Public Committee Welcomes Sampson's Senate Hearings

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Public Committee on Attorney Conduct Welcomes

New York State Senate Judiciary Committee Call for

Expanded Hearings into Lawyer Grievance Process

PCAC Urges New York Senate Committee Chaired By Senator John Sampson to Draft Legislation to Replace Current Attorney-Controlled Grievance Administration With Citizen Review Boards

New York, NY. - Public Committee on Attorney Conduct (PCAC) has issued a statement following the announcement by New York State Judiciary Committee chaired by Senator John L. Sampson, D-Brooklyn (19thDistrict) scheduling expanded hearings to review the mission, procedures and public satisfaction with the Appellate Division First Department Departmental Disciplinary Committee, the grievance committees of the various Judicial Districts, as well as the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct . The hearings are slated for Thursday, September 24 at 250 Broadway (19th Floor Hearing Room) beginning at 10 AM. The Committee’s action follows an earlier hearing in Albany at which a series of witnesses presented testimony outlining charges of widespread fraud and corruption by the current staff and administrators of the lawyer disciplinary committees.

PCAC has issued the following statement to Senator Sampson and the Senate Judiciary Committee:

Public Committee on Attorney Conduct (PCAC) welcomes the scheduling of expanded hearings into the record of fraud and abuse by the Attorney Grievance Committees in New York State. PCAC also renews its request that the New York State Judiciary Committee draft legislation to replace the current attorney-controlled grievance committees with new citizen controlled boards to review lawyer misconduct. PCAC advocates that control of the grievance process should be placed in the hands of capable and honest citizens, who have requisite knowledge and experience in dealing with ethical issues, including business owners, management executives, the clergy, teachers, professors, personnel administrators and human resource executives.

A continuing series of citizen lawsuits filed in federal courts has showed clear evidence of corruption and abuse by the state’s disciplinary committees. Charges have included concealment of evidence, obstruction of justice, sexual assault by attorneys, pilfering of estates by attorneys, abuse of power, fraud, conspiracy and repeated violations of Constitutional rights. These lawsuits have led to the present hearings by the Senate Judiciary Committee. PCAC seeks the immediate replacement of the present lawyer-controlled disciplinary system with a fair, open and totally impartial and transparent public process. This needed reform will make it be possible to restore faith in the state’s legal system and the bar on which it relies.

In announcing the issuance of the Committee’s statement, John T. Whitely, Chairman of the PCAC Organizing Committee, stated, “PCAC applauds the actions of Senator John Sampson and the Senate Judiciary Committee in holding wide ranging hearings on the state’s corrupt attorney disciplinary process, which we and others have found to be managed and controlled by money, favoritism and cronyism. The keystone of these reform efforts must be the replacement of the current failed system with a new structure controlled by non attorneys. The thought that attorneys should be left alone to police themselves is simply ridiculous. Immediate reform is needed. “

PCAC was established in 2007 by affiliated member organizations, including Litigation Recovery Trust (LRT), a New York based rights administration organization, and Integrity in the Courts, the Frank Brady Organization and Expose Corrupt Courts, three Internet sites focused on judicial and attorney disciplinary processes and procedures. The objective of the PCAC is to assist in replacing the existing New York State Attorney Grievance Committees with a body controlled by non-attorneys . PCAC is headquartered in New York City.

PCAC represents the first bar review mechanism in the United States established by non-attorneys. Since news of the formation of the PCAC was first made public, individual complainants have been submitting requests in growing numbers to the committee to review both past and current matters before the New York State grievance committees. Requests and documents are being received by PCAC at its email address: pcacinformation@gmail.com. Telephone inquiries can be directed to 347-632-9775. For additional information, contact the PCAC website at www.pcac.8k.com.

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For additional information please contact:

John T. Whitely
Chairman Executive Search Committee
Public Committee on Attorney Conduct
515 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10022
Telephone 347-632-9775
E-mail: pcacinformation@gmail.com
Web: pcac.8k.com

Expose Corrupt Courts
Email:corruptcourt@gmail.com
Web: www.exposecorruptcourts.blogspot.com

William J. Hallenbeck
Executive Director
Litigation Recovery Trust
515 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10022
Telephone 6462019269
E-mail: lrtinformation@gmail.com
Web: litigationrecoverytrust.8k.com

Integrity in the Courts
www.IntegrityintheCourts.com
Email: integrityinthecourts@gmail.com

The Frank Brady Organization

www.frankbrady.org

Email: FranknBrady@gmail.com

About Public Committee on Attorney Conduct

The newly formed Public Committee On Attorney Conduct will review both past and present cases brought before the New York State grievance committees to provide an independent review and analysis of the facts, and issue proposed findings. With respect to past cases, the committee will hear from persons who maintain that they have been treated unfairly and unjustly by the state disciplinary committees. As part of its initial efforts, the new committee is actively seeking documentation of all complaints against any attorneys dating to January 1, 1988. Public Committee On Attorney Conduct will include as members individuals, who through their personal and professional lives have established a reputation of responsibility and fairness. While attorneys will be available to the PCAC as advisers, all voting members issuing formal reports and decisions will be non attorneys. PCAC is the first such lawyer conduct review organization in the U.S. to be controlled solely by non attorneys.

About Litigation Recovery Trust

Founded in 1995, Litigation Recovery Trust is a New York based claims and rights administration organization. LRT pursues claims and causes of action worldwide, and processes single and group litigation claims, as well as general rights fees and awards. LRT also participates in legislative and administrative initiatives designed to protect or advance individual claims and rights.

About Integrity in the Courts Blog

Integrity in the Courts is a daily Internet blog, which focuses on ethical and legal issues related to the administration of justice nationwide. Issues impacting both the judiciary and the bar are examined, including compliance with codes of judicial conduct, and codes of professional responsibility. Violations of law and failure to abide by codes of conduct are monitored, together with actions leading to disciplinary rulings, including attorney admonishments, reprimands, censures, suspensions and court ordered losses of licenses to practice law.

About Expose Corrupt Courts

Since beginning publication in March 2007, Expose Corrupt Courts has become one of the leading sources of both public and inside information concerning bench and bar misconduct. While the blog focuses primary attention on the court system of New York State, it regularly covers stories of interest throughout the U.S. Expose Corrupt Courts has led coverage of the massive corruption charges that have been filed against the attorney grievance committees in New York resulting in the filing of over a dozen law suits with the federal district court in Manhattan.