Episode Five

IN THEIR WORDS: What public officials do for us. Coroner Bobbi Jo O'Neal, Charleston County, SC

 

If you're like us here at CITIZENARTS, when you think of the job of a coroner (or, in some locales, a medical examiner) you may imagine a character you've read about in detective novels or seen in crime dramas: the person who declares how someone died. But their role is so much more.

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Coroner Bobbi Jo O’Neal, who oversees Charleston County, SC, joins us for this episode of IN THEIR WORDS: What public officials do for us. A coroner has multifaceted “roles” – ensuring justice in civil and criminal court cases, and providing public health information and education, among others – in addition to determining the specific cause and manner of death.

"We speak for people who can’t speak for themselves," says O'Neal, an RN whose career has spanned working with end-of-life patients, ER trauma cases and sexual assault victims, to her present role and in her leadership roles as president of the SC Coroners Association and past president of the International Coroners Association. She views her office as part of the “continuum of healthcare,” supporting affected family members through grief and the ‘paperwork of the deceased,’ and working collaboratively with law enforcement and legal entities.

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A priority is reducing the rising incidence and prevalence of opioid deaths in her county through ongoing education, monitoring ‘overdose hotspots,’ and engaging with the community as a Narcan distributor to prevent users from becoming ‘customers’ of her office. The reported numbers of opioid deaths would be far higher, says O’Neal, if coroner offices had the budget and training to autopsy every potential overdose death.

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"I was born for this and I can't imagine doing anything else." Please listen to Coroner O’Neal speak with knowledge, expertise, compassion and empathy about her role in people's lives. We think you'll agree the people of Charleston County – and all of us by virtue of her work ensuring national standards – are fortunate to have dedicated coroners like Bobbi Jo O’Neal supporting our communities.

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Episode Four

IN THEIR WORDS: What public officials do for us. District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, Onondaga County, NY

 

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!