosts of the “Today Show” that Charlie will help her cope with pain and be her partner on the road for the Veterans Portrait Project.

“Charlie means a lot more independence and empowerment,” says Pearsall.

Pearsall, spent two days this week in the lobby of Newhouse 2 taking photos of veterans for her project. She founded it in 2008 as a way to preserve the faces and stories of veterans from around the world, and to honor and thank them. Pearsall says she started the project as “an emotionally cathartic, physically healing tool,” and as a way to extend her service when she could no longer serve in uniform.

She twice earned the National Press Photographers Association’s Military Photographer of the Year award and is also the recipient of several other awards, including recognition by the White House as a “Champion of Change.”

Charlie was trained by , a nonprofit organization that trains dogs to support veterans and first responders during combat, both physically and emotionally.

David MacDonald at work

In the first episode of the season, master ceramist MacDonald talks about his development as a craftsman and artist from his early days, when he transferred his interest from an athletic scholarship to the physicality of pottery making. He also describes the transformation of his ceramic work from political art in the beginning to a celebration of this African heritage and other cultures, and his hopes for his artistic legacy.

“I consider myself very fortunate and blessed that at a relatively young age I found something that I enjoy. I really feel it has been a privilege to be associated with Syracuse University and the advantages of being in an academic environment, where I could experiment with interesting ideas,” says MacDonald.

In MacDonald’s appearance on the program, he teaches host Eric Gorges how to use a pottery wheel to throw a bowl, then carve and glaze it. For the Syracuse region, this episode broadcasts at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26, on WCNY. Those outside of Syracuse should check their local listings. ��A preview of the episode can be viewed .

“In a disposable world, craftsmanship is a lasting and loving legacy to future generations,” says “A Craftsman’s Legacy” host and producer Gorges. “We’ve lost our ability to appreciate the quality and the fact that someone put part of��themselves��into that creation. As we introduce our viewers to the amazing work of these men and women, I hope we will also inspire them to learn to make something themselves.”

In 1971, MacDonald joined the faculty at the University. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, MacDonald’s work received most of its creative inspiration from his investigation of his African heritage. Looking at a variety of design sources in the vast creative tradition of the African continent, MacDonald draws much of his inspiration from the myriad examples of surface decoration that manifests itself in the many ethnic groups of sub-Saharan Africa, such as pottery decoration, textiles, body decoration and architectural decoration. MacDonald’s work spans the complete spectrum of ceramic forms of a utilitarian nature.

His work is in the permanent collections of the Studio Museum in Harlem, Montclair Art Museum and the Everson Museum of Art.

Participants in the implicit bias training gather with trainer Bryant T. Marks, fifth from left.

The training was led by minister, researcher, master teacher and human developmentalist Bryant T. Marks.

Marks, an associate professor of psychology at Morehouse College and director of the Program for Research on Black Male Achievement, has been working closely with the White House and serves on President Obama’s board of advisors for the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.

Marks was hosted by the University’s Division of Campus Safety and Emergency Services. The training was open to all officers and supervisors within the Department of Public Safety, as well as Central New York law enforcement agencies.

“As part of a continuing conversation and an effort for continuous organizational improvement, the members of the Department of Public Safety had an opportunity to self-reflect and work on self-improvement. They were joined by more than 300 law enforcement officials from around the region who will bring this new knowledge back to their organizations with a goal of improving relationships with the communities that they serve,” says Tony Callisto, senior vice president and chief law enforcement officer at the University.

Marks said that he opens up these training sessions with the acknowledgement that everybody carries biases within them, whether it is based on race, gender, class or nationality.

Bias is defined as a prejudice in favor of or against person or group that is considered to be unfair. Unconscious biases (also known as implicit biases) are social stereotypes about certain groups of people that are formed without direct awareness.

“Approaching the subject from many different angles helps bring down defensiveness.” said Marks. “What I want everyone to know is that we all have biases but we can all manage those biases .”

Marks offered many examples of unconscious biases, including how both men and women have been shown to prefer male bosses over female bosses, even though evidence demonstrates both genders are capable of leadership roles.

“In confronting your biases, you need to question your assumptions and look at the evidence around you,” said Marks. “I hope when people leave they better understand unconscious bias and are willing to consider their own biases.”

Marks also encouraged participants to go online to , a nonprofit organization and international collaboration between researchers to educate the public about hidden biases through a series of online quizzes.

“Dr. Marks offered participants an opportunity to learn about how subtle implicit bias can be, how it can impact attitudes and action, and how each of us has been exposed to such bias at a subconscious level throughout our lives. We learned that acknowledging implicit bias is a first step toward managing it in a way that can reduce the impact on others,” says Callisto.

In addition to DPS, participants at the Nov. 22 training included law enforcement officers from SUNY ESF, SUNY OCC, New York State Police, New York State Parks Police, New York State Environmental Conservation Police, City of Syracuse, City of Cortland, City of Utica, City of Rome, City of Auburn, City of Oswego, Town of Camillus, Town of Manlius, Town of Seneca Falls, Village of Liverpool, Village of Chittenango, Village of Trumansburg, Village of North Syracuse, Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, St. Joseph’s Hospital Security and the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police.

Callisto says this was the first of many more opportunities for the division of public safety.

“Next steps include more training, more community engagement and an ongoing self evaluation of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing recommendations compared with current DPS practices, with an intent to improve performance and service,” says Callisto.

The College of Law has been redesignated as the New York State Science and Technology Law Center.

The center utilizes the expertise of Syracuse law faculty in matters of intellectual property and business law to provide valuable early-stage technology research. The center is further supported by law students enrolled in the Technology Commercialization Law Program headed by faculty member Jack Rudnick, visiting professor of practice; director of the Technology Commercialization Law Program; and director of the New York State Science & Technology Law Center.

“The re-designation allows us to continue to serve entrepreneurs and businesses in developing new technologies, protecting the innovations and finding applications for novel inventions,” says Rudnick. “The center gives our students experience in the vast world of technology law that they cannot find anywhere else.”

College of Law students enrolled in the tech commercialization law program work directly with businesses in evaluating new technologies and related legal issues, such as intellectual property protection, regulatory hurdles, funding sources, patent opportunities and overall assessment of the new technology.

“This program is a huge win for both the clients and the students. Clients get in-depth evaluations of their new technology and our students have hands-on experience that prepares them for future careers,” says Rudnick. “The NYS Science and Technology Law Center has helped numerous individuals and companies that have had a real impact on our region and the careers of our students and alumni.”

More than 200 companies with technologies ranging from fuel cells to drug delivery methods to brain scanning have been served by the center since its establishment at the College of Law in 2004. Over 100 research projects were completed during the past three years alone.

The Program in Technology and Commercialization at the College of Law is one of the oldest such legal programs in the nation and is celebrating its 25^th anniversary in 2015. The program was one of the first to foresee the growing need for attorneys skilled in matters of intellectual property management and technology commercialization. More than 350 students have graduated from the program.

“Lawyers need to not only have a deep understanding of the law, but also knowledge of technology and business to determine market success,” says Rudnick. “For our students to be as successful as they have, this experience has proven to be a defining moment in their legal careers.”

The NYS Science and Technology Law Center was created by the Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation in recognition of the technology commercialization law program at the College of Law. The first New York state-designated Science and Technology Law Center program was established in May 2001 by then-Gov. George Pataki.

Christopher Jennison

The ABA is one of the world’s largest voluntary professional organizations, with nearly 400,000 members who are lawyers, law students and others interested in the law and the legal profession. Its mission is to support the legal profession with practical resources for legal professionals while improving the administration of justice, accrediting law schools, and establishing model ethics.

Jennison, 24, from Silver Spring, Md., was one of several law students who were considered for the position. During his two years at the College of Law, he has served in various roles for the ABA including membership on the Board of Governors of the Law Student Division, and was the law student liaison to the Standing Committee on Continuing Legal Education. Additionally, he recently received the Law Student Division’s Gold Key Award, the highest award of the organization, given to a student who has devoted extraordinary time and effort in pursuing the goals of the division and the ABA.

The Law Student Division Board voted for Jennison to be their voting representative on the ABA’s board during their recent meeting in Las Vegas on March 15. He will be in training for several months before taking office at the conclusion of the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago in early August. Jennison will then serve as the Law Student at-Large for the ABA’s Board until August 2016.

“It is an honor to represent not just Syracuse University College of Law but also the interests and needs of all law students. The board position will allow me to leverage the understanding of issues in legal education and the relationships that I have developed to best represent law students going forward,” says Jennison.

Jennison graduated from Syracuse University in 2012 with dual majors in public relations from and policy studies from . He also earned a master’s in public administration from the University of Pennsylvania in 2014.

He is currently focusing his studies on criminal law and procedure at the College of Law, and hopes to clerk after law school for a federal or state judge in Maryland and eventually work as a prosecutor.

At the College of Law, Jennison keeps a busy schedule. He is a law ambassador, a member of the Moot Court Honor Society, lead articles editor of the Syracuse Law and Civic Engagement journal (SLACE), and also volunteers as an emergency medical technician with Syracuse University Ambulance.