The New York Post by ADAM NICHOLS -November 6, 2008
Sixteen Manhattan court officers who carry guns and guard prisoners reportedly turned their lunch breaks into frat-house drinking parties over a period of at least four months. In a segment airing tonight, "Inside Edition" says its reporters repeatedly spotted the officers at the Whiskey Tavern, just a block from Manhattan Criminal Court, having a few belts before returning to court and strapping their gun belts back on. One of the officers, identified as Steven Zera, drank up to six beers during his lunch hour on 13 occasions, the report says. The program said Officer Christopher Furlani was seen drinking on seven lunch breaks, knocking back as many as three beers and two shots in 90 minutes. Sometimes, the officers went in groups; other times, they drank alone. Drinking on duty violates court policy, said Office of Court Administration spokesman David Bookstaver, adding, "We have not seen any evidence yet, but certainly, we will take it seriously." Dennis Quirk, of the court officers union, said he spoke to members seen on the show "and they said they had a beer or two. If they had that over two hours and had their lunch, they would certainly not be intoxicated." Furlani and Zera refused to comment to the show, and efforts by The Post to reach them were unsuccessful.
See Related Story: "Confirmed: NY's Cesspool Court System Drives Everyone to Drink"
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15 comments:
this story too will pass, and nothing will happen.
I am concerned also, that OCA employees have a 2 hour lunch! When I worked for them, it was one hour unless you were a hack appointee or there office stooley!
This is against CSEA'S and OCA'S union contract! So not only were they drinking, but they were drinking on taxpayers money!!
No excuses are accepted.
If cops, the President or doctors etc...only exception is lawyers..they drink on the job forever..drank because they were stressed, what kind of workplaces would be looking at!?
As far as OCA doing something...I believe that national attention to it's shameful behavior, finally being exposed, will force them into serious action, they would never and have never taken, while they have had full knowledge of it's problem of drinking and jobing!
This case will be watched and used in litigation against OCA...re: sex discrimination and termination and "false", NOT VIDEO TAPED, allegations against a female employee, whom they terminated. Even though the OCA charges against that female are completely unfounded and are stories of hysterical and perjurous females in the court.... these lies pale in comparison to this outrageous behavior of NY OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION EMPLOYEE CONDUCT!
It appears to me, to be unfit and incompetent behavior, beyond anything I have seen committed in my many years of tears, in OCA employment...right Jan Plumadore?!
The longer you stalled, the more crap about you and your army of judicial freaks gets revealed! And you thought I didn't know you were purposely stalling...but this is one reason I did not object to your games...I knew the truth would prevail, as it did in the other federal case, OCA waited to process for so many years. Remember...ethical and legal behavior will always win over lies and treachery!
America now has a very tiny view of what really is going on and tolerated within the NY COURT SYSTEM! INVESTIGATE THE REST OF IT...INSIDE ADDITION!
i tend to agree with the posts from the related link:
what happened to Attorney General Cuomo's amnesty program?
why no major NY Post and major media stories on the Judges and Judicial Conduct and OCA chiefs at the top of all this?
this is not to say that some of the issues on the court officers is not important, but the one officer talked about the entire judicial system in a nutshell when she said THEY see the Corruption of the Judges and lawyers and OCA more than anyone else but no one does anything about it?
so what are people supposed to do?
similar or same thing happened in upstate ny during a judicial election a few years ago where some of the insiders at the court admitted during polling phone calls about all the problems in the courthouse but were basically powerless to do anything about it.
no one can really blame them since there is no place to go if you try to do things right. the FBI takes no action or just takes your information to never hear from them if you can get them interested to take the info in the first place; the higher State offices are where most of the problems originate from so going there just means you lose your job and livelihood while nothing gets done.
so why would someone try? isn't that the system in a nutshell? if you are a lawyer or a court officer or someone and you report about problems or breaking the rules those people who are doing it have more political juice and power so nothing gets done other than you get retaliated against?
Each and every one of these thugs are full fledged Alcoholics.. as a result of selling their souls to the DEVIL.. they should all ROT IN JAIL.
Why was Kaye and the Administrative Judge of that district not interviewed by Inside Addition? These people are the supervisors and have offices in the same city and block?
The problem is the employees and ultimately...these administrators....they all should be fired and Kaye should be charged with reckless endangerment and government corruption.....criminal charges that demand a jail term!
She is out in 2 months and no longer a power to deal with...get her while she is hot!
Where is Saint Andrew? Has he extended his mandate as Patron Saint for corrupt judges and lawyers to include other court personal? Drunks with guns, is that to be forgiven too.
I have been a Court Officer for close to 20-years and the actions of this bunch is an embarassment to those of us who take our jobs seriously. To see those guys on duty and in uniform with cigarettes in their mouths and that water bottle over the holster is almost as disgusting as the drinking. In my experiences, it is a small percentage who have so little pride in our uniform. I ask that you not pass judgement on all court officers because of the actions of a few.
They carry guns.
Also What happens if they have to use them would or could they be able to make a straight shot or can they subdue someone after they had a few.
If they are fuzzy can they properly screan people entering the courthouse.
VERY inportant if you have even
1 beer wouldnt you fail a breathalizer test?
You can not drive a car after one beer but it is a good idea to carry a gun. The guy should have been suspended imidiatly and his gun and badge should have been taken away without pay. Lok at the video tape. He is a state enploye
taking a 2 hr lunch when he was supposed to be taking a 1 hr lunch.
That is theft.
I think thier is also a problem with Dennis Quirk for making that statement. Does he think this is funny?
I am not judging all court officers. I am cognizant enough to understand that their is always just part of the whole that screws up!
The issue though that offends people, is the fact that they carry weapons and cannot make split second decisions and most likely are acting angrily and disturbingly, at others that work with them, while making their work conditions miserable!I know I stated I worked with a drunken OCA boss for 25 years! Unreal, the stress and terror I felt coming into work and seeing her all over the place, spewing, swearing and barking at the innocent! OCA owes everyone in that court for all that destruction!
The eye opening statement about this tragedy, is that fact that whomever reported this to Inside Addition, found they could not report it first to ANY OCA ADMINISTRATOR, JUDGE OR CHIEF JUDGE...FIRST!! This begs the question of the media, the taxpayer and the other employees or bar patrons....WHY NOT?
This is serious and does not just include court officers...but many other court workers throughout the state...including judges of the SUPREME COURT KIND!
What will OCA do about this and did any NYC paper report it...I would guess they are all their usual cowards selves and did not address it seriously or report it to the taxpayer!
These tapes need to be thrown in the faces of all those in charge and the print coward media, by several concerned taxpayers...ASAP!
This is how you get started in manifesting the repulsiveness of this out of control NY STATE COURT CORRUPTION!
****PLEASE READ****
If you know a judge or a lawyer who drinks and drives or his having affair. Call someone. Call the police as he/she is leaving the bar. Call his/her spouse.
Bring them down one by one and don't waste time with grievance committes. Many of us live in fear of the White Plains Corrupt Court system.....these judges and lawyers should be equally afraid that everyone is watching them.
I am not suggesting harassment. But if you see something....say something and follow up. It is your civic duty.
so what we have a drink or two, even the Judges do it.......the dirty secret is that some of the court officers even write the orders that the Judges sign! How do you like that? And no one can do anything about it, so screw you!
Court officers have a drink or two?...what report did you watch....a drink (tubs) of five or six and one or two shots!
If you are serious, you must be one of those drinking and your conscience is killing you, so you make up a stupid side stories.
The court clerks also write up judicial orders to be signed..so when the judge gets lazy, he can toss his work to them...they do most of the court work anyway!
Court officers... you must stop making excuses for illegal behavior...you are no better that the corrupt judges you condemn!
How intoxicated are you when you drive home 2 hours later...another illegal issue.
Keep writing, because you have convinced no one that you are right to drink at work, while you carry a weapon or not!
Wouldn't it be easier just to install a bar at every court entrance? Then the Queen Bee, Judge Kaye, would have the money to give the judges a raise. Then the chief judge wouldn't have to file a baseless lawsuit. (should she be sanctioned for filing such a dumb lawsuit?) They should seriously look into the idea of putting bars in courts.
I agree. We should all be able to drink when in court. What about getting laid also? Maybe Spitzer can arrange something.
Spitzer does not have to "hook" up judicial employees to get laid....sex in the judicial system is their number 2 occupation for existence, for many of them!
Sex, drugs and booze are all part of the black robe and their attached employees, excitement for coming to work and BRAGGING to their friends and family They WORK FOR THE COURT SYSTEM!
This relief for them, to work and play all day is the catalyst for keeping the corruption locked onto their lips till they are exposed or fired...I observed them do all of this for... oh so many years!
Sex in the system is the new media expose..so cover your windows..judges!
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