Monday, May 12, 2008

Possible End to Selective Law Enforcement in Manhattan

Ex-judge wants Morgenthau rematch
The New York Daily News by ELIZABETH BENJAMIN - May 12, 2008

Ex-judge Leslie Crocker Snyder has Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau in her sights - again. The 2009 elections are well over a year away, and the 2008 presidential contests are yet unsettled. But Crocker Snyder, a former state Supreme Court judge who failed to unseat Morgenthau in a 2005 Democratic primary, is gearing up to formally kick off her rematch bid. She will host her first big fund-raiser at the New York Athletic Club on June 23. Tickets start at $500, with a goal of raising $150,000-$175,000. "You have to start early because, unfortunately, politics seems to revolve in large part to how much money you can raise," said Crocker Snyder. "It's a shame that a position like the DA's office requires that."

She raised some $2 million in 2005 to Morgenthau's $1.3 million, but suffered a decisive 59%-41% primary loss. It was Morgenthau's first significant challenge since 1985 and most of the Democratic establishment lined up behind him - even after The New York Times endorsed her. Mayor Bloomberg's pollster Doug Schoen is working with Crocker Snyder but is not yet on her payroll. Crocker Snyder, 66, said the DA's office needs to be "modernized from top to bottom" - a not-so-subtle dig at the fact Morgenthau will be 90 in 2009 and has held his post since 1975. Morgenthau and his aides have worked to quell rumors he won't seek reelection next fall, holding fund-raisers that have given the DA a healthy $525,802 balance in his campaign account as of January.

Speculation has continued, in part because Morgenthau's former protégé, Cyrus Vance Jr., has started a campaign committee and is raising cash. Vance and others have so far said they won't run against Morgenthau out of "respect." Crocker Snyder, who started fund-raising a few weeks ago, sees no need for such niceties. "He has been outraged [that] anyone would have the temerity to run against him," she said. "Anyone who wants to run should run."  ebenjamin@nydailynews.com

11 comments:

  1. OMG had heard that Bob Morgenthau was on life support..you mean he is still alive. He hasn't been all there for years and the DA's Office shows it. Do you think "they" might have embalmed him and just bring him out for display?

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  2. Several complaints had been filed at New York County District Attorney's Office, Robert Morgenthau's. Where are they now? HAVE THEY ALL DISAPPEARED!!!!!!into thin air? One complaint was filed against a "Powerful Wall Street Lawyer", by the name of Allen H. Isaac. Where did that complaint go after subpoena's were issued for medical records to appear for the Grand Jury. Was a Grand Jury ever empaneled, and was the alleged crime victim allowed to attend the festivities? The ADA of the Sex crime's Unit, Lisa Friel treated the alleged sex crime victim as if she was the criminal. CBS News Investigative Reporter, Scott Weinberger aired, " when Mr. Isaac went into the DA's Office for questioning, they allowed him to listen to the evidence".

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  3. But if they clean up the Manhattan DA's office, who will protect the judges and lawyers that are committing crimes? Something to think about.....

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  4. I heard Judy Kaye is undercover FBI! Maybe it said undercovers?

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  5. I wish I could say otherwise, but in my experience, Leslie Crocker Snyder is not to be trusted.

    Snyder has refused to even discuss the fiasco involving judge Herman Cahn and the DDC among other things, despite my being referred to her by mutual personal friends.

    She has also refused to assist Luisa Esposito in her battle against corrupt lawyers and judges.

    The Excuse Snyder gave me was that she "knew the parties" involved, including Richard Emery, a corrupt member of the CJC.

    A public servant doesn't have a conflict of interest because she has friends, but because she refuses to put the interest of the public above those of her friends.

    In my experience, Snyder has proven time and again that she does not possess that kind of integrity.

    Unless Snyder starts showing some guts and independence, she will be more business as usual.

    My correspondence with Snyder is available for this interested. wgalison@aol.com

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  6. I filed compaints with DA Morganthau and they got lost. I refiled and again they got lost. I got the message. So I gave up, can you blame me. They do what? I'm telling you they do nothing except live well off the workers. I don't trust one of them.

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  7. You know what, it is time for a change at our DA's Office, it is overdue. Don't know that much about Leslie Crocker Snyder but Will Galison's post seems reasonable. Will have to look at Snyder. Bottom line there have to be more takers for the Manhattan DA's Office, come on.

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  8. I have always heard sterling things about Snyder. I am friendly with the producer of 'Law and Order" who consults with Snyder and also with the mother of Snyder's ex-Campaign manager. My personal attorney is also friendly with Snyder. They all spoke highly of Snyder and all recommended that I consult her about the Cahn fisaco.

    So I was shocked when Snyder evaded my coherent and respectful appeals for advice in my struggle against blatantly corrupt lawyers and judges. First Snyder told me outright that she couldn't hep me because she knew the parties involved and then told me that her firm wouldn't allow her to take my case. (hmmmm?)

    Then she told me she would advise me "off the record" and then she changed her mind and stopped returning my correspondence.

    Finally she recommended that I go to Donna Lieberman of the NYCLU and to Richard Emery.

    Both of these lawyers have deep, long standing ties to the lawyers I am complaining about. Emery was on the CJC panel that whitewashed Judge Cahn's incredible impropriety (see the article on this site).

    When I reported this to Snyder, she told me that she couldn't help me. Seems to me she was gvng me the run around at best, and possibly putting me in the hands of lawyers hostile to my cause.

    Once again, a DA is allowed to have friends, but not to protect them at the expense of the constituency.

    A lawyer and a judge can recuse themselves due to relationships, but a DA does not have that luxury.

    In any case, It is clear that Snyder has some VERY crooked friends, who she is unwilling to cross.

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  9. PS:

    If Crocker can explain and rectify her actions, even confidentially, I will be the first to endorse her, but based on her actions in my case, it appears she will be another Morganthau.

    We need better.

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  10. PS:

    If Crocker can explain and rectify her actions, even confidentially, I will be the first to endorse her, but based on her actions in my case, it appears she will be another Morganthau.

    We need better.

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  11. In my opinion, no one has to extensively explain why they believe that anyone in the NY STATE legal profession is corrupt...it is always acceptable to me, no matter how excellent their reputation...Spitzer for one.
    Somehow, this profession has produced large numbers of liars, criminals and "judges"! Unfortunately, the good lawyers have come to accept this behavior out of shear survival! This may appear cynical, but sometimes this is also reality. If you are an insider or have dealt intensly with the criminal justice system , all you need to do is state that and what happened and, it is probably the absolute truth. No need to convince with apologetic details........we believe you and those who are not part of the system.... will soon believe!

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