E. Stewart Jones, Jr.

In 1988, Jones represented former Major League Baseball umpire Dave Pallone in questioning related to an investigation of a sex ring involving teen-age boys by Saratoga Springs, New York District Attorney David Wait. Jones represented former Washington County, New York supervisor William L. Nikas in 1994 against allegations of corruption in negotiations for the construction of a trash burning plant. In a highly dramatic situation in Albany, New York politics, Jones zealously represented J. Michael Bosley, a top Aide and counsel to former speaker of the New York State Assembly Sheldon Silver, against accusations of rape in August of 2003. Jones represented Jon Romano in his 2004 firing of a two-gauge shotgun at students and teachers inside Columbia High School in East Greenbush, New York. Jones joined fellow attorney Jim Hacker to represent the families of 20 individuals who perished following the Ethan Allen boating accident on Lake George, New York in 2005. In 2013, Jones represented the family of Clement Clarke Moore in a dispute over who wrote "A Visit from St. Nicholas", a poem published anonymously in 1823 by the Troy Sentinel. The courtroom drama reached national audiences when a Hallmark movie was made about the case, Twas the Night Before Christmas, as a follow-on to the play The Trial Before Christmas. Jones successfully defended Joseph Bruno in 2014 in retrying corruption charges that could have led to two years of jail time. Jones represented former state Assemblyman William Scarborough to ensure his sentencing. Scarborough was a Democrat from Queens who resigned and pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges in 2015. This legal representation resulted in Scarborough being sentenced to federal instead of state prison. ==Community service, philanthropy, recognition==

Jones served as co-chair of the Capital District Community Gardens' Urban Grow Center campaign. Jones served as chairman twice of the Albany Law School board of trustees, where he was awarded a trustee gold medal. He and his wife Kim endowed nine scholarships at six different schools and for research at a regional cancer center. Jones spearheaded capital campaigns at Albany Law School, the Albany Academy, Gilda's Club, and the Legal Aid Society, and restoration of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, New York. ==Resignation and disbarment==

In the summer of 2024, the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department disbarred Jones in what was described as a rare split court decision in favor of accepting his application to voluntarily resign from legal practice. Jones admitted to misappropriation of client funds, improper bookkeeping and commingling of funds. Jones was described as being "the gold standard for the local bar" by longtime friend and top attorney William Dreyer. In response to the end of his former mentor's legal career, notable Capital Region Criminal Defense Attorney George LaMarche said, "He has the support of this legal community." In a show of that support, well-known Capital Regional criminal defense attorney Mike McDermott said that Jones was "a legend, an icon in this profession... not a hyperbole." In reference to young attorneys watching Jones trying a case, McDermott said, "It's almost like a group of painters staring up through the scaffolding to get a glimpse of Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel -- I mean he was that much of a craftsman and a master of the art of advocacy."{{Cite web |date=2024-09-30 |title=Letters: Kudos to saviors, farmers, of American chestnut tree ==References==