THE FLACKS REPORT [12 March 09]

Morgy Wannabees---Stackhouse Leaves---Public Advocate---New A.D. (1st) Judge---O.C.A. Reorganization---A.D. (1st) Try-outs

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Morgy Wannabees

With Morgy's retirement, the field of office seekers widened: Cyrus Vance, Jr., Richard Aborn, Leslie Crocker Snyder, Dan Castleman of the Manh. D.A.'s office, Randy Mastro, a former deputy mayor in the Giuliani administration; Catherine Abate, who served as corrections commissioner in the Dinkins administration;
Rose Gill Hearn, commissioner of the city's Department of Investigation; and Manhattan State Sen. Eric Schneiderman.
However Schneiderman has pulled out saying "Over the past decade, I have put my heart into winning a Democratic Majority in the State Senate. Two months ago, we finally took over. Frankly, I am enjoying my work as the Chair of the Senate Codes Committee and my collaboration with my Senate colleagues too much to leave so soon. And I believe that I am just scratching the surface of what I can do in this exciting new era in New York State’s Government. As Codes Committee Chair, I will be able to play a key role in shaping criminal justice policy in New York State . . . ."

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Stackhouse Leaves

J.S.C. John Stackouse's retirement party is Friday, 3rd April, fueling speculation that he'll leave the bench next month, and opening the way for the Guv to fill the vacancy.
But who? Debra James? She's not Farrell's favorite--she hadn't worked in the Harlem vineyard. Laura Drager? No; she's a former D.A., and is a Mayoral appointment for a Queens Criminal Court spot. Farrell will never give a judgeship away to another county.
Lucy Billings? Never in Farrell's lifetime. Billings ran against two Farrell faves: Milt Tingling & Stu Cohen--and Billings beat Cohen. Saliann Scarpulla? Unlikely; she's a newbie. Cynthia Kern? A "comer."
Will the Accidental Govenor do his own thing or take direction from Farrell?

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Public Advocate Race

Outs: Adam Clayton Powell, John Liu, Jessica Lappin
Ins: Eric Gioia, Bill de Blasio, Mark Green, and the Natural, Norman Siegel.

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New App. Div. (1st) Judge

Roz Flies Up. Supreme Court Justice Rosalyn Richter was appointed to the App. Div., 1st Dept.

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O.C.A. Reorganization

"Big Deal On Beaver Street" The new Chief Judge has made a number of changes in O.C.A. by eliminating some supervising judges. He isn't finished, and we shall report to you subsequently as soon as the new line-up is in place.
O.C.A. is administratively top-heavy and bureaucratic. There are 56 administrative and supervising judges. Clearing away what Lippmann calls "administrative clutter," locally he has reduced from 5 to 2 the number of deputy chief administrative judges here in N.Y. city.
Fern Fisher leaves as administrative judge of the N. Y. C. Civil Courts to be the administrative judge of all the courts in New York City; and Joan Carey, a Court of Claims judge, will be the administrative judge for Manhattan Supreme, Civil-side, for now until her retirement at year's end.

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A.D. (1st) Try-outs

A new P.J. for A. D. 1st? Interviews are now going on for a new P.J. for the First Dept. App. Div. Seven of their sixteen judges have applied: Angela Mazzarelli, Diane Renwick, Luis Gonzalez, Richard Andreas, Peter Tom, Rolando Acosta, and David Saxe. The gubernatorial appointment is not subject to Senate confirmation.

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"The noblest motive is the public good." --Richard Steele