TOWN OF POUGHKEEPSIE – Retired Dutchess County Court Judge Gerald “Jerry” Hayes passed away Saturday while holding hands with his wife of 56 years, Sheila Hayes.
Judge Hayes was known for fighting injustice during his storied legal career and he fought just as hard, family members say, with lymphocytic leukemia for the past three years.
Judge Hayes was well-respected in both the legal and political communities throughout the Hudson Valley, especially his Dutchess County base. The 82-year-old Hayes earned his BA from St. Anthony’s, a Capuchin Franciscan friary and college in New Hampshire, with the intent of becoming a priest. His college graduation changed his path and he pursued a career in law.
He received his Juris Doctorate from Fordham Law School in 1968 and soon after was hired as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan under the legendary New York County DA Frank Hogan who held the seat for 30 years. Hayes, like Hogan, was known for his professionalism and integrity.
In 1971, Hayes was hired as a Dutchess County Assistant District Attorney by then DA Albert Rosenblatt, who went on to become a judge in the New York State Appellate Court. Hayes would often refer to Rosenblatt as his friend and mentor.
In 1980, Hayes went into private practice, primarily as a criminal defense attorney but also accepted an opportunity to protect the rights of the less fortunate and served as a part-time assistant public defender in Dutchess County. He distinguished himself in those roles for the next 20 years.
It was at the public defender’s office that Judge Hayes had an impact on the recently-elected Dutchess County DA, Anthony Parisi. “I had the privilege of working alongside Jerry Hayes at the public defender’s office when I started my legal career,” Parisi said. Parisi had left to become an assistant DA and appeared before Hayes, who was appointed to serve as Dutchess County Court Judge by then-Governor George Pataki in May 2000. …
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