Manhattan 2010 Civil Court County-wide Races

Here is the latest on the candidates for the 2010 New York County Democratic Party County-wide Civil Court seats. Sabrina Bebe Kraus, who was considering running for a County-wide Civil Court vacancy in Manhattan, announced at a joint meeting of the Ansonia Independent Democrats and the Park-River Independent Democrats that she is not a candidate. [She subsequently sent a letter to this effect to all the district leaders.]

Verena Celestene Powell was also considering jumping in the race; but, in an Email on June 4th, she said that "[she] is not running this year."

Businessman and solo practitioner (immigration, L&T, discrimination cases) Richard Realmuto, from Washington Heights, told us that he is running for the County-wide Civil Court vacancy number 4, the same seat County-endorsed David Benjamin Cohen is seeking. Matthew Frederic Cooper, standing for re-election, and Leticia Maria Ramirez are running unopposed for County-wide seats vacancy numbers 3 and 5 respectively.

Voice of the People

New York Daily News
Voice of the People for Sunday, June 6, 2010
Letters to The Editor

Boss Rule

Brooklyn Democrats aren't the only ones to act autocratically in selecting judges. In Manhattan, as reform fades away, the New York County Democratic executive committee district leaders made an endorsement on May 27 for the county-wide Civil Court vacancies. Under party rules, the executive committee may only endorse panel-screened candidates for countywide judicial seats. They adhered to this, but nevertheless, under the new leader, the endorsement was a sham, orchestrated Soviet-style, and made a mockery of democracy as each candidate was allowed one minute to speak. There wasn't even the appearance of propriety. In a welcome comparison, a forum by five downtown Democratic clubs later that night let candidates talk at length and take questions.

Alan Flacks, Manhattan