“Should’ve Called Tucker!”
Tucker Stanclift is the principal founder of Stanclift Law. He practices criminal defense and personal injury litigation, and is known for his aggressive yet compassionate representation of his clients. The focus of his practice is criminal law: DWI’s, civil litigation, personal injury, and vehicle & traffic law.
His office is located at 100 Glen Street, in Glens Falls, NY. From this office, he has a clear view of the Centennial traffic circle in downtown Glens Falls… From that vantage point, Stanclift enjoys watching all of the activity and progress that the City of Glens Falls is making. He credits the tangible improvements of downtown to the foresight of adding the Wood Theater: “The building of The Wood Theater was intentional by business leaders, for downtown restaurants, like Davidson Brothers, and more recently Farmacy, Craft on 9. The Wood Theater contributed to the vision of the downtown” Stanclift said in a recent interview.
Stanclift, who is originally from Lake Placid, attended St. Bonaventure University for his Undergraduate degree, and earned his law degree from Suny Buffalo School of Law.
Stanclift is also an avid supporter of the arts; he spent a summer at Oxford studying theater, and was no stranger to the stage at the Wood Theater. In his final performance at the Wood Theater, Stanclift performed in “A Few Good Men”; Stanclift portrayed the part of the prosecutor, which had been played by Kevin Bacon in the 1992 film version. Stanclift compares his role as a lawyer to that of a story teller, or a performer. “All I’m doing when I’m in front of a jury is telling somebody’s story” he said.
Stanclift has a relaxed and jovial manner, along with a respect and appreciation for the criminal justice system. He finds that taking the emotional element out of the situations for his clients is helpful: “Emotion plays an important role in these situations. I provide impartial analysis, critical thinking and options to my clients” he said. Stanclift represents his clients with the help of Sarah Desantis – his executive legal assistant of 3 1/2 years.
Stanclift emphasizes the importance of the structure of the law to protect people’s rights: “No one can take away a person’s right to a trial” he said emphatically. Explaining the options that are available is one of the essential aspects of Stanclift representing his clients – he communicates their options, and explains the implications and potential outcomes to his clients.
One of the programs that Stanclift is an advocate for is Drug Treatment Court. In this program, non-violent offenders voluntarily enter a treatment program. In Drug Treatment Court, the rules are clearly defined, and a contract between the offender, attorney’s, the District Attorney and the court is signed. Offenders who complete their drug program treatment court program may have their charges dismissed or reduced, or receive a reduction in their sentence.
The outcomes of these treatment programs have been overwhelmingly positive; Stanclift has seen clients that have had terrible accidents and have been prescribed strong narcotics. What begins as an essential pain reliever may quickly turn into an addiction; he has seen situations where this addiction has led to stealing, drug dealing, and robberies. The Drug Court Program creates a situation where people can take responsibility for their addiction, and get the help that they need.
Standclift is also an avid supporter of the new bail reform laws: “When a Judge sets bail, even a nominal amount, the rich get out and the poor stay in. It puts pressure on people and can even lead to false convictions. There is always going to be a tradeoff, but this bail reform is better for the system, and statistics don’t support that it has led to more crime” he said.
Among the promising changes in his profession, Stanclift finds the increased use of technology exceedingly helpful. “The legal environment has been bogged down with paper” he said, gesturing to his Chromebook; due to Covid restrictions and the need to still keep the court systems moving, there was a need for electronic documents. Documents are scanned into the system, the system is updated, and there is no need for boxes and boxes of paper that his profession is known for.
Technological advancement has also affected his communication with his clients; he isn’t tied to a designated phone line, but works primarily from his cell phone. This creates a situation where he needs to create boundaries so that he can be accessible to his clients, but also enjoy his family life: “It’s a problem that it seems like most families have, we are at the dinner table and staring at our individual phone screens. It takes some work to be present, and not distracted by technology.”
However, it is necessary for Mr. Standclift to be available outside of the usual “nine to five” hours. “The phone can ring in the middle of the night and someone is trying to decide whether or not to take a breathalyzer. They need advice. That’s part of my job” he explained.
Stanclift has seen improvements in bail reform, the use of technology and improvements within the system of public defenders as well. He credits the establishment of the Office of Indigent Legal Services as an important tool for people to understand their rights and receive the representation that they need. The purpose of this office is to assist county government and indigent legal service providers in the exercise of their responsibility. This office helps to create oversite so that people who qualify get the legal services that they need.
This office was established as part of the Hurrell-Harring settlement. The representation in this case was so inept that it violated the defendants civil rights. One of the stipulations of the settlement was the establishment of the office of Indigent services.
Stanclift is currently representing Anthony Futia – the accused motorcyclist who allegedly killed 38-year-old Jamie Persons and his 8-year-old step son Quinton Delgaillo in a motorcycle crash in Lake George. Futia recently rejected the Warren County District Attorneys offer of no more than 20 years to life in exchange for a guilty plea. Stanclift spoke for his client in court; barring any other offers, the judge has scheduled the trial date for March 20th.
Tucker Stanclift is a dedicated legal professional, and is active in the New York State Bar association where he held a former Chair of the Young Lawyers Section. He was also Chair of the Criminal Justice Section. In his free time, Stanclift enjoys spending time with his family and boating on Lake George. For more information, visit stancliftlaw.com, or call (518) 745-4346.
