The Journal News by Rebecca Baker - May 15, 2009
The Journal News BLOG "Completely Legal" www.lohud.com
Westchester County Judge Rory Bellantoni is stepping down after six years on the bench, effective June 8. Bellantoni apparently is leaving over money. In his resignation letter, Bellantoni the lack of judicial pay raises has caused economic hardships on Bellantoni’s family, according to Administrative Judge Francis Nicolai. County and state judges make $136,700 a year. They have not receive a raise in 10 years. Bellantoni made headlines in October when he exonerated Richard DiGuglielmo, who had spent 10 years in prison on a murder conviction in the shooting death of Charles Campbell of Dobbs Ferry. Bellantoni threw out the conviction after a hearing in which an eyewitness to the shooting recanted his trial testimony. In his decision, Bellantoni said Dobbs Ferry police coerced witness Michael Dillon to change his story and blasted the Westchester District Attorney’s office in a bizarre “Wizard of Oz” reference, comparing Dillon to Dorothy Gale and authorities to the wizard behind the curtain.
Bellantoni, who had been the presiding judge of sex offender court, was reassigned to civil court a few months ago – shortly after the DiGuglielmo decision – and was made an acting state Supreme Court justice. Nicolai said he needed another judge to hear civil cases in the 9th Judicial District, which includes Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange and Dutchess counties. Bellantoni’s decision means he won’t be following in the steps of his father, Orazio Bellantoni, who has been on the bench for 25 years. There’s some interesting rumors floating around about where Bellantoni, a Republican, is going to be practicing law. I’ll let you know when I get the facts confirmed.
Westchester County Judge Rory Bellantoni is stepping down after six years on the bench, effective June 8. Bellantoni apparently is leaving over money. In his resignation letter, Bellantoni the lack of judicial pay raises has caused economic hardships on Bellantoni’s family, according to Administrative Judge Francis Nicolai. County and state judges make $136,700 a year. They have not receive a raise in 10 years. Bellantoni made headlines in October when he exonerated Richard DiGuglielmo, who had spent 10 years in prison on a murder conviction in the shooting death of Charles Campbell of Dobbs Ferry. Bellantoni threw out the conviction after a hearing in which an eyewitness to the shooting recanted his trial testimony. In his decision, Bellantoni said Dobbs Ferry police coerced witness Michael Dillon to change his story and blasted the Westchester District Attorney’s office in a bizarre “Wizard of Oz” reference, comparing Dillon to Dorothy Gale and authorities to the wizard behind the curtain.
Bellantoni, who had been the presiding judge of sex offender court, was reassigned to civil court a few months ago – shortly after the DiGuglielmo decision – and was made an acting state Supreme Court justice. Nicolai said he needed another judge to hear civil cases in the 9th Judicial District, which includes Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange and Dutchess counties. Bellantoni’s decision means he won’t be following in the steps of his father, Orazio Bellantoni, who has been on the bench for 25 years. There’s some interesting rumors floating around about where Bellantoni, a Republican, is going to be practicing law. I’ll let you know when I get the facts confirmed.
Rory's a class guy. Yes, he needs real money, but he's sick and tired of the sewer that is the kingdom of Nicolai, the corrupt toilet of the 9th JD.
ReplyDeleteBoth, the money and the destruction of the judiciary...
ReplyDelete"blasted the Westchester District Attorney’s office in a bizarre “Wizard of Oz” reference, comparing Dillon to Dorothy Gale and authorities to the wizard behind the curtain."
ReplyDeleteToto.. I don't think we're in Kansas anymore...
previous comment... very funny.... but unfortunately, very true....
ReplyDeleteBellantoni was the subject of an investigation by New York State's Commission on Judicial Conduct. Maybe that inquiry has something to do with his departure.
ReplyDeleteIt's true. Bellantoni was the subject of an investigation, a BOGUS INVESTIGATION. Of course, Nicolai was behind it, up to his old tricks of destroying judges, and others, who didn't cow-tow to his bully, and illegal, desires.
ReplyDeleteNicoali is bad news, and we have that corrupt judge (Nicolai) to thank for forcing an honest judge (Bellantoni) to say good bye...... Nice job Frank.... another reason why you'll rot in hell.
I've been around the Westchester courts for over 30 years. Bellantoni was a very good judge, and he will be missed. His departure is a loss to all residents of Westchester County, and the bar. I agree that the 9th JD needs some very big changes as any faith in a uncorrupt court system has been missing for many years. I agree that the federal government should become actively involved as the crimes fall under their jurisdiction, and those crimes are on-going.
ReplyDeleteI've been around the Westchester courts for over 30 years. Bellantoni was a very good judge, and he will be missed. His departure is a loss to all residents of Westchester County, and the bar. I agree that the 9th JD needs some very big changes as any faith in a uncorrupt court system has been missing for many years. I agree that the federal government should become actively involved as the crimes fall under their jurisdiction, and those crimes are on-going.
ReplyDeleteRory lost the elections against Nicolai and remained stuck to the so called "Sexual Offender's Court".
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that there is no enough sexual offenders in Westchester to justify the existence of such court.
The state and the federal government allocate a lot of money for maintaining an offender register in Albany and to a crowd of social workers, probation officers, psychologysts, "victims" advcates, etc.
The problem was Rory is a catholic and cannot constatntly deem innocent males in order just to funnel money to the industry.
As a result this market nishe stagnates and as a result Rory needs to go.
It is maybe a raw in the Bellantoni family that cause Rory's to abandon the bench.
Rory's departure combined with his father's could geopardize the fate of the family landscaping business.
As everyone knows, landscaping busenesses are competitive as long as the owner could hire and use cheap illegal immigrant workforce.
.
But you need to have strong ties in the local judiciary in order to sustain attacks from the labor and immigration inspectors. I don't know how Bellantony landscaping Co could survive if they got in trouble for using illegals.
I've heard that Bellantoni is part of the Manhattan District Attorney's organized crime investigation into strip club king Sam Zherka. Zherka and Bellantoni have apparently been very close for years, with Zherka donating tens of thousands of dollars to Bellantoni's campaigns. Can anyone confirm this?
ReplyDeleteI think it's terrible that Judge Bellantoni has resigned. Now he's with John Lovett. Seems to me that things in White Plains became "too hot" for the judge. It seems to me as if he threw Richie DiGuglielmo under the bus. Makes little sense to me. Many, many people want Richie back in prison and it seems as if this recent move by the judge may help those people put Richie back in. Resigning and then hooking up with Lovett dosen't seem to be the best choice he could have made. And why hasn't the Westchester Guardian commented on this??? For many, many months we all heard so much about Judge Bellantoni and now......only silence. If I were Richie Diguglielmo; I would be very, very worried.
ReplyDeleteLOL!!! A joke!!!
ReplyDelete