Alumnus and U.S. District Judge to Return to SUNY Plattsburgh

October 10, 2012

A U.S. district judge and 1980 SUNY Plattsburgh alumnus will return to the campus during Homecoming to speak to students and interested community members.

Glenn T. Suddaby, a U.S. district judge for the Northern District of New York, will offer a Q-and-A session with communication majors at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 19, in Room 206 of Yokum Lecture Hall. At that time he will discuss how majoring in communication can lead to a career in law or public service.

The Northern District of New York is the largest federal district in the state, comprised of 32 counties and ranked 14th out of 94 district courts in the nation for having the highest caseloads per judge.

Suddaby was born in Glens Falls, N.Y., and attended SUNY Plattsburgh where he earned a B.A. in communications and was a member of football, basketball and baseball teams. He earned a Juris Doctorate from Syracuse University College of Law.

After passing the bar, he served as assistant district attorney for Onondaga County from 1985 to 1989. He then became a private legal practitioner with the Menter Law Firm in Syracuse from 1989 to 1992. In 1992, he was appointed chief of homicide for the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office and subsequently served as first chief assistant district attorney until 2002. During his service, he personally prosecuted more than 80 homicide cases, including one of the very few successful prosecutions in New York state of a murder in which the victim’s body was never found.

He was appointed U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York in October 2002. During his tenure there, he served as chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee on Border Protection & Immigration and was the justice department representative to the Integrated Border Law Enforcement effort with Canada.

As U.S. attorney, Suddaby was recognized for his innovative approach in targeting street gang crime and public corruption in the Northern District and enhancing border security along the Canadian border. He has received numerous awards demonstrating his commitment to law enforcement and justice, including the U.S. Department of Justice Award for Public Service in 2001 for his efforts on behalf of crime victims.

He and his wife, Jane, reside in Syracuse with their two sons. In his spare time, he coaches youth basketball and baseball and is active in several youth programs.