An ‘historic day’ as Susan Howard sworn in as DA

Howard is first woman to serve as county’s top prosecutor

Photos by Tom Rivers: Susan Howard, the new Orleans County district attorney, signs the oath of office next to County Clerk Nadine Hanlon after a brief swearing-in ceremony this morning in the Orleans County Courthouse.

ALBION – Susan Howard was sworn in as district attorney this morning in a brief ceremony in the Orleans County Courthouse.

Many of the law enforcement officials, county department heads and staff of the District Attorney’s office attended the ceremony.

Howard succeeds Joe Cardone as DA. He served in the role for 33 years. Howard was Cardone’s first assistant DA since 2011. He told a crowd at the swearing-in that he has full confidence in Howard as she takes over as district attorney, the county’s top prosecutor.

“It is an historic day in Orleans County with our first woman district attorney,” Cardone told about 30 people at the swearing-in. “Susan, I know you are prepared to do this job. It is a very difficult job as you well know from many years already. I know you are prepared to discharge the responsibilities of district attorney and do justice for the people of Orleans County.”

Howard won a Republican primary in June against John Sansone and was unopposed in November for the general election.

Susan Howard says the oath of office, vowing to support the constitution of the United States, the constitution of the State of New York and to faithfully discharge the duties of the Office of District Attorney of Orleans County, according to the best of her ability. Howard’s sister Judy Schult holds the Bible while County Court Judge Sanford Church administers the oath.

Howard became a lawyer in 2004. She didn’t go to law school until she was 33. Before that she was a paralegal and a caseworker with the Department of Social Services.

Her father, the late Richard Schult, owned the Lakeland restaurant at Point Breeze. He also worked at Kodak and flipped houses. He often reached out to a lawyer for advice, Howard recalled in an interview in June.

Howard said she wanted to be that person who could help people through a problem. It wasn’t until she did an internship at the DA’s Office that she turned her attention to being a prosecutor. After that experience in 2000, she said she found her passion as a lawyer.

Susan Howard is congratulated by County Court Judge Sanford Church after she was sworn in as the county’s new district attorney this morning.

She said she is ready to get to work and is proud of a team of full-time assistant DAs. That includes Daniel Punch as the first assistant DA. Punch, the son of retired County Court Judge James Punch, has worked as an assistant DA the past 13 years in Erie County.

He welcomed the chance to return to his home county. His father was the DA before becoming the county judge.

“This is my hometown and I wanted to work with Sue,” Punch said after the ceremony. “It’s an opportunity to do good in Orleans County.”

The other full-time assistant Das include Alex Eaton and Katie Buckley. Eaton worked as an intern in the District Attorney’s Office with Howard. He has been working for the Erie County District Attorney’s Office. He is married to Joe Cardone’s daughter, Rosalind.

Buckley was working out of the Livingston County District Attorney’s Office.

“It’s a strong team,” Howard said. “We will hit the ground running.”

Photos by Marsha Rivers: Susan Howard gets a photo taken with her successor, Joe Cardone, after the swearing in ceremony at the Orleans County Courthouse. Susan Howard is pictured with current County Court Judge Sanford Church, left, and retired County Court Judge James Punch, who also is a former district attorney for the county.