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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
DA News | Fall 2023 Page 1
FROM THE OFFICE OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY MIRIAM E. ROCAH

Message from DA Rocah

Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah and her Conviction Review Unit,
with the Innocence Project, announced on Sept. 5 the exoneration of Leonard Mack,
who served more than seven years in a New York prison for a 1975 rape in Greenburgh
that he did not commit.

This is the longest wrongful conviction in U.S. history known to the Innocence Project
to be overturned by DNA evidence.

Overturned by DNA Evidence

The Conviction Review Unit’s investigation included new DNA hit that
led investigators to a registered sex offender who then confessed to
the 1975 rape in Greenburgh

“We were able to prove Mr. Mack’s innocence, in large part, due to our independent
Conviction Review Unit’s commitment and Mr. Mack’s unwavering strength fighting to
clear his name for almost 50 years,” DA Rocah said. “This exoneration confirms that
wrongful convictions are not only harmful to the wrongly convicted but also make us all
less safe.”

DA Rocah, the CRU and attorneys representing Mr. Mack from the Innocence Project
appeared before New York State Supreme Court Judge Anne E. Minihan, who
overturned the conviction of Mr. Mack, who was accused on May 22, 1975 of forcing
two high school students at gunpoint into the woods and tying up, gagging and
blindfolding them before raping one of the girls twice, and attempting to sexually
assault the other.

Susan Friedman, the Innocence Project’s attorney for Mr. Mack said, “Mr. Mack has
lived with the stigma of this wrongful conviction for nearly five decades. His courage
and determination are why we now have indisputable scientific evidence that proves he
is innocent. Mr. Mack’s case had many of the hallmarks of a wrongful conviction,
including multiple witness misidentifications. We are grateful that the Westchester
County District Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit investigated Mr. Mack’s case and
reached similar conclusions.”

The CRU investigation was conducted by Bureau Chief Anastasia Heeger, Assistant
District Attorney Charity Brady and Criminal Investigator James Menton.
Longest Wrongful Conviction in U.S. History

Leonard Mack appeared in Westchester County Court with his attorneys from the Innocence Project, joined by
Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah and the DA’s Office’s Conviction Review Unit, when his
conviction was vacated on Sept. 5, his 72nd birthday.

In this issue, we are proud to
share the many ways the
prosecutors and staff in my
office work hard every day on
behalf of the people of
Westchester County.

From holding accountable violent
offenders, sex offenders and
those who abuse their positions
of authority, to ensuring
conviction integrity…

From looking after our seniors
who are increasingly becoming
targets of scams, to supporting
our law enforcement partners on
community outreach efforts
related to hate- and biasmotivated
crimes and incidents…

We are committed in our work
inside and outside the courtroom
to seek a fair and more equitable
justice system for everyone.

NOTABLE CASES

Alexis Rose was sentenced on Aug. 15 to 25 years to life in state prison for the 2021 Yonkers murder of Pennsylvania resident Shaun Hutchinson, a former partner of his ex-girlfriend. The defendant, in violation of an order of protection, showed up at his ex-girlfriend’s Yonkers home unannounced while the victim, the father of her child, was leaving. Following a verbal altercation with his ex-girlfriend, the defendant removed a 9mm semi-automatic gun from his waistband and shot the victim multiple times before fleeing.

Following his arrest, police recovered an empty box of ammunition, packages and invoices for 9mm firearm parts, gun cleaning kits, and gun paraphernalia from the defendant’s home. The investigation also determined that, prior to the murder, the defendant’s escalating conduct involved calling and texting his ex-girlfriend from several different phone numbers,in violation of an order of protection.

DA Rocah said: “The intersection of domestic violence and gun violence can have devastating consequences. Not only did a victim have his life taken from him, but the defendant’s obsessive control and psychological manipulation will cause lasting trauma to the woman who witnessed this cold-blooded murder of her child’s father.”

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DR. CAITLIN RIVERS STATE OF COVID, FLU, RSV INFECTIONS IN THE NORTHEAST.. WESTCHESTER COVID CASES DECLINE 5TH CONSECUTIVE WEEK. 50% OF LAST OCTOBER INFECTIONS OF COVID

AUTUMN IN NEW YORK THIS WEEKEND FOILAGE SHOULD BE IN FULL SPLENDOR. (PEEKSKILL NY LAST SUNDAY

THE PLAGUE OF THE NEW NEWSWEBSITES– THE NEW PROPAGANDA. PEOPLE WATCH THEM BECAUSE THE “STORIES” THEY CHURN OUT HOURLY REINFORCE YOUR COMMITMENT TO DONALD TRUMP AND MISSTATE THE FACTS. THE NEW NEWSWEBSITES ARE PROPAGANDA  UNCLEAR, OPINIONATED,  YET COMPELLING, PROPELLING DONALD TRUMP BACK TO WASHINGTON

DR. KATELYN JETELINA YOUR LOCAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST ON THE EFFECTS OF TELEVISION AND SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE OF DISASTERS, TERRORISM ATTACKS CREATING  POST TRAUMATIC STRESS SYNDROME

WHITE PLAINS SALES TAX RECEIPTS DOWN 2% IN FIRST QUARTER. 

WESTCHESTER COUNTY SALES TAX RECEIPTS EVEN NO GAIN FROM LAST YEAR

WHERE IS THE INFLATION EFFECT? BUDGETS IN TROUBLE

JOBS CENTRAL OPENED BY LIFTING UP WESTCHESTER 

COMMON COUNCIL FORUM COMING UP (BATTLE HILL FORUM LAST WEEK)

JOHN BAILEY AND THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

EVERY WEEK ON WHITE PLAINS WEEK

FOR 23 YEARS

THE BIG MIKE

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PEOPLE TO BE HEARD PRESENTS THE OCTOBER 10 FEEDING WESTCHESTER 

NEWS CONFERENCE OF THE COMING EFFECTS OF HUNGER ON WESTCHESTER

—-IF THE GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN NOVEMBER 17–

—–THE NUMBER OF HUNGRY WESTCHESTER RESIDENTS 200,000– 20% OF THE COUNTY POPULATION.

–—-THE FEEDING WESTCHESTER FINANCIAL SITUATION

THIS PROGRAM IS A 30-MINUTE NEWS CONFERENCE HELD OCTOBER 10.

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Urging residents to follow his lead, Latimer said: “Schedule your flu and COVID-19 shots today, for yourself and your children. The flu can be miserable, and this vaccine offers the best protection we have throughout flu season.”

Flu and COVID-19 vaccines are available for a fee for people with insurance at many pharmacists and medical offices. To find a vaccine near you, go to https://www.vaccines.gov.

Vaccines are also available for uninsured and underinsured adults and children through the Vaccines for Adults and Vaccines for Children programs at Health Department clinics by appointment. Call 914-995-5800 weekdays before 4:30 p.m. to discuss eligibility. To reach residents who have difficulty accessing flu shots, the Health Department is holding clinics at some soup kitchens and homeless shelters.

Health Commissioner Sherlita Amler, MD, said:

“I urge everyone six months and older to get both these vaccines, and the sooner the better. Both flu and COVID-19 cases tick up as it gets colder and we spend more time indoors. Knowing this, I urge you to schedule flu shots for all your children and yourself as soon as possible. Vaccination protects you and it protects those around you who are more vulnerable to complications, such as infants too young to be vaccinated, seniors and people with chronic health conditions.”

In the U.S., there are usually more flu cases between December and February, but flu can linger into May. One flu vaccine now provides protection all season long and can prevent illness or reduce the severity of flu symptoms. The vaccine becomes fully effective after about two weeks.

Dr. Amler said that anyone who does get a respiratory infection should consider COVID/influenza testing. To avoid spreading germs to others, the CDC recommends residents wear a mask; cough or sneeze into their elbow; wash their hands frequently with soap and water. Those with flu should stay home for 24 hours after their fever subsides. Those who test positive for COVID should stay home for five days to avoid spreading germs and then wear a mask in public for another five days; clean surfaces they touch frequently, such as doorknobs, water faucets, refrigerator handles and telephones; and get plenty of rest.

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YLE MENTAL HEALTH

Social media, terrorist attacks, war, and vicarious trauma

BY DR.KATELYN JETELINA

AND

JULIE KAPLOW

OCT 17, 2023

Public health touches all aspects of our lives, not just during a pandemic and not just with infectious diseases. Thanks to your feedback, this newsletter will continue with Covid-19 updates and address other public health topics, like mental health. To choose what topics land in your inbox, click HERE.

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The darkest parts of humanity continue to unfold with the Israel-Hamas War— millions face pain, suffering, separation, fear, loss, hunger, thirst, disease, and desperation. It’s beyond devastating.

Bearing witness to these experiences is nothing like being on the ground, but can be unrelenting in its own right. And, never has there been so much coverage of terror and horror on social media. The pictures. The details. The heinous acts. The constant exposure. The accompanying slurs.

It can evoke deep sadness, significant stress, and vicarious trauma that is far-reaching and potentially long-lasting.

I partnered with a friend and colleague, Dr. Julie Kaplow—a psychologist specializing in the study and treatment of trauma and grief—to dive deep into what we’ve learned from other traumatic events, who is most impacted by this media coverage, and what we can do as individuals to lessen the blow.

What is vicarious trauma?

Events can negatively affect people a world away from the scene, especially when this involves witnessing fear, pain, grief, and terror that others have experienced. This is the “cost of caring”:

• We empathize with victims and this can cause us to  “feel their pain.”
• We may also feel directly threatened, especially when we relate in some way to those most impacted—“this could be me” or “this will be me.”
• We feel helpless to do anything.

Our attitudes and worldviews shift after exposure to distressing images of these events. This is vicarious trauma—the psychological impact of second-hand exposure to traumatic events. If left unrecognized and, in some cases, untreated, it can lead to depression, anxiety, PTSD, social withdrawal, substance abuse, or suicidal thoughts. 

How many people experience it?

It’s challenging to estimate. Some studies find about 1 out of 30 people, some up to 1 in 8, and some closer to 1 in 4 people.

Regardless of the exact number, it does seem to impact mental health service surge capacity. One study in the Lancet found that heavy social media use after such events translates into an excess of 12% mental health service burden. 

Prevalence varies because of variation in how vicarious trauma is measured and where it’s been studied. But, perhaps most importantly, the extent of suffering depends on the dose of exposure and socio-demographic predisposing factors.

Dose: Media exposure matters

Widespread media coverage of war, and particularly terrorism, has harmful effects on mental and physical health. And the more you interact with social media and television, the worse its impact. We’ve seen this over and over in the literature from other events: 

• In a 2014 Israeli study, the higher the media exposure during terror attacks, the higher the distress and post-traumatic stress symptoms levels.
• After 9/11, those who watched 4+ hours of TV coverage daily were more likely to experience acute stress.
• After 9/11, frequent early exposure to 9/11-related television predicted posttraumatic stress symptoms and physical health problems two to three years later.
• After the Boston Marathon bombings, repeated bombing-related media was associated with higher stress than direct exposure. Acute stress steadily increased with additional hours of media exposure.

Unfortunately, most research has focused on television exposure. For example, in a systematic review, 97% of studies were about watching TV. Of course, the information landscape has changed. Social media is not unfiltered, mis/disinformation is rampant, and exposure can be unexpected (for example, encountering gruesome photos while scrolling through feeds of pets).

Some recent studies have tried to fill the space. One simulation study found community PTSD prevalence almost doubled after social media video sharing of a terror attack compared to television. 

Socio-demographic predictors

Everyone can experience vicarious trauma, but certain socio-demographic groups are  at higher risk:

• Shared social identity with victims. For example, a study on the Pulse nightclub terror attack, which occurred on Latin night, found Hispanics and LGBTQ individuals were more likely to develop acute stress through media exposure than other demographics.

  

• Females are at far higher risk. One study in Pakistan found vicarious trauma among adolescent females was particularly high.
• Pre-event traumatic exposure and/or traumatic loss. Your experience before an event significantly impacts how you experience a current event. One study found direct exposure to 9/11 or Sandy Hook was more likely to cause acute stress after the Boston Marathon bombing.

What can we do?

Of course, social media use can be a positive force too, like increasing social connectedness. One study found that social media was protective against vicarious trauma when the content was focused on heroic acts and viewing information about the conflict itself (rather than the suffering).

There are a number of things we can do to reduce vicarious trauma while remaining up-to-date on the Israel-Hamas War:

• Turn off auto-play videos on social media.
• Walk away from social media after a time. Put on a timer.
• Pay attention to how you’re feeling. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, do activities that make you feel calm or relaxed.
• Seek social support. Being around other people who care about you is one of the best ways to reduce stress.
• Talk to someone you trust. This can be a family member, a friend, clergy, or a therapist.
• Find ways to feel useful. This can include donating to causes that help address the needs of those suffering or even just reaching out to a neighbor or friend who is struggling.
• If you have children, monitor what they’re seeing or hearing. As overwhelming as the media exposure is for adults, it can be even more confusing and stressful for kids. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network is a helpful resource for discussing war with kids.

Bottom line

Being witness to terrorist attacks and war can set off a cascade of collective trauma that results in physical, mental, and emotional impairment for thousands; far more extensive and for far longer than we may think. If you’re hurting, overwhelmed, and exhausted, you’re not alone.

Love, YLE and JK

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Julie Kaplow, PhD, ABPP, is Executive Vice President of Trauma and Grief Programs and Policy and Executive Director of the Trauma and Grief Center at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.

“Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE)” is written by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MPH Ph.D.—an epidemiologist, wife. During the day, she is a senior scientific consultant to several organizations. At night she writes this newsletter. Her main goal is to “translate” the ever-evolving public health world so that people will be well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. This newsletter is free, thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support this effort, subscribe below:

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