INSIDE EDITION watched court officer Furlani drinking during lunch break on seven days.
INSIDE EDITION's Matt Meagher confronted Officer Zera, who was seen drinking at least 13 times.
INSIDE EDITION: It's lunchtime at a pub in lower Manhattan. For about an hour and a half, a group of men will pound down beers or drink hard liquor and sometimes even do shots. However, when they leave the bar, they're not headed home...they're going back to work. The group of men are New York State court officers, in charge of the safety and security in one of the nation's busiest criminal courts. They carry guns, can arrest people, and handle some of the most dangerous criminals you can imagine. At courthouses across America, the job of a court officer can look mundane. But in the blink of an eye, a calm courtroom can turn very dangerous. Certainly a court officer should never be under the influence of alcohol. That's why INSIDE EDITION was shocked to discover that a number of officers from Manhattan Criminal Court were routinely slipping out of their uniforms, walking a half block from the courthouse for a liquid lunch at the bar.
During a four-month hidden camera investigation, INSIDE EDITION saw a parade of court officers visiting the bar. On 13 different days, INSIDE EDITION observed Steven Zera, a senior court officer in Manhattan's Criminal Court, drinking at lunchtime. One day he had six beers. The next day he had five beers. On another day, he had three beers topped off with a shot. INSIDE EDITION watched him have five beers on another day, and then as he walked back into the courthouse, caught him on camera removing his shirt to reveal his uniform underneath. When the bar was closed for renovations, INSIDE EDITION found Officer Zera at lunchtime, again out of uniform, drinking a beer hidden in a paper bag right outside the courthouse.
See the Inside Edition story: Liquid Lunch
This is outrageous. Who the hell is in charge, a bunch of drunks? This is our friggin court system. And the people drinking carry guns?!?!!? The people drinking are the ONLY one's allowed to carry guns?!?!?! What the F is going on.
ReplyDeleteI believe there's a drinking contest going on between Sherry Cohen and all of the court officers in Manhattan. My money's on Sherry.
ReplyDeleteAll of you can kiss my blue ass. It's not easy being a court officer. We know a lot better than you how corrupt the judges, court reporters and attorneys are. It's bad. And if someone is honest, they will not last long. It all comes down to who you will be loyal to. I would say a vast majority of court employees drink or take pills. I blame it on the bosses.
ReplyDeleteI agreed with "a court officer" and well said It's no hike in the woods dealing with criminals, and courts officer's lives are on the line every day in the courtroom because they don't know when all hell could break loose. They're always on high alert-and so's their stress levels.
ReplyDeleteA lot of C.O.'S are biding their time. I know for a fact that if an early incentive was ever offered, most of them would be out of there.
They have found an answer to their conscience's incessant demands to expose the corruption in their courts. I thought Saint Andrew was having an amnesty program for those revealing corruption? But, alas, Saint Andrew has decided to be the Patron Saint of crooked lawyers and judges. What are the employees to do; quit their jobs and expose the corruption, or bury their morality in alcohol and keep the paycheck coming.
ReplyDeleteCoutrt Officer;
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a, in a land far away, there was something called HONOR, and rather than drinking their self loathing away, people who had it stood up for what was right, and traded privilege for a sense of peace with themselves.
In a land not so far away or long ago a bunch of officers with guns obeyed orders and herded millions of innocents to their deaths in ovens.
We are put here on earth exactly to make that choice, every day in large and small ways.
I won't kiss your blue ass. Be a man (or woman), and stand up for yourself, or kiss your own blue ass.
That proves that enployess of he the court should be tested for drugs and alcohol. On the 2nd post you have a COURT OFFICER admiting that thier is a problem with drugs and alcohol in the courts.
ReplyDeleteAlso those court officers are carrying guns. They are still N.Y
state workers
What you should also do is have attorneys randomly tested also
As an ex-court employee, I worked in the trenches of the corruption an disgust of OCA and I did not drink or do drugs on the job..and OCA had also put in a plan to torture me with their female employees...worse than corruption itself...hags and hacks making up lies about you and your work because of their obvious and multiple insecurities!
ReplyDeleteI worked with a chief clerk as my superior, who OCA knew drank all day every day for my 25 yrs with her, and she started to drink well before I was hired!
We attempted to address this with CSEA, because she was loud, embarrassing employees in public and stealing charity funds and toys, but CSEA and their collusion brothers OCA...refused to correct it for ALL THOSE YEARS..till she got fired because she rejected OCA -NY'S plan to take over this upstate court..or she would still be working..today!
The present chief clerk is protecting other court employees that are drunk...but is firing those that have drug issues and sought out rehab, took time for domestic violence issues...which as gender bias long time member, this chief clerk refuses to help anyone..ever, and those who dared to address her and OCA with discrimination problems!
Yes...OCA protects DRUNKS with vigilance.
Bookstaver says that even one drink is against policy..but did not say what he would do about this large number of court officers or anyone else that drinks throughout OCA!
Smell coverup or fake rehab stories!
OCA and Bookstaver know full well, that employees drink on the job and where within the courts of NY STATE. OCA has intelligence better than anything existing in our federal government, to report bad behavior or whatever they make up to secure favor with the hacks running the judicial BAR ,when they make their multiple daily reports to all the administrative judges and the personnel office!
I find it interesting that OCA does not randomly test weapon carrying employees, but the judges issue orders for individuals appearing in front of the courts to be tested multiple times a day or risk being arrested by the drunken court officers..lol!
But OCA did drug test an employee who put himself in rehab and came out and back to work...and then fird him for taking a pain pill for a root canal procedure!
I could go on about hypocritical.. OCA.. and their crooked behavior, but I will save it for future headlines here!
This information is coming from upstate NY, so you must know this drug and alcohol epidemic in the trusted and sacred court system is rampant and OCA ONLY DEALS WITH THE ISSUE, IF YOU ARE NOT POLITICAL OR EMBEDDED WITH NEPOTISM!
I will be watching the actions OCA takes regarding this nationally exposed issue, for my federal action!
These stupid ass reporters have nothing better to do. Leave the under paid court officers alone. If you want a real story, see how much the judges and their friends drink WHILE WORKING. And while your at it follow the money of the judges and you will get much bigger stories. Remember Brooklyn. Go for the real stories, not ones that hurt the average working court officer.
ReplyDeleteKicked-out (former)Acting Supreme Court Justice Diane A. Lebedeff sat on the bench, did not wear a black dress, and drank something from a coffee cup. Wonder what was in that cup that helped her get through the session?
ReplyDeleteThese criminals have to drink themselves into smithereens.. Their souls have been sold to the highest bidder..I HOPE THEY ALL ROT IN JAIL.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who works for OCA can fully appreciate the solace that addiction brings.
ReplyDeleteI work for OCA and I fully appreciate the solace their incarceration will bring.
ReplyDelete