Suffolk News-Herald

Eric A. Cooke of Franklin, an assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney, will be the keynote speaker for graduation at Paul D. Camp Community College’s &uot;Regional Workforce Development Center&uot; at 7 p.m. Friday, May 9.

Since l996, Cooke has been responsible for preparation and trial of criminal felony and misdemeanor cases at all levels of complexity including both jury and bench trials in the Circuit Court, trials in the General District and Juvenile Courts of Franklin and Southampton County.

He has also served as a special prosecutor in Suffolk when the office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney encountered a conflict of interest situation in prosecution.

From l966 to l988, he worked for the Police Department, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police where he was a training unit commander in charge of coordinating all training for a 160-man police department; a squad sergeant responsible for supervision of a squad of police officers at Dulles International and Reagan National; and a police officer at Reagan International Airport.

Cooke also completed a four-year night-school program while working full time for the police department, and in l994 graduated in the top 20 percent of the class with a Juris Doctor degree from George Mason University School of Law.

In 1988, he graduated second in the class from the Basic Police Academy through the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy in Arlington.

He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Criminal Justice from Kent State University where he graduated in l987 with honors. From l982 to l983, he was an AFS International Exchange Student to Indonesia, living with a native family and attending Indonesian High School on the island of Java. This experience fostered a respect for other cultures and perspectives and required that he learn to speak Indonesian.

He has completed diverse training in Appellate Advocacy, Trial Advocacy I & II, Homicide Prosecution, Top Gun Drug Prosecution, Asset Forfeiture, Prosecutor Skills, Drug Enforcement and Investigation, Terrorism Recognition and Awareness, Instructor Development, Equal Employment Opportunity, Basic Management and Supervision, Contemporary Management, and Developing Effective Supervisory Skills.

Cooke’s

community service includes President of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 56 in Courtland, Franklin/Southampton Bar Association Law Librarian, Instructor at the City of Franklin Police Department Citizen’s Police Academy, Courtland Ruritan Club member, and Coordinator for the Fraternal Order of Police presenting the Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program currently being used in elementary schools.

He and his wife Diane have two children, Kristen and Brian.