Justice Grinds Slowly On Abelove's Watch

Troy Hundreds of felony cases handled by the Rensselaer County district attorney's office were never presented to a grand jury, and nearly 40 percent were dismissed when they were returned to local municipal courts as a result of the inaction. A Times Union examination of the office's oversight of felony cases during a 15-month period ending in March also found that many of the criminal charges were later sealed, often after they languished and were then dismissed by judges due to violations of the speedy trial rights of defendants, according to defense attorneys and court officials. The high rate of dismissals comes as the office of District Attorney Joel E.