ROCKLAND CORRECTION OFFICER ARRAIGNED ON TWENTY-THREE COUNT INDICTMENT

On August 11, 2020, the Honorable Larry Schwartz, J.C.C., arraigned Rockland County Correction Officer Christopher Taggart, 39, of New City, NY, on a twenty-three count indictment charging two counts of promoting prison contraband in the first degree, a class D Felony, and twenty-one counts of official misconduct, each a class A Misdemeanor. At the arraignment, Kevin Conway, Esq. appeared with the defendant and pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Rockland County District Attorney’s Office certified its compliance with discovery and stated its readiness for trial. Judge Schwartz then provided a motion schedule and adjourned the case for a conference on September 29, 2020. Given the recent criminal justice reform statutes, the charged counts are all considered non-qualifying offenses for bail. As a result, Judge Schwartz released the defendant on his own recognizance with specified conditions that he must adhere to. Rockland County District Attorney Tom Walsh said: “This type of abuse of authority will not be tolerated and our office stands ready to vigorously prosecute this matter in order to insure the public’s trust that those who do so will be held accountable for their actions.”