Kenneth P. Thompson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ken Thompson
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|---|---|
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| District Attorney of Kings County | |
| In office January 1, 2014 – October 9, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Charles J. Hynes |
| Succeeded by | Eric Gonzalez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 14, 1966 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 9, 2016 (aged 50) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Lu-Shawn Thompson
(m. 1999) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | John Jay College of Criminal Justice (BA) New York University (JD) |
Kenneth P. Thompson (March 14, 1966 – October 9, 2016) was an American lawyer. He served as the top prosecutor, known as the District Attorney, for Kings County, New York. He held this important role from 2014 until his death in 2016.
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Ken Thompson's Early Life and School
Kenneth Thompson was born in 1966. His parents, William and Clara Thompson, separated when he was young. His father, William, worked for the city highways. His mother, Clara, made history in 1973. She became one of the first female police officers in the New York City Police Department.
After finishing Norman Thomas High School in New York City, Kenneth went to John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He graduated with high honors in 1989. Then, he attended the New York University School of Law. He earned his law degree in 1992. He also received a special medal for his contributions to the law school community.
Ken Thompson's Career as a Lawyer
Working for the U.S. Government
Thompson started his legal career in Washington, D.C. He worked for the United States Department of the Treasury. There, he was a special assistant to Ronald K. Noble. Mr. Noble later became the Secretary General of Interpol, an international police organization.
In 1995, Thompson became an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn. He worked for Zachary W. Carter. In this role, he helped prosecute important cases. One major case involved a police officer named Justin Volpe. Thompson helped lead the prosecution in this significant trial. The officer later changed his plea to 'guilty'.
Working in Private Law Firms
After his time as a federal prosecutor, Thompson started working in private law. He first joined a large law firm called Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. Later, in 2003, he co-founded his own law firm. It was called Thompson Wigdor LLP. This firm focused on cases about employment issues. When Thompson became District Attorney in 2014, the firm was renamed Wigdor LLP. It continues his work today.
Thompson also worked with important leaders like Senator Chuck Schumer. They helped convince the United States Department of Justice to look again at a very old case. This was the 1955 murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in Mississippi.
Thompson represented Kimberly Osorio in a case against The Source Magazine in 2006. Ms. Osorio said she was unfairly fired after she complained about her treatment at work. The jury decided that she had been fired unfairly. They also found that her character had been unfairly damaged. The total judgment was $7.5 million. Thompson told reporters, "This verdict shows that all women must be treated with dignity and respect."
Thompson also represented a woman named Nafissatou Diallo. She had accused a powerful person, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, of wrongdoing. Even though government prosecutors decided not to continue the criminal case, Thompson kept fighting for his client. He filed a civil lawsuit against Strauss-Kahn. He also filed a civil lawsuit against the New York Post newspaper on Diallo's behalf. These civil lawsuits were settled in December 2012.
Becoming District Attorney
In September 2013, Ken Thompson ran for Brooklyn District Attorney. He won against the person who was already in office, Charles J. Hynes. Thompson had criticized the New York City Police Department during his campaign. Mr. Hynes then ran again in the general election, but Thompson defeated him a second time.
Thompson made history. He was the first person to defeat a sitting District Attorney in Brooklyn since 1911. He was also the first African-American District Attorney of Kings County. He officially took office on January 1, 2014.
After Thompson's death, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that Thompson's Chief Assistant District Attorney, Eric Gonzalez, would finish his term. On October 9, 2021, the street block by his office was permanently renamed "District Attorney Kenneth P Thompson Way" to honor him.
Ken Thompson's Family Life
Ken Thompson married Lu-Shawn Thompson in 1999. They had two children together.
On October 4, 2016, Thompson announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer. He passed away on October 9 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He was 50 years old.
