By Bill Parry
Queens Assistant District Attorney Scott Kessler has been named the recipient of the Queens District Attorney’s Office’s 22nd annual Gene Kelly Award, a tribute honoring former Assistant District Attorney Gene Kelly, who died in 1992.
“This year’s Gene Kelly Award goes to Scott Kessler for his leadership and contributions to the Queens District Attorney’s Office during his long tenure,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. “In his 30 years here, ADA Kessler has positively impacted the lives of thousands of victims of domestic abuse my making sure their abusers are held accountable for their crimes.”
During the last three decades, Kessler prosecuted cases in many different bureaus including Integrity, Special Victims, Kew Gardens and Jamaica Trial bureaus and most notably in the Domestic Violence Bureau. For the past 21 years, Kessler has worked and trained countless assistants that have passed through the Domestic Violence Bureau.
Brown said Kessler’s professionalism and immense compassion for victims of domestic violence is the reason the office’s DV Bureau has national acclaim.
ADA Kelly began his career in 1978 and rose through the ranks to become one of the most dedicated and successful trial attorneys in the office’s history. He prosecuted the killers of Police Officer Edward Byrne and Parole Officer Brian Rooney and was involved with hundreds of other high profile cases. Throughout his career, he set an inspirational standard of leadership and prosecutorial integrity, Brown said.
The award is presented each year to one or more of the office’s assistant district attorneys who most exemplifies Kelly’s unique spirit, love of trial work and the courtroom and dedication to justice, according to Brown.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
