Mention of the word “sheriff” may conjure up iconic names of fabled lawmen like Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok and Pat Garrett. But the role of a sheriff actually dates back to 700 AD in England and came to the US with the early colonists. Today, more than 3,000 sheriffs serve in 47 states (Dare we say, who knew?)

In this episode of IN THEIR WORDS: What public officials do for us, we are honored to be joined by Greg Champagne, Sheriff of St. Charles Parish, LA and president of the National Sheriffs' Association.

Sheriff Champagne oversees a force of over 375 officers with far-reaching responsibilities encompassing all dimensions of public safety. The people are his constituents – and they speak with their ballots, re-electing him to his eighth term, with the last four uncontested.

Sheriff Champagne shares how the 21st century sheriff’s officers undergo state-of-the-art training to confront challenges never imagined even 20 years ago – continually adapting modern methods to meet daily demands. Officers, for example, are now equipped with virtual reality glasses enabling them to “see” what a person in crisis is experiencing, whether due to a developmental condition, mental health issues or drugs/alcohol. This has helped create better real-time understanding to defuse potentially combustible situations.

If he could change anything, Sheriff Champagne would “reset the biases and fixed opinions against law enforcement.” He urges “open-mindedness as the truth will come out.”

Oh, and he plays a mean trumpet, too – though not as often as his time in a college marching band. Still, he jams occasionally on stage and is honored to play “Taps” at military funerals as part of Bugles Across America.

Join us to learn more about this oldest continuing non-military law enforcement profession in the US. Hopefully it’ll give you new appreciation to "Support Your Local Sheriff!"

Episode Notes:
-More about this episode and the IN THEIR WORDS podcast series can be found at https://www.citizenartscreative.org/intheirwords
-Sheriff Greg Champagne's full bio: https://www.stcharlessheriff.org/258/Sheriff-Greg-Champagne
-More about the National Sheriffs' Association: https://www.sheriffs.org
-Music credit: Frederic Chopin, Waltz in B minor. Music by Nesrality from Pixabay
-CITIZENARTS essential mission is to foster greater understanding of civic issues. We'd love to hear from you about this topic! Email jeff.lewis@citizenartscreative.org and follow us on Instagram @citizenartsedu, Facebook @citizenartsedu, Twitter/X @citizenartsedu, Threads @citizenartsedu
-We are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit educational organization. Visit https://www.citizenartscreative.org/podcasts to access our growing selection of civics-related and historically significant programs. These include Hungary’s Cautionary Tale - How Autocrats Broke Democracy; MARCH, an audio drama based on an historically documented moment of Hitler’s rise to dictatorial power; and Liberty vs. Tyranny: Czech Views on Ukraine, Freedom and Democracy Shaped by Strife with Russia
-CITIZENARTS podcasts are presented courtesy of gabbegroup Productions. Copyright © gabbegroup Productions

Ever wonder what a coroner or medical examiner actually does? Bobbi Jo O’Neal, coroner of Charleston County, SC, explains that the job goes well beyond what we’ve witnessed in true-crime homicide dramas. From identifying cause and manner of death, to working with families through grief, assisting law enforcement, or playing a pivotal role in battling the opioid crisis, coroners provide essential community public services every day.

Show Notes:
-More about this episode and the IN THEIR WORDS podcast series can be found at https://www.citizenartscreative.org/intheirwords
-Coroner Bobbi Jo O'Neal's biography: https://www.charlestoncounty.org/elected/bio-coroner.php
-Learn more about some of the topics discussed from these resources provided by Coroner O'Neal
Charleston County Coroner's Office: https://www.charlestoncounty.org/departments/coroner/index.php
Charleston County Coroner's Office Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/charlestoncoroner
International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners: https://theiacme.com/
South Carolina Coroner's Association: https://www.southcarolinacoroners.org/
Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations: https://thecfso.org/
National Association of Medical Examiners: https://www.thename.org/
International Association of Forensic Nurses: https://www.forensicnurses.org/
Academy of Forensic Nursing: https://www.goafn.org/
-Music credit: Frederic Chopin, Waltz in B minor. Music by Nesrality from Pixabay
-An essential mission at CITIZENARTS is to foster greater understanding of civic issues. We'd love to hear from you about this topic! Email jeff.lewis@citizenartscreative.org and follow us on Instagram @citizenartsedu, Facebook @citizenartsedu, Twitter/X @citizenartsedu, Threads @citizenartsedu
-We are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit educational organization. Visit https://www.citizenartscreative.org/podcasts to access our growing selection of civics-related and historically significant programs. These include Hungary’s Cautionary Tale - How Autocrats Broke Democracy; MARCH, an audio drama based on an historically documented moment of Hitler’s rise to dictatorial power; and Liberty vs. Tyranny - Czech views on Ukraine and democracy shaped by strife with Russia
-CITIZENARTS podcasts are presented courtesy of gabbegroup Productions. Copyright © gabbegroup Productions

DAs serve a vital role in our court system by ensuring justice and equality under the law for all citizens. In this episode of IN THEIR WORDS: What public officials do for us, CITIZENARTS is honored to spotlight William “Fitz” Fitzpatrick, the eight-time elected DA of Onondaga County in the State of NY that includes Syracuse, one of the state’s largest cities, and is part of a judicial system that is among the oldest continuing courts in the US dating back to the late 1600s.

The caseload is vast, from homicides and special victims, to narcotics and racketeering. About the office’s economic crime bureau, he says “I’ve never seen such an influx of thieves and con artists – especially targeting senior citizens.” DA Fitzpatrick’s judicial innovations establishing best practices are now being used in 30 states and his leadership in codifying ethics standards reflect his core tenet that “prosecutors must be leaders not followers.”

He calls himself “a prosecutor born to solve homicides – to get justice for his brothers and sisters – and to keep the community safe.” A book on the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh’s baby son in the 1930’s “hooked” then 11-year old DA Fitzgerald with its breakthrough forensic evidence, which ultimately became “a lifelong career passion.”

Peers in the New York State DA Association have named him prosecutor of the year, and the New York State Bar Association voted him outstanding prosecutor. His constituents have reaffirmed their support by electing him district attorney for more than three decades.

DA Fitzpatrick reflects on proud moments, including a sudden infant death (SIDs) case that garnered national headlines proving a mother had murdered her five children at different times. After convicting her and discrediting a “quack” SIDs expert, SIDs cases dropped by 50% in the US.

Please join us for a riveting look at the high-stakes world of prosecuting defendants – many accused of heinous crimes -- including a courtroom moment when “Fitz” caught a defendant's incriminating verbal syntax slip-up that could’ve come straight out of a true crime TV drama. Justice served!

EPISODE NOTES
More can be found at https://www.citizenartscreative.org/intheirwords

District Attorney William Fitzpatrick's full biography: https://da.ongov.net/bio/

Learn more about the role of District Attorneys: https://ndaa.org

Revisit Fitzpatrick's Op-ed calling for the (now standard) practice of videotaping interrogations following his successful prosecution of Hubert “Mad Dog” Allen: https://www.syracuse.com/opinion/2010/12/onondaga_county_district_attor.html

Check out the Campbell Conversations, hosted by Grant Reeher, Director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute at Syracuse University, for insightful conversations with writers, politicians, activists, public officials, and business professionals whose work affects public life: https://www.wrvo.org/show/campbell-conversations-0

An essential mission at CITIZENARTS is to foster greater understanding of civic issues. We'd love to hear from you about this topic! Email jeff.lewis@citizenartscreative.org and follow us on Instagram: @citizenartsedu, Facebook: @citizenartsedu, Twitter/X: @citizenartsedu, Threads: @citizenartsedu

We are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit educational organization. Visit https://tinyurl.com/CApodcasts to access our growing selection of civics-related and historically significant programs. They include MARCH, an audio drama about Hitler’s rise to dictatorial power; Liberty vs. Tyranny: Czech Views on Ukraine, Freedom and Democracy Shaped by Strife with Russia; and A More – or less – Perfect Union, a nationwide debate about hyper-critical social, civic and political issues in the U.S.

CITIZENARTS podcasts are presented courtesy of gabbegroup Productions. Copyright © gabbegroup Productio