Syracuse, NY-- NYS Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs Special Prosecutor Patricia E. Gunning announced that Tanya Lemon of Syracuse, who was employed as a nurse at a state-operated group home for individuals with developmental disabilities in DeWitt, New York, will be sentenced on Thursday, January 8, 2015 at 9:30 a.m. in Onondaga County Court. 

Lemon previously pleaded guilty to a felony charge stemming from an incident in which a medically frail individual in her care later died. 

The Justice Center and the Town of DeWitt Police Department launched a joint investigation after the JusticeCenter received a complaint that Lemon had been sleeping on the job.

Justice Center Deputy Special Prosecutor Jacqueline Kagan will be available to answer questions from the news media about the case and the Justice Center’s Spotlight on Prevention Toolkit on the Dangers of Caregiver Fatigue  http://www.justicecenter.ny.gov/spotlight-prevention/toolkits/fatigue following the court proceeding.

WHEN:                Thursday, January 8, 2015

9:30 a.m.

WHERE:             Onondaga County Court

                                401 Montgomery Street

                                Syracuse, New York  

About the Justice Center

The Justice Center and its statewide hotline and incident reporting system began operations on June 30, 2013.   It is staffed 24-hours a day, seven days a week by trained professionals who receive reports of allegations of abuse and neglect of people with special needs.  Once a report is received by its (VPCR) Hotline, it is logged and assessed.  Serious cases of abuse or neglect are assigned to the Justice Center’s investigation team or, when appropriate, to a local law enforcement agency for follow-up.

The Justice Center also maintains a statewide registry of all persons who have been found to be responsible for serious or repeated acts of abuse and neglect. Once placed on the registry, known as the “Staff Exclusion List” or SEL, they are prohibited by law from ever working again with people with disabilities or special needs.

Editors:  The defendant's booking photo is attached.