UB Law School fires disgraced attorney - Adams removed after DWI plea
The Buffalo News by Michael Beebe - February 22, 2009
Anne E. Adams, who pleaded guilty Friday to three misdemeanors in an attempt to escape drunken driving charges and brought down a sitting State Supreme Court justice with her, has lost her job overseeing the trial technique program at the University at Buffalo Law School. Dean Makau Mutua issued a brief statement Saturday evening announcing her termination. “This is obviously a very sad episode in the legal profession in Buffalo,” Mutua said. “We at the University at Buffalo Law School are very concerned about ethics in the legal profession. We will take whatever action is necessary to protect both the integrity of the Law School and the legal profession at large. “We have removed Anne Adams from her duties at the law school effective immediately,” the dean said. Adams, 46, a former prosecutor, pleaded guilty before Erie County Judge Sheila A. DiTullio to three misdemeanors: drunken driving, offering a false instrument for filing and attempted tampering with physical evidence. Resigning from the bench the same day was Joseph G. Makowski, 55, who had been a State Supreme Court justice for 10 years and had nearly four years left in his term. The job paid $136,700 a year.
Adam’s guilty pleas and Makowski’s resignation stem from her arrest on driving while intoxicated charges Sept. 2 after she had been at Shanghai Red’s restaurant on the Buffalo waterfront with Makowski. He said they were discussing her program at the law school. Makowski did not mention why he resigned in his letter to Justice Sharon S. Townsend, administrative judge for the 8th Judicial District, but the district attorney who forced the resignation did not mince words. “Because of his recantation and cooperation, I will not seek to brand Makowski a criminal,” District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III said. “However, I am deeply troubled by Makowski’s original affidavit and initial conduct. Accordingly, Makowski, in lieu of criminal prosecution, will also be required to resign from the bench.” Makowski’s testimony in an affidavit he submitted after Adams’ arrest was at odds with what witnesses told investigators from the district attorney’s office.
“Neither party to this pathetic episode committed violent crimes, nor have criminal records,” Sedita said. “By the same token, one of my most important duties as district attorney is to restore public confidence in the justice system. Accordingly, this type of misconduct, particularly on behalf of lawyers, judges and public officials, will not be tolerated and will not be overlooked by this office.” Sedita said Adams attempted to cover up her crime, by talking her physician into changing the date of a blood test to show she was sober, because she wanted to be a judge. “I would expect that, as a consequence of this plea, Ms. Adams may lose her license to practice law,” Sedita said. Adams, who became a defense lawyer after she left the district attorney’s office, was paid about $70,000 a year to oversee the trial program at the law school. mbeebe@buffnews.com
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14 comments:
It's important to remember that the useless Commission on Judicial Conduct had to act because our District Attorney Frank Sedita had the balls to go after two lying lawyers- one of whom was a judge and the other one a knucklehead New York State law school employee ! Three cheers for Frank Sedita!! You downstate bloggers should get to know this guy. He'll clean up some of OCA's do-do, the drippings of which flow from way up north all the way to the southern tip of Manhattan. Yup, this state's an ethics cesspool.
Sedita's a decent guy but I really think Andrew Cuomo is the person to make badly needed and long overdue improvements to our ethics-less lawyers, judges and courts.
Let me understand this: A New York State Supreme Court Judge and a former Assistant District Attorney- who wanted to become a judge, of course- tried to fix a criminal case. And, unfortunately for them, they got caught. Who's in charge here?!?! What is Paterson doing?!?!!
Question: does a dishonest judge who had to resign still get his cash from appreciative attorneys and litigants? What are the procedures to insure that payoffs continue?
take their pensions.......the Judicial Conduct Club is a bad joke that will not do anything unless there is a gun to their heads.......the foxes are in charge of the hen house - Say it all together - CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE
And the Buffalo News keeps reporting each case..one by one and without reference to any corruption or past removed judges (3) and now (4) in the last year in the 8th dist...so the reading public can believe they are all JUST isolated cases...and no investigation by you or anyone supporting that position... is needed.
Buffalo News...you have been given tons of evidence to lead your investigative reporters right to the sources and signs of corruption...if you would only get out of your chair and open the door into the hallway of the court building where you sit...all day long!
You are a shameful rag and an embarrassment to upstate NY!
It's not just the Buffalo News, how about it, Albany Times Union: Do some REAL investigative reporting and do stories on the pathetic condition of ethics in our courts!
There's going to be a lot more judicial dirt falling from under those black robes. Kaye and Lippman gave Bob Tembeckjian (and the media) the order to hold back on the nasty judicial stuff until Lippman was confirmed as the Chief Judge- they didn't want people to know how big a mess the court system really was, and how it all came about under blind eyes of Jumpin' Judy and the most inexperienced jurist to hit Albany- Jonathan. One thing I can say: the honest judges are pretty damn disgusted.
I believe a couple of Buffalo law licenses should be suspended today!
I wear a black robe and believe that the time has come for former Chief Administrative Judge Jonathan Lippman, and who is now the state's top justice, to step up to the plate and: (1) get rid of the dishonest judges; (2) get the honest judges an overdue raise; (3) shut down the CJC and (4) restore some dignity to the legal profession in NY.
There is also the original atty that submitted the affidavits for atty Adams. Did he know they were false documents and delivered them anyway. He was a long time prosecutor of DWI's for the county, and now is a defense atty for the same firm Adams worked for when she got dumped by the DA's office.
More people are involved in this tragedy..but no mention of them...Sedita...prove to the people your blood line has no influence on your new ethical office!
Your headline is worthy of the Enquirer. New York Law School is the name of a law school in New York. Should have said U of Buffalo Law School.
To: a judge said...
I think that anyone who comes to this blog completely agrees with you. The problem is, that a lot of people have tried in any and every way they can think of to, to do just that.
It seems that it's just the small fish that get tossed and the big ones keep getting away.
Do you have any ideas on what needs to be done to get meaningful change?
(If you do, you should get in touch with Frank Brady. He is in touch with many loosely organized grassroot groups and maybe a more effective plan can be created.)
The Buffalo political judiciary are out in numbers (10) so far...beating down the Dem and Rep doors to replace their fallen brother.
Remember dark knights...your jobs are tenuous at best...any moment these same vultures could chase you down for ...any of YOUR many indiscretions...just to secure a higher court position!
Change those locks, cover your windows and keep the court sweeties and your pillow talk, in Fort Erie Canada! Oh and watch all your phone conversations..better use the pay phones..if you can find one.
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