Monday, December 31, 2012

NYS Senate Democrats Choose Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins Instead of John Sampson

Kevin Parker Hands John Sampson His Second Loss of the Week

Written by Aaron Short on . Posted in Blog, Features, Heard Around Town, Latest.



State Sen. Kevin Parker

State Sen. John Sampson has had a rough week. Senate Democrats chose state Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins instead of Sampson as their minority leader in a surprising 19-6 vote on Monday.
The next day state Sen. Kevin Parker trounced him in the 2012 Stars of New York Dance contest at Long Island University’s Kumble Theater in Brooklyn.
Sampson reportedly spent several hours practicing his choreography but looked a step slow and was no match for Parker, who unleashed a torrent of old school hip-hop steps to Doug E. Fresh, LL Cool J, and Salt ‘n’ Pepa songs that brought the crowd to its feet and Sampson to his knees.
Parker was gracious in victory. “It always feels good to win,” he said. “We found a way to turn this ugly duckling into a swan.”
Parker said he did not cast a vote in the leadership race because he couldn’t make the meeting but said Stewart-Cousins matches the ideological goals of the conference. “I’m sure the senator is disappointed, everyone likes to win, but if it is going to be somebody else, Andrea is a great choice,” he said.
Sampson left the theater after the judges declared Parker the winner and could not be reached for comment.
Check out Sampson’s dance moves here, http://bit.ly/TyG57n, and Parker’s hip hop stylings here, http://bit.ly/UDvx6c.
UPDATE ON THE VOTE: The internal vote was 19-6. 25 people voted, but Parker did not cast a ballot.

Friday, December 28, 2012

The Who Are You Kidding Award Goes To Judge Felice O'Shea For Censuring and Not Removing Bronx Surrogate Judge Lee Holtzman

Hands counting money, stock photo. REUTERS Jo Yong hak

 
From Betsy Combier:I attended almost every
hearing date of Bronx Surrogate Court Judge Lee
Holtzman's "trial". What a theatre performance
he gave! I attended partially due to the fact that Manhattan Public
Administrator Ethel Griffin stole the estate of my mom, with the
assistance of former Manhattan Surrogate Judge Renee Roth and
Attorneys Kenneth Wasserman, Eli Uncyk, Peter Schram, and
Jonathan Landsman. Even Eliot Spitzer was involved in not only the
theft of my mom's estate (her Will - which left me her apartment in
NYC - was declared null and void by Renee Roth and then by Nora
Anderson's replacement, Judge Troy Webber) but hundreds of others
from the rightful heirs.
RICO in the New York State Unified Court System: How the Courts
Steal Your Property, Your Children, and Try To Destroy Your Life...
And How You Can Stop Them
Dont forget to listen in the article above to
the taped conversation between me and NYPD detective Ahearne
about how 1st Department Appellate Division Judge Karla Moskowitz
paid Attorney Kenneth Wasserman to harass me.

 

Bronx surrogate fights misconduct 

charge in rare public hearing

9/19/2012)

By Joseph Ax

NEW YORK, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Bronx Surrogate Lee Holzman asked 
a disciplinary panel Wednesday to dismiss charges of misconduct against 
him for failing to fire a lawyer in his court who improperly billed estates 
hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees before performing any work.
The hearing before the state Commission on Judicial Conduct offered a rare 
glimpse inside what are usually secret proceedings. Holzman waived his 
right to confidentiality last year.
Fewer than a dozen judges have elected to waive secrecy in more than 750 
cases since 1978, according to the commission.
In a crowded hearing room, a lawyer for the commission's counsel and 
Holzman's lawyer painted diametrically opposing portraits of the judge in 
the months after he learned in 2006 that lawyer Michael Lippman had been 
billing legal fees in advance, a violation of the court's protocol.
"The surrogate put in place measures to remedy the problem and protect 
the public," said Holzman's lawyer, David Godosky. He claimed the judge 
was the only one to act to fix the issue, while investigators from the FBI, 
the city's Department of Investigation and the Bronx district attorney's office 
did not charge Lippman with any wrongdoing for years.
But Mark Levine, the lawyer for the commission's counsel, told the commission 
that Holzman had abandoned his duty to the public and urged it to remove him 
from the bench.
"Don't let him fool you," Levine said. "This was a clear abrogation of judicial responsibility."
The commission filed charges against Holzman after Lippman, the counsel to 
the public administrator, was indicted in 2010 for stealing $300,000 in excess 
fees. Lippman has pleaded not guilty.
The public administrator handles estates for which there is no designated heir.
Rather than fire Lippman, Holzman instead demoted him and instituted a 
repayment structure in which Lippman would turn over any new fees he 
earned to repay the money he had improperly collected in previous cases. 
Holzman said Wednesday he was unaware of the extent of Lippman's 
transgressions in 2006.
Last year, a judicial referee, retired state Supreme Court Justice Felice 
O'Shea, conducted a three-week trial to determine whether any of the 
commission's misconduct charges should stand.
In her July report, O'Shea concluded one count of misconduct should be 
sustained for Holzman's failure to terminate Lippman but recommended that 
he be cleared of other charges, including claims that he broke the law by rubber-stamping Lippman's fees without enough documentation and that his lack of 
oversight led to corruption in his court. She also found that Holzman had 
allowed his personal affection for Lippman to color his judgment.
Wednesday's hearing was called to hear arguments from both sides on whether 
the commission should accept all, some or none of O'Shea's findings.
Holzman defended his decision, telling the commission it was an appropriate 
response that would ensure estates were made whole while forcing Lippman 
to complete the work for which he had already been paid. Lippman did not 
earn another penny after 2006, he said.
But Levine said Holzman's motives were far more self-serving. He said 
Holzman had no desire to expose himself to scrutiny and wanted to protect 
Lippman, whom Levine described as a longtime friend of Holzman's.
"He was not my friend," Holzman said in response. "There was absolutely no 
attempt to cover it up."
Holzman is retiring at the end of the year after having reached the state's 
mandatory retirement age, but Levine said his actions still warranted removal 
and would serve notice to other judges that such conduct will not be tolerated.
The commission, which met after the hearing in private to discuss the matter, 
will issue a written decision, likely later this fall. If the commission disciplines 
Holzman, he will have 30 days to appeal its decision to the court of appeals.
The case is the Matter of the Honorable Lee Holzman.
For the commission: Mark Levine.
For Holzman: David Godosky of Godosky & Gentile.
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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

New York State CJC Decides Not To Remove Bronx Surrogate Judge Lee Holtzman

NYS Judicial Conduct Commission Rules Censure, Not Removal, For Bronx Judge Lee Holzman

The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct has determined that Bronx County Judge Lee Holzman should be censured -- not kicked off the bench, as Commission Administrator Robert Tembeckjian recommended in a rare move this summer.
holzman walking.jpgDaily News investigations revealed that Holzman appointed a friend and political supporter, Michael Lippman, to oversee the estates of Bronx residents who died without wills -- including signing off on $1.5 million in advance fees before Lippman even did any of the alleged work.
Lippman, who had first gotten the estate jobs from Holzman in 2006, according to the Commission, got arrested in 2010 on charges of pocketing $300,000 in excessive fees and faking documents to cover his tracks.
The Dec. 13 Commission determination, made public today, found that Holzman’s doings reflected “poor judgment, rather than knowing concealment of criminal behavior or intent to deceive.” 
The panel also took note of the fact that by law, Holzman, 70, must step down at the end of this year anyway, and cited his “lengthy and unblemished tenure as a judge.”
Three Commission members concurred with Tembeckjian's recommendation to bounce Holzman.
“The Commission and I play different roles in the formal disciplinary process.  I prosecute and make a recommendation, the Commission members render decision, and sometimes we disagree," Tembeckjian, who serves as the group's counsel, said in a statement.
“I believed removal from office was the appropriate result based on the judge’s egregious misconduct.  A majority of Commission members voted instead to censure.  Naturally, I agree with the three who dissented for removal, but now, as always, we move on in good faith to the next case.”
The full determination appears below.
Holzman.Lee.L.2012.12.13.DET

Sunday, December 2, 2012

10 Lawsuits Against The NYPD That You Should Know About


Categories: NYPD, Victoria Bekiempis

Yesterday, the Voice reported on a lawsuit filed against the NYPD, which alleges that the department's "Dead or Likely To Die" accident policy leads to botched investigations.
But this is hardly the only suit to hit the department recently.
So we have put together a guide to ten key court claims, which involve everything from negligence to grooming to religion. (Note: some categories include more than one filing, but the number totals ten.)
Pedestrian and Cyclist Deaths
We mentioned this before, but Jacob Stevens is suing the department, claiming officers dragged their feet when investigating the car that fatally struck his wife, Clara Heyworth.
This suit, reportedly the first of its kind, puts to question the NYPD's treatment of cycling and pedestrian deaths.
Hasidic Jewish Beards
NYPD recruit Fishel Litzman, a 38-year-old father of three and Hasidic Jew, was canned Friday because his beard was too long. But, you know, having a beard is part of being a Hasidic Jew and all, so he's planning on suing the department. Of note: The NYPD has had problems with religious dress requirements before. Remember that top brass has long struggled with Sikhs, who grow beards and wear turbans as part of their religion.
Muslim Spy Scheme
Not too long after The Associated Press uncovered the NYPD's surveillance of entire Islamic communities in the Northeast, a major Muslim advocacy group has slammed the department with a civil rights suit, demanding an end to spying.
Anti-Gay Muslim Bias
This news just broke today: A Muslim cop hopeful has decided to take the Police Academy to court, claiming it's discriminating against him because of his anti-gay bias, reports theNew York Post. The paper claims that he checked the "'yes' box next to the question, 'Do you believe that homosexuals should be locked up?'" -- which disqualified him for cadet candidacy. He says that Islam treats homosexuality as a sin, so the department's policies are discriminatory, he claims.
Treatment of Occupy Wall Street Protestors
One class-action suit lambastes the NYPD's barricading tactics . Other Occupy-oriented civil court actions claim First Amendment violations and police harassment of demonstrators.
Arrest Quotas
A Federal judge agreed in April to give class status to 22 New Yorkers who say the NYPD's quota system, which officials deny exists, "leads street cops to hand out summonses even when no crime or violation has occurred just to meet productivity demands from their bosses."
Adrian Schoolcraft, NYPD Whistleblower and NYCLU
As chronicled by Graham Rayman, Adrian Schoolcraft was locked up in a psych ward after claiming his commanders manipulated crime statistics. He made recordings inside the precinct confirming these manipulation allegations, however. He's suing the department, as is the New York Civil Liberties Union. The NYCLU says Schoolcraft's precinct won't turn over public records.
Follow Victoria Bekiempis @vicbekiempis.