The Chicago Tribune - April 27, 2009
Corruption-busting prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has agreed to stay on as U.S. attorney in Chicago, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said today. "We are fortunate Patrick Fitzgerald has agreed to continue his service as U.S. attorney in the Northern District," Durbin said in a letter to Illinois congressmen. The announcement came as no surprise, with Durbin saying last November he would recommend another term if Fitzgerald wanted it. In nominating a U.S. attorney, the president traditionally chooses a candidate recommended by the senior senator of the president's party. Fitzgerald got the job on the recommendation of former U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald -- a Republican and no relation. But his track record of bringing corruption cases against former Govs. George Ryan, Rod Blagojevich and other political figures has made him popular with many Democrats and independents as well. Fitzgerald has always said that he is a political independent. In his letter, Durbin also laid out a plan guaranteed to be of intense interest to Illinois attorneys on how he will select candidates for federal judgeships.
He said he has established a bipartisan screening committee in each of the three federal judicial districts in the state. Similar committees were set up under the presidency of Jimmy Carter, he said. He said the committees would review applications and make recommendations for three U.S. District Court vacancies in the Northern District, the U.S. attorney positions in the Central and Southern Districts, and the U.S. marshal positions in all three districts. Former congressman and federal appeals Judge Abner Mikva was named chairman of the Chicago-based committee. James Potter was named chairman in the Central District ,and Sheila Simon, daughter of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, was named chairman in the Southern District. Durbin said he would ask the committees for several recommendations for each position. "Upon receiving these recommendations, I will review them, conduct interviews and -- in consultation with the junior senator from Illinois and other members of the Illinois congressional delegation -- submit names to President Obama who will make the final decisions on nominees," he said. The junior senator is Democrat Roland Burris.
He said he has established a bipartisan screening committee in each of the three federal judicial districts in the state. Similar committees were set up under the presidency of Jimmy Carter, he said. He said the committees would review applications and make recommendations for three U.S. District Court vacancies in the Northern District, the U.S. attorney positions in the Central and Southern Districts, and the U.S. marshal positions in all three districts. Former congressman and federal appeals Judge Abner Mikva was named chairman of the Chicago-based committee. James Potter was named chairman in the Central District ,and Sheila Simon, daughter of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, was named chairman in the Southern District. Durbin said he would ask the committees for several recommendations for each position. "Upon receiving these recommendations, I will review them, conduct interviews and -- in consultation with the junior senator from Illinois and other members of the Illinois congressional delegation -- submit names to President Obama who will make the final decisions on nominees," he said. The junior senator is Democrat Roland Burris.
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9 comments:
Anonymous said...
Interesting article. But what happened to the article on the alleged Family Court crises that was posted yesterday and abruptly taken down after commenting on how Family Court scams is one of the worse part of the State Court System in New York that has not been addressed by any Chief Judge or Governor in years? Nor State Public Integrity either?
So what happened to that article so folks all around the State can comment before Lippman and crew start making more Judges and giving raises to allegedly "fix" a problem without actually addressing what parts of the real problems are? The Administrator of the blog should address why this article was promptly removed.
Thank you.
April 26, 2009 4:16 PM
A certain Senator from Bklyn is the reason we don't have a US Attorney in SDNY. He has serious issues and wants to cover his ass by making sure that he has control of whoever!
I would certainly like to know what happened to this article. My own personal concern is the family court in white plains as well as supreme court matrimonial.
So where is this article? If anyone has it, please post it as a comment on this thread.
Here is the article without the comments. There were 4 comments but basically Galison was complaining that he feels that this blog is a little too kind to Lippman.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Report: NYS Court System in Sad Crisis, Desperate
Judicial Reassignments Urged To Address Family Court 'Crisis'
The New York Law Journal by Mark Fass - April 27, 2009
A report released today by the Fund for Modern Courts calls for reassigning to Family Court more judges from other courts and appointing a new statewide deputy chief administrative judge in order to address what it calls a "crisis" in Family Court's resources and procedures. "The lack of adequate resources in New York State's Family Court presents a most difficult task for the judiciary, but it is a challenge that needs to be met," the non-partisan organization's chairman, Victor A. Kovner, said in a statement accompanying the 22-page report. "Family Court is the saddest consequence of a poorly designed court system that is in desperate need of restructuring." The report, entitled "Crisis in Family Court - A Call for Action," was initiated last summer in order to brief the successor to Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye, who retired after 15 years in the post.
Jonathan Lippman, who was confirmed as the new chief judge in February, received an advance copy of the report earlier this month. In an interview Friday, Chief Judge Lippman repeatedly emphasized his "full support" for the task force's findings and recommendations. He also stressed the "enormous strides" Family Court has made over the last decade, including progress in such areas as adoption, protective proceedings, treatment courts and achieving "one family, one judge." "The biggest infusion to the court system has been to Family Court," Judge Lippman said. The Office of Court Administration intends to continue reassigning judges from other courts to Family Court, Judge Lippman added. An OCA spokesman said such reassignments have resulted in a net increase of nine judges over the last several years. "But you're robbing Peter to pay Paul," the chief judge said. "It would be far better to be able to get what the court [system] needs, and we're going to press that case with the Legislature." There currently are 149 permanent Family Court judges statewide. The court system last year unsuccessfully sought 39 additional judgeships. Judge Lippman said his one "quibble" with the recommendations - whether to appoint a new administrative judge - was simply a disagreement over "nomenclature."
In the next few weeks, the OCA will announce a reorganization involving a "statewide leadership team," which will serve the same purpose without adding a "new layer of administration," the chief judge said. "A title is only part of the equation," Judge Lippman said. The OCA reorganization will be "consistent with the recommendations, [but] we'll be cutting down on the administration. These times demand it." Judge Lippman also called the question of whether the Family Court is in "crisis" an issue of semantics. "It's a court that demands attention," Judge Lippman said. "I agree totally with that characterization. Whether one would call it 'in crisis' is another issue. I accept the call for attention to the Family Court." The Fund for Modern Courts appointed the eight-person task force last summer. Over the next four months, the members interviewed more than 35 judges, attorneys and public policy advocates, among others. The task force also held two focus groups: one upstate and one in Manhattan. Attorneys from Davis Polk & Wardwell also participated in the interviews, provided research and created an appendix of relevant past Family Court reports.
'Call for Action'
Citing such disparate, ongoing and intertwined problems as overwhelming case loads, unmanageable calendars and burdensome administrative responsibilities, the task force concluded that the Family Court is facing a "crisis," and termed the report a "call for action." Family Court judges average 2,120 dispositions a year, the task force reported, compared to 525 for Supreme Court judges in civil matters, 222 for Supreme and County Court judges in felony matters and 63 for Court of Claims judges. "As a result of the unrealistically large caseload in Family Court coupled with the lack of sufficient judges, court calendars are often unmanageable," the report states. It continues: "The Task Force fully understands that facing the ongoing crisis and emergency now present in the New York State Family Courts presents a most difficult task, but it is a challenge that needs to be met. This is especially true while we are facing unprecedented negative economic conditions that will most certainly further flood the already inadequate resources of Family Court." The task force broke its recommendations into six general areas: administrative leadership, judicial resources, case and courtroom management, judicial education and support, resources for litigants and incorporating the best use of technology. In addition to appointing a statewide deputy chief administrative judge for Family Court, specific recommendations include:
•reassigning more judges from Supreme, Civil and Criminal court to Family Court;
•proving case coordinators to review cases;
•assigning "up-front judges" to hear preliminary matters;
•establishing self-help centers;
•implementing a comprehensive data-collection.
The task force has already met with Judge Lippman, and both sides said on Friday that they concur on all the key points, including the need for administrative reform and oversight. The task force's chair, Catherine J. Douglass, said, "I personally have no reason to second guess [Judge Lippman's] way of getting the job done. The real point is that this is an enormous job and that it needs the requisite focus and skills and plan, however the chief judge decides to make it happen." Mr. Kovner, Modern Courts' chair, said the organization's attention will now return to a number of its other, long-term goals, such as judicial pay and court restructuring. "We're hoping for the adoption of the (judicial compensation) legislation," Mr. Kovner said. "Also on our agenda is a constitutional amendment for court restructuring, [including] a Family Court merger (within a single Supreme Court). It's a cost saver. It's something we've been pushing. But the failure to deal with judicial compensation stops so many other things." Mark.Fass@incisivemedia.com
You have to CLICK ON THE TITLE OF THE ARTICLE and then you'll see the whole story. I'm not having this problem. Is anyone else?
You have to CLICK ON THE TITLE OF THE ARTICLE and then you'll see the whole story. I'm not having this problem. Is anyone else?
why are the administrators of this blog targeting William Galison? this is the second distinct time on the blog that he has been targeted. based upon a variety of representations and actions mr galison had and has every reason to be bothered about the blog's failure to post any proper notice of the Lippman confirmation hearings and much more.
mr. galison clearly has the right to question the conduct and seek answers. mr. galison also has raised clear and valid grievances with the actions of the first department including the timeframe while judge lippman was the presiding judge.
this Blog should Repost the Comments made by mr galison so that all of the blog commenters can weigh in on whether his comments should be censured.
more importantly, even if mr. galison's comments were so egregious and shocking of the conscience and obscene to actually justify removal which is a very high standard given the history and practices of the blog, that is no reason for the blog to have removed the Alleged Family Court crisis article, nor the other comments.
specifically, all new yorkers and others who have regularly commented at this blog should be able to comment and weigh in on the "alleged" crisis in the Family Courts and whether to the Contrary New York's Real Crisis is in the 12 Year Plus handling of the Judiciary and other parts of the State and the manner in which Family Court's have been used for Racketeering and related illegal and unconstitutional uses around the state specifically involving counties like Columbia and Dutchess Counties, very close to the state Capitol and others.
To Remind this Blog of the Seriousness of the Problems in the NY State Court System and some of the other Real Problems in the Family Courts around the State the following Link to "Drugging Children" is provided by NBC News TRUTH SEEKERS relating to the practices in Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania and New York by Placing YOUNG CHildren on Harmful Anti-Psychotic Drugs Often Not approved by the FDA and leading to Death and serious illnesses not to mention the Huge Payoffs reported around the Country by the Pharmaceutical bigs sometimes leading to Bribery and related charges.
The Family Courts should be Independently Audited for all those cases where the Family courts and Appellate Divisions have permitted the Family Court judges to force individuals to file proof of completion of requirements 4, 5, 6 times over in fraudulent manners, fraud on the record and much more. REPOST the Article as a MAIN ARTICLE to get ALL the Comments on Family Court Abuse out in the Open instead of burying the article in the middle of this article allegedly because of William Galison which makes no sense.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISFPJL66p4c&feature=PlayList&p=8A031B7A12546A4E&index=16
So now we have the Tuskeegee children....
And we get to see how history can repeat itself, right under our noses...
Is it "era" or "error" for the humane race??
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