Binghamton University graduate Jerry Mollen has served as the Broome County District Attorney (DA) for 28 years, and is now seeking re-election for his eighth term in the November election.

Mollen, who graduated from BU in 1974 with a degree in economics and was first elected to the position of Broome County DA in 1987, said there was no question that he would run for re-election.

“It’s a challenging path every single day,” Mollen said. “For me, it’s where I can best use my talents, experience, judgements to best serve the community I live in, and I’d like to close my career doing what the district attorney does. There was no reason to consider doing anything else.”

Mollen has been a Broome County resident his entire life, as he grew up in Binghamton and now resides in Vestal with his wife of 40 years, Elizabeth. Mollen and his wife attended Catholic Central High School in Binghamton.

During his time at the University, Mollen was a commuter student and played varsity basketball for three years. Mollen said he has been hopeful about the changes BU has contributed to Broome County during his lifetime, including the creation of the University Downtown Center and the new pharmacy school.

“I thought I knew the University pretty well, but when I became a member of the Alumni Association Board, I learned about so many things [the University] was doing and became excited more about the community and how [the University] contributes to it,” he said. “It’s an amazingly different place than it was when I attended.”

During his time as DA, Mollen has prosecuted 70 felony cases, including murder, drug and manslaughter cases, and has created community education programs, like the Broome County Gang Prevention program, to involve and inform citizens. Some of his most famous cases involve the three murder trials that have occurred since last July. He is also famous for the prosecution of Abdulsalam Al-Zahrani in the 2011 stabbing of a BU professor in his office.

Jim May, Mollen’s campaign manager, said that Mollen’s extensive track record and knowledge set him apart.

“I am confident that the voters of Broome County realize that Jerry Mollen is clearly the most qualified and experienced candidate for the position of Broome County District Attorney,” May wrote in an email. “What Jerry brings to the position of District Attorney is his unmatched experience and trial skills from his 35 years of being a prosecutor.”

Mollen is also the co-founder and co-chair of Family Violence Prevention Council, Child Advocacy Center and the Multi-Disciplinary Case Review Team for child abuse, domestic violence and elder abuse. He also implemented the Drug Treatment Court and Veterans Court, and serves on the Opioid Abuse Council to deal with drug abuses.

“Some of my accomplishments are prosecuting successfully some of the most violent perpetrators over a 30-year career, but the work outside of the pure prosecution is what I would be proudest of,” he said.

Despite having been DA for 28 years, Mollen said he is still looking for new ways to improve Broome County. In addition to addressing the opioid epidemic in the county, Mollen said he is also looking for better funding for the county and more conversation between citizens and police officers.

“A goal for the near future is to try and convince the county legislator and state funding sources for better resources,” he said. “Also, so many things are changing, and one of the goals of the criminal justice system is to try to establish better communication, contact and confidence with members of the community and law enforcement.”

May said that after working with Mollen and knowing his accomplishments, voters of Broome County can be proud that he is their DA.

“On a personal note, during my 30-plus year career in the traffic safety and criminal justice systems, Jerry stands out as one of the hardest working, most dedicated and principled professionals I know,” May wrote. “Jerry has dedicated his career to serving the citizens of Broome County.”