Town of Norwich Justice James A. Fox will be honored at this year's Law Day celebration with the Liberty Bell Award. The event is open to the public and scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 1 at the Chenango County Courthouse, with light refreshments served afterward. (Submitted photo)

NORWICH — Members of the Chenango County legal community have invited the public to attend this year's Law Day celebration, sponsored by the Chenango County Bar Association and scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 1 at the Chenango County Courthouse.

This year's theme is "Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility, and Collaboration," and will be presided over by Supreme Court Justice Joseph McBride, Norwich City Court Judge Mike Genute, and Chenango County Court Judge Frank Revoir.

The celebration will be honoring the Hon. James A. Fox, Town of Norwich Justice, with a presentation of the Liberty Bell Award. The award is given each year to a non-lawyer who "exemplifies good citizenship, [and] respect of the law, particularly the constitution."

"The award honors a person who has strengthened the American system of freedom and justice under law through their extraordinary contributions in the community. Generally speaking, the Liberty Bell Award is given for outstanding service in promoting a better understanding of our Constitution and the Bill of Rights, for encouraging greater respect for the law and the courts, for stimulating a deeper sense of individual responsibility so that citizens recognize their duties as well as their rights," said Revoir.

"It’s also for contributing to the effective functioning of our constitutions of government, and for fostering a better understanding and appreciation of the rule of law."

Fox is a lifelong resident of Chenango County, who began his career in law enforcement after high school, when he joined the Chenango County Sheriff’s Department cadet program, which was led by the late Sheriff Joseph Benenati, and graduated from the department’s Basic School for Law Enforcement.

He went on to earn an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice from Corning Community College in 1977, and became a civilian dispatcher with the New York State Police.

From 1979 to 1982, Fox worked for the Village of Cazenovia Police Department, then joined the City of Norwich Police Department. In 1985, he returned to the New York State Police, and worked as a state trooper for 20 years.

During his time with the New York State Police, Fox was assigned to several special details, including the St. Regis Indian Detail; the 1993 World University Games in Buffalo; the Seneca Indian Detail; and Woodstock 1999 in Utica-Rome.

In his last years of service, Fox was assigned to the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit (CVEU). He and his CVEU partner Tim Hagen were dispatched as part of the first State Police detail to New York City on September 11, 2001.

Between 2005 and 2011, Fox also served as a fraud investigator for Chenango County Social Services, and as an officer with the Village of Sherburne Police Department and the Town of New Berlin Police Department.

Fox changed careers in 2011, when he was appointed Justice for the Town of Norwich, a role he still holds today. He has served as acting Justice in the Towns of New Berlin and Preston and is currently the acting Justice for the Towns of German and Plymouth.

The Liberty Bell Award recipient is chosen by the Liberty Bell Award Committee, which consists of several members of the Chenango County judiciary and legal profession. Revoir said Fox was an obvious candidate for the award, both due to his long career in public service and his strength of character.

"He was a respected police officer, he’s a respected town judge, and he’s known, like we want all judges to be, for his fairness and impartiality. So it just made sense. His entire career was public service, and still is," said Revoir.

"His reputation is he’s respectful of the accused, he’s respectful of the attorney, whether it’s a prosecutor or a defense attorney, and I believe he had the same reputation as a police officer, too," he added. "So when you look at that definition of what the Liberty Bell stands for, he’s the epitome of what the award was designed to recognize."

In addition to his role as Town of Norwich Justice, Fox also serves as President of the Chenango County Magistrate Association, and was instrumental in the drafting and startup of the Central Arraignment Program (CAP) in Chenango County.

"Every county in the state of New York was required to adopt a CAP, a Centralized Arraignment Plan, which essentially deals with people that are arrested after normal business hours. They can’t just simply be held, they have to be taken before a judge, and their right to a public defender or an attorney is guaranteed from that very first appearance," Revoir explained. "Chenango County adopted, after a lot of hard work, a plan that was just implemented this past year, and Judge Fox was relentless in keeping the ball rolling."

"He kept the whole process moving, and ultimately the plan went into effect and appears to be working, and in no small part is it due to his efforts."

Monday's celebration will include statements from Assemblyman Joseph Angelino and retired New York State Trooper Tim Hagen, who both worked with Fox during his career in law enforcement. Chenango County Bar Association President Laura Parker will present Fox with the award.

The annual Law Day event will also celebrate the winning team of this year's Mock Trail Tournament, the Norwich High School. Attorney and Mock Trial Program Coordinator Thomas Curnalia will speak about the program and present the team with a trophy.

Chenango County Combined Courts Attorney Claudette Newman will also be presenting scholarships to local students who will be attending law school.

Revoir encourages members of the public to attend Monday's celebration. The hour-long event will begin at 9 a.m. at the Chenango County Courthouse, and light refreshments will be provided afterward.