Late Queens ADA Evangelou Earns NYC’s Prestigious Dewey Award

Late Queens Assistant District Attorney James W. Evangelou earned the prestigious Thomas E. Dewey Medal from the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. Photo courtesy of the Queens DA’s office

By David Brand

Late Queens Assistant District Attorney James W. Evangelou earned the prestigious Thomas E. Dewey Medal at a special ceremony on Tuesday.

Each year, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York awards the prize to an assistant district attorney in each of the New York City’s five District Attorney offices and in the Office of the City’s Special Narcotics Prosecutor.

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown commended Evangelou, a former bureau chief, after the award was announced. Brown called Evangelou “an all-around special person.”

“ADA Evangelou was our long-time chief of my Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau. He was a hard-working, dedicated prosecutor,” Brown said. “I am very pleased that such an esteemed honor is being awarded to him.”

Senior Executive Assistant District Attorney James C. Quinn accepted the award on Evangelou’s behalf.

Evangelous served in the DA’s office Special Victims Bureau from 1981 until 1992, when he was promoted to deputy chief of the new Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau. In 2000, he was promoted to Bureau Chief where he trained dozens of prosecutors.

“He will be best known for his humble and congenial nature and his dedication to our office, his colleagues and friends,” Brown said. “ADA Evangelou’s contributions to this office, his unwavering passion for the law and dedication to achieving justice makes him more than worthy of this honor.”

The award is named for former New York County DA Thomas E. Dewey, who prosecuted organized crime in the 1930s. After serving one term as DA, Dewey ran for and was elected governor in 1942. Dewey served as governor from 1943 until 1954 and ran for president in 1944 and 1948.