ALBANY, NY – Albany County District Attorney P. David Soares announced today that Assistant District Attorney Eric M. Galarneau has received the 2018 Robert M. Morgenthau Award from the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York (DAASNY). DAASNY presented the prestigious award at their annual Winter Conference in Manhattan today.
The award is named after legendary Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau. Each year the award is presented to four assistant district attorneys from four designated regions of the state, each of whom exemplify Morgenthau’s high standard of honesty, integrity, and commitment to justice.
Eric M. Galarneau has served as an Assistant District Attorney in Albany County since 1999. During his career he has served in many capacities, including Bureau Chief of the Major Offense Unit and the Street Crimes Unit. In December 2016 ADA Galarneau took over as the Bureau Chief for the Financial Crimes Unit. Mr. Galarneau also oversees the Public Integrity Bureau.
In addition to his duties as Bureau Chief, Mr. Galarneau also oversees long term investigations, some of which involve the use of court-authorized electronic surveillance and wiretapping.
Mr. Galarneau received his J.D. from Albany Law School in 1997. He received a B.A. Degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada in 1994.
Eric Galarneau was recognized for his career long dedication to the law enforcement community and the citizens that he serves as a prosecutor. Eric has handled thousands of cases in his career, including the murder conviction of Richard Quinn earlier this week. In 2017 Eric acted as Special Prosecutor in Washington County when he led the prosecution in a re-trial of Matthew Slocum for the triple-murder of his family members after the case was sent back after appeal.
“Over the past two decades as a prosecutor, Eric Galarneau has managed just about every long term investigation in the organization. He has worked with local, state, and federal agencies during the course of these investigations, some resulting in historic seizures of narcotics and other tools employed by traffickers. In addition to drugs and criminal enterprises, Eric has pursued gambling enterprises beyond the Capital District, and he has taken multiple murders and high level felony cases to verdict. Among his greatest qualities, however, are his leadership abilities. Those who work with Eric, police and prosecutors alike, love working with Eric because they learn from him. He is truly deserving of this prestigious award,” said DA David Soares.
“We are lucky to have such a talented attorney serving the residents of Albany County. Eric's willingness to accept any challenge and his ability to handle any case has made him an incredible asset to have in the office. This honor is well-deserved,” commented Chief Assistant District Attorney David Rossi.
“The wide array of specialized bureaus that Eric has managed and developed expertise in makes him an invaluable asset to our office,” commented Special Counsel Christopher D. Horn.
This is not the first time that this prestigious honor has been awarded to a member of the Albany County District Attorney’s Office. In 2017, Chief Assistant ADA David Rossi was awarded for his efforts on behalf of the legal community, and in 2015, Special Counsel Christopher D. Horn also received the Morgenthau Award.
For more information please contact Cecilia Walsh at (518) 275-4710 or [email protected]