The lid is off the cover-up of the recent sex scandal rocking the Committee on Character & Fitness at The New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department on Madison Avenue.
The committee is charged with insuring that attorney applicants meet high ethical standards. While applicants usually come from the list of those who recently passed the bar exam others, including out-of-state attorneys, also need to get approval from the Character & Fitness Committee before they can practice law within the First Judicial Department, which encompasses the Bronx and Manhattan. But all applications are fully reviewed, the committee says. And it is required that all applicants appear at the committee's Madison Avenue offices for an in-person interview.
It seems, though, that one Committee employee has been working extra long hours conducting his own self-styled review of character & fitness, and this much to the displeasure of at least one cleaning woman who happened upon the intense desk-top, naked-truth, proceedings.
"The rumors had been around for a while," says a Madison Avenue employee who asked that he not be identified. "But bringing all sorts of women and hookers to the Offices of the Committee on Character & Fitness after hours is just plain stupid; night shift security once counted 3 different women in one week."
But once the cleaning lady complaint was made, the cover-up came faster than you can say "get-up-on-my-desk-so-I-can-test-your-upstanding-character-and-fitness."
According to sources, Sarah Josephine Hamilton, herself an attorney and who heads the Character & Fitness Committee, quickly tried to quash the whole story with her boss, Catherine O'Hagan Wolfe, Chief Clerk of the Appellate Division, First Department. But then complaints were made to the First Department Attorney Disciplinary Committee at 61 Broadway. "And that's when the real cover-up machine went to work," says the Madison Avenue employee. "Tom Cahill and Sherri Cohen threatened everyone to keep the lid on it."
It has been reported that Thomas Cahill, long-time Chief Counsel of the Disciplinary Committee, and his assistant Sherri Cohen are to be replaced soon amidst the call to clean up the widespread improper political interference with attorney discipline investigations.
Governor Spitzer recently named the Hon. Jonathan Lippman as Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, First Department; David Spokony was quickly named Chief Court Clerk, replacing Catherine O'Hagan Wolfe, who has moved to a position in the federal court system.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Judge Denies Cancer Patient Monies From Mother's 17-Year-Old Estate...CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY
Adrienne Marsh Lefkowitz found out she had cancer last May. And most people know that stress is not good for cancer patients. But perhaps someone needs to tell that to Westchester County Surrogate Judge Anthony A. Scarpino and The Bank of New York who together tried to crush the Bank’s cancer-victim opponent.
Lefkowitz, a retired New York State attorney is only too familiar with stress as a way of life, a horror involving her mother’s Westchester County estate that has been going on since Irene Marsh’s death 17 years ago. Westchester County Surrogate Court records indicate that Irene Marsh’s other distributees timely received their monies years ago. However, Ms. Lefkowitz and her daughter did not. (Incidentally, Ms. Lefkowitz’s father’s 19-year-old New York County estate is also still pending.)
For many years Ms. Lefkowitz’s estate distributions were often seized in secret by the estate executor, the Bank of New York. The Bank even refused to release her monies (almost $200,000.) after she made a special request related to her cancer diagnosis. And that medical request also didn’t matter much to Westchester County Surrogate Anthony A. Scarpino who not only denied the emergency medical request but failed to even mention the medical need in his decision. (Matter of Irene B. Marsh, New York Law Journal, October 20, 2006, page 28)
Though Lefkowitz provided evidence from her doctor concerning the cancer diagnosis, and her own affidavit seeking an “expedited resolution” to her request for the release of the undistributed funds withheld from her for years, the judge denied her request in a September 28, 2006 ruling. One attorney who reviewed the public file said, “It’s quite clear that Ms. Lefkowitz presented evidence to the court concerning her cancer diagnosis, and her urgent need for special care and treatment. I can’t understand or explain why the request was denied, and without the court even commenting on her need for monies for immediate cancer treatment.”
A review of the filed documents reveal that while rejecting the original grounds asserted by the bank-executor for withholding Lefkowitz’s distributions, the judge refused to release the funds to Lefkowitz because of the bank’s new argument of anticipated future litigation expenses, and a potential estate insolvency. The Bank of New York concealed from the court that it has refused to pay any more legal bills since January 2004.
“But only Lefkowitz, of the 5 beneficiaries was, in effect, being required to “post a bond” for future estate legal expenses,” says another legal expert after a review of the file. “The denial of monies to a cancer patient is reprehensible on its own, but given the bank’s admission to criminal activity, the Bank of New York is hardly a suitable fiduciary in any estate.” He added, “Under New York State Probate Laws, Article 7 of the SCPA, “dishonesty” is grounds for removal of The Bank of New York as it cuts directly to their ineligibility as a fiduciary. This estate should have been finalized years ago, and the denial of money for a cancer patient by the judge and the fiduciary are shocking- beyond words.” (See The Bank of New York non prosecution agreement with the FBI on this forum, to the right)
Instead, the court has left The Bank of New York in place as the fiduciary of Lefkowitz’s mother’s estate, with the clear message that Lefkowitz would get no money for cancer treatment or care, or anything else, because of her plans to finally hold the bank accountable for its failings over the past 17 years, which include their dereliction in securing the Marsh family furnishings, art and jewelry. Lefkowitz is also opposing the huge attorney bills to the estate from McCarthy Fingar LLP. (The reader may recognize the McCarthy Fingar law firm from other stories on this forum, including the Thomas and Agnes Carvel estates) (click "JUDGE TO CANCER PATIENT..." icon on right to view the Court Decision and Lefkowitz's Affidavit),
The FBI has been investigating why over $300,000 of Lefkowitz’s daughter’s trust funds had been wrongfully retained in trust by the Bank of New York over 2 years after the termination date as set forth in the Marsh wills. The FBI probe follows the 2005 non-prosecution agreement where the Bank of New York agreed not to commit any more crimes, as reported in The New York Times on November 9, 2005. The bank’s non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorneys’ Eastern and Southern Districts of New York involved criminal activities which implicated the bank’s corporate counsel’s office and high-level Bank of New York executives.
Ms. Lefkowitz repeatedly declined to comment on this story.
(This forum will carry other examples of abuse of the cancer patient by The Bank of New York)
Lefkowitz, a retired New York State attorney is only too familiar with stress as a way of life, a horror involving her mother’s Westchester County estate that has been going on since Irene Marsh’s death 17 years ago. Westchester County Surrogate Court records indicate that Irene Marsh’s other distributees timely received their monies years ago. However, Ms. Lefkowitz and her daughter did not. (Incidentally, Ms. Lefkowitz’s father’s 19-year-old New York County estate is also still pending.)
For many years Ms. Lefkowitz’s estate distributions were often seized in secret by the estate executor, the Bank of New York. The Bank even refused to release her monies (almost $200,000.) after she made a special request related to her cancer diagnosis. And that medical request also didn’t matter much to Westchester County Surrogate Anthony A. Scarpino who not only denied the emergency medical request but failed to even mention the medical need in his decision. (Matter of Irene B. Marsh, New York Law Journal, October 20, 2006, page 28)
Though Lefkowitz provided evidence from her doctor concerning the cancer diagnosis, and her own affidavit seeking an “expedited resolution” to her request for the release of the undistributed funds withheld from her for years, the judge denied her request in a September 28, 2006 ruling. One attorney who reviewed the public file said, “It’s quite clear that Ms. Lefkowitz presented evidence to the court concerning her cancer diagnosis, and her urgent need for special care and treatment. I can’t understand or explain why the request was denied, and without the court even commenting on her need for monies for immediate cancer treatment.”
A review of the filed documents reveal that while rejecting the original grounds asserted by the bank-executor for withholding Lefkowitz’s distributions, the judge refused to release the funds to Lefkowitz because of the bank’s new argument of anticipated future litigation expenses, and a potential estate insolvency. The Bank of New York concealed from the court that it has refused to pay any more legal bills since January 2004.
“But only Lefkowitz, of the 5 beneficiaries was, in effect, being required to “post a bond” for future estate legal expenses,” says another legal expert after a review of the file. “The denial of monies to a cancer patient is reprehensible on its own, but given the bank’s admission to criminal activity, the Bank of New York is hardly a suitable fiduciary in any estate.” He added, “Under New York State Probate Laws, Article 7 of the SCPA, “dishonesty” is grounds for removal of The Bank of New York as it cuts directly to their ineligibility as a fiduciary. This estate should have been finalized years ago, and the denial of money for a cancer patient by the judge and the fiduciary are shocking- beyond words.” (See The Bank of New York non prosecution agreement with the FBI on this forum, to the right)
Instead, the court has left The Bank of New York in place as the fiduciary of Lefkowitz’s mother’s estate, with the clear message that Lefkowitz would get no money for cancer treatment or care, or anything else, because of her plans to finally hold the bank accountable for its failings over the past 17 years, which include their dereliction in securing the Marsh family furnishings, art and jewelry. Lefkowitz is also opposing the huge attorney bills to the estate from McCarthy Fingar LLP. (The reader may recognize the McCarthy Fingar law firm from other stories on this forum, including the Thomas and Agnes Carvel estates) (click "JUDGE TO CANCER PATIENT..." icon on right to view the Court Decision and Lefkowitz's Affidavit),
The FBI has been investigating why over $300,000 of Lefkowitz’s daughter’s trust funds had been wrongfully retained in trust by the Bank of New York over 2 years after the termination date as set forth in the Marsh wills. The FBI probe follows the 2005 non-prosecution agreement where the Bank of New York agreed not to commit any more crimes, as reported in The New York Times on November 9, 2005. The bank’s non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorneys’ Eastern and Southern Districts of New York involved criminal activities which implicated the bank’s corporate counsel’s office and high-level Bank of New York executives.
Ms. Lefkowitz repeatedly declined to comment on this story.
(This forum will carry other examples of abuse of the cancer patient by The Bank of New York)
Memo #1 to Chief Administrative Judge Pfau...CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY
On June 14th we began the collaborative process of memoralizing our constructive thoughts to Chief Administrative Judge Pfau. And continuing on a regular basis, we will send Judge Pfau a collection of suggestions intent on improving our courts.
**Below is FINAL MEMO #1 sent to Judge Pfau June 18, 2007**
Also, included in our memos will be various subjects, including our request for updates as to issues addressed in this forum. Your constructive comments will be sent along with the memo. In commenting on this post, please keep it clean and constructive; vent, etc. on other posts, please. Our Memos are meant to HELP the court system for everyone. (this is a work in progress, and information is taken from positive comments and suggestions emailed to us)
MEMO #1
To: Hon. Chief Administrative Judge Ann T. Pfau
Date: Monday, June 18, 2007
RE: SUGGESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION
Dear Honorable Chief Administrative Judge Pfau:
Every law-abiding and honest attorney, court employee and judge, has
cheered your recent appointment as the New York State Chief
Administrative Judge for the Courts. And your presence at the top
brings a sense of hope to every honest citizen, who looks forward to
overall court reform, and the restoration of integrity to the New York
Court system. We urge, and support, your immediate action, and we
respectfully present suggestions for consideration:
1. Amnesty for Judges, Lawyers & Court Employees
SUGGESTION: Establish a 60-day Amnesty period during which judges,
attorneys (court employed and private) and court personnel may come
forward with information regarding improper activity, either known to
them or with which they have been involved. (It's the only way to see
any true reform.)
2. Direct Access to the Offices of the Chief Administrative Judge
SUGGESTION: Establish Public access computers in every court in the
state, allowing for direct communication to the Chief Judge's
Administrative Offices, so as to provide top administrators (above
district levels) with timely information from the public concerning
suggestions and/or concerns.
3. Complete Court Employee Accountability
SUGGESTION: The name of all court employees should be easy to
ascertain: name tags, id numbers, or the public posting of all
employee photos with identifying name and position/title.
We appreciate your consideration of the herein respectfully submitted
suggestions.
...more to follow... ###
**Below is FINAL MEMO #1 sent to Judge Pfau June 18, 2007**
Also, included in our memos will be various subjects, including our request for updates as to issues addressed in this forum. Your constructive comments will be sent along with the memo. In commenting on this post, please keep it clean and constructive; vent, etc. on other posts, please. Our Memos are meant to HELP the court system for everyone. (this is a work in progress, and information is taken from positive comments and suggestions emailed to us)
MEMO #1
To: Hon. Chief Administrative Judge Ann T. Pfau
Date: Monday, June 18, 2007
RE: SUGGESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION
Dear Honorable Chief Administrative Judge Pfau:
Every law-abiding and honest attorney, court employee and judge, has
cheered your recent appointment as the New York State Chief
Administrative Judge for the Courts. And your presence at the top
brings a sense of hope to every honest citizen, who looks forward to
overall court reform, and the restoration of integrity to the New York
Court system. We urge, and support, your immediate action, and we
respectfully present suggestions for consideration:
1. Amnesty for Judges, Lawyers & Court Employees
SUGGESTION: Establish a 60-day Amnesty period during which judges,
attorneys (court employed and private) and court personnel may come
forward with information regarding improper activity, either known to
them or with which they have been involved. (It's the only way to see
any true reform.)
2. Direct Access to the Offices of the Chief Administrative Judge
SUGGESTION: Establish Public access computers in every court in the
state, allowing for direct communication to the Chief Judge's
Administrative Offices, so as to provide top administrators (above
district levels) with timely information from the public concerning
suggestions and/or concerns.
3. Complete Court Employee Accountability
SUGGESTION: The name of all court employees should be easy to
ascertain: name tags, id numbers, or the public posting of all
employee photos with identifying name and position/title.
We appreciate your consideration of the herein respectfully submitted
suggestions.
...more to follow... ###
Monday, June 11, 2007
Former NY State Chief Court Clerk Sues Judges in Federal Court...CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY
The former chief clerk for Onondaga County Family Court has filed a federal lawsuit alleging she was forced from her job because she would not conspire to spread negative information about a State Supreme Court candidate.
(Click on the Federal Complaint to the right)
Seems the former chief court clerk, Ms. Morin, didn't like that Administrative Judge James Tormey and former Executive Assistant John Voninski wanted her to spy on and provide dirt about State Supreme Court candidate David G. Klim who was a Family Court Judge at the time.
She alleges that her life was made unpleasant when she refused to conspire with the judges, including being made to fill-in for vacationing clerks in far away places. She was apparently asked whether or not she was a "team player."
This latest peak at procedures on the inside of a New York State Judicial District's administrative office follows The Westchester Guardian report just a few weeks ago that a criminal investigation was called for involving the alleged improper actions of Westchester County Surrogate Judge Anthony A. Scarpino and New York City Administrative Judge Jacqueline W. Silbermann.
Seems like honest people are feeling a little bit more empowered by the presence of Chief Administrative Judge Ann T. Pfau.
(Click on the Federal Complaint to the right)
Seems the former chief court clerk, Ms. Morin, didn't like that Administrative Judge James Tormey and former Executive Assistant John Voninski wanted her to spy on and provide dirt about State Supreme Court candidate David G. Klim who was a Family Court Judge at the time.
She alleges that her life was made unpleasant when she refused to conspire with the judges, including being made to fill-in for vacationing clerks in far away places. She was apparently asked whether or not she was a "team player."
This latest peak at procedures on the inside of a New York State Judicial District's administrative office follows The Westchester Guardian report just a few weeks ago that a criminal investigation was called for involving the alleged improper actions of Westchester County Surrogate Judge Anthony A. Scarpino and New York City Administrative Judge Jacqueline W. Silbermann.
Seems like honest people are feeling a little bit more empowered by the presence of Chief Administrative Judge Ann T. Pfau.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
UPDATE: STORIES WE'RE WORKING ON...CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY
(updated 6/07/07)
*** 1 *** Sources reveal Westchester Feds have appealed to Washington for HELP.
Manhattan FBI has added additional agents to focus on corruption in New York courts. Westchester complaintants have been summoned to 26 Federal Plaza to meet with FBI agents. "Westchester is a mess," says a source, revealing that the federal government was OVERWHELMED when they set up a federal corruption hotline in White Plains last year. "People -important people-- who have been on the inside for years, are now talking. The coming shake-up will change all of Yonkers, White Plains, Mount Vernon and most of Westchester....for the better." ****LOOK FOR DETAILS, NAMES.....Connecting the dots with Albany, Spano, Bruno, Pirro, party bosses, judges, the Yonkers machine & Westchester and NYC "politics" .... Full Story Coming Soon..........DEVELOPING........*****
*** 2 *** We're finalizing collection of documents to support findings on story that may go down as one of the most DISGUSTING judicial beatings in memory: JUDGE DENIES CANCER VICTIM PARENT'S $LEGACY$ FOR TREATMENT AND CARE !!!
******* THIS STORY WILL BE POSTED SOON *******
****IMPORTANT ****** If you have informaton regarding any complaints largely ignored by the Commission on Judicial Conduct, the Inspector General and/or any attorney disciplinary committee, WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU ....we have 42 to date.... send info via email or pdf. ******
*** 1 *** Sources reveal Westchester Feds have appealed to Washington for HELP.
Manhattan FBI has added additional agents to focus on corruption in New York courts. Westchester complaintants have been summoned to 26 Federal Plaza to meet with FBI agents. "Westchester is a mess," says a source, revealing that the federal government was OVERWHELMED when they set up a federal corruption hotline in White Plains last year. "People -important people-- who have been on the inside for years, are now talking. The coming shake-up will change all of Yonkers, White Plains, Mount Vernon and most of Westchester....for the better." ****LOOK FOR DETAILS, NAMES.....Connecting the dots with Albany, Spano, Bruno, Pirro, party bosses, judges, the Yonkers machine & Westchester and NYC "politics" .... Full Story Coming Soon..........DEVELOPING........*****
*** 2 *** We're finalizing collection of documents to support findings on story that may go down as one of the most DISGUSTING judicial beatings in memory: JUDGE DENIES CANCER VICTIM PARENT'S $LEGACY$ FOR TREATMENT AND CARE !!!
******* THIS STORY WILL BE POSTED SOON *******
****IMPORTANT ****** If you have informaton regarding any complaints largely ignored by the Commission on Judicial Conduct, the Inspector General and/or any attorney disciplinary committee, WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU ....we have 42 to date.... send info via email or pdf. ******
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