NY Post: Appeals Court Blasted Judge Jacqueline Silberman ...CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY

The New York Post reports that top NYC Matrimonial Judge Silbermann was blasted "for giving the husband everything without the wife knowing she was being sued for divorce." Everything, including the child and the house....

The husband is reported to be politically active and a former president of a Manhattan Democratic Club.

The Appellate Division ruling comes after troubling allegations were made, in May of 2007, concerning backroom deals and certain improper workings within two of New York State's Court Judicial District administrative offices— Westchester and New York counties, where the district administrators are Judge Nicholai and Judge Silbermann, respectively.

The Westchester Guardian newspaper had reported that a criminal investigation had been called for involving alleged improper actions by Westchester County Surrogate Judge Anthony A. Scarpino and New York City Administrative Judge Jacqueline W. Silbermann.

On August 13, 2007, The New York Law Journal reported that 9th Judicial District Administrative Judge Francis Nicolai, and who is only an elected County Court judge overseeing the District's higher level Supreme Court justices, would be running for one of the two open Supreme Court slots in the upcoming election. Not surprising, insiders say, County Judge Nicolai has been seeking a cross-endorsement in that election.

The complete August 12, 2007 New York Post article follows below, and the actual decision from the Appellate Division, First Department, is posted to the right as "Silbermann - Gass v Gass"


New York Post

DEM'S EX DEFEATS 'ABUSE' BY DIVORCE JUDGE

By JANON FISHER


August 12, 2007 -- She lost her son, her home and her job - but a Manhattan woman has fought and finally won an appeal to overturn the uncontested divorce that gave her politically connected husband everything.

After a three-year battle, Susan Gass, 50, won a ruling last month in which the appeals court blasted deputy chief matrimonial judge Jacqueline Silbermann for giving the husband everything without the wife even knowing she was being sued for divorce. Gass, who was repeatedly told she couldn't fight the 2004 divorce, claims politics drove the judges' rulings. Her husband, Thomas Gass, is the former president of the Village Reform Democratic Club in Manhattan.

In its decision, the appeals court said Silbermann "abused her discretion" when she ignored Gass' repeated attempts to fight the divorce, which awarded child custody and the house to her husband. "There was a complete lack of due diligence on the part of all the judges," Gass told The Post.

Susan Gass said her husband filed for an "uncontested divorce" without ever serving her; he has claimed he did. Thomas Gass would not comment on the ruling. Susan Gass refused to give up, even after Silbermann granted the terms of the divorce in 2005.

"I couldn't go to my grave letting them do this to me and get away with it," she said. Now, she plans to head back to court and divorce her husband again.

janon.fisher@nypost.com