About CJA
Our History
Our Mission
Who We Are
Awards & Honors

Published Pieces

Testimony

Judicial Selection
Federal
State-NY

Judicial Discipline
Federal
State-NY

Test Cases:
Federal (Mangano)
State (Commission)

"Disruption of Congress"
Paper Trail to Jail
Paper Trail from Jail
The Appeals

Elections:
Informing the Voters

Press Suppression

Suing The New York Times
Outreach
Background Paper Trail

Searching for Champions:
    (Correspondence):

Federal
NYS
Bar Associations
Academia
Organizations
Nader & Others
Citizens

Our Members' Efforts

Library

Join Us!

THE CORRUPTION OF "MERIT SELECTION" TO NEW YORK'S HIGHEST STATE COURT:

SUSAN P. READ

     * * *

1.
COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL NOMINATION

CJA's December 6, 2002 letter to Commission on Judicial Nomination - ATT: Stuart Summit -- "Public Access Rights Pursuant to Judiciary Law 63.3"

CJA's January 3, 2003 letter to Commission on Judicial Nomination - ATT: Stuart Summit -- "Public Access Rights Pursuant to Judiciary Law 63.3"

January 6, 2003 letter from Stephen P. Younger, Assistant Counsel, enclosing Commission's December 2, 2002 report to Governor Pataki


2.
GOVERNOR PATAKI

CJA's January 14, 2003 letter to Governor Pataki -- ATT: James McGuire, Counsel --
"Publicly-Available Materials Pertaining to Governor Pataki's Appointment of Court of Claims Presiding Judge Susan P. Read to the New York Court of Appeals"


3.
SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE


CJA's January 14, 2003 letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman DeFrancisco --
"(1) CJA's request for a meeting to discuss the documentary evidence of the corruption of judicial selection and discipline;
        (2) CJA's request to testify at the upcoming Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in opposition to confirmation of Court of Claims Presiding Judge Susan P. Read to the Court of Appeals;
       (3) CJA's request for publicly-available documents in the Committee's possession establishing the legitimacy of the Commission on Judicial Nomination's recommendation of Judge Read as 'well qualified' to sit on the Court of Appeals and any other publicly-available documents establishing her qualifications"

CJA's January 16. 2003 letter to Governor Pataki -- ATT: James McGuire, Counsel --

"Information and F.O.I.L. Request Pertaining to Susan P. Read's  Tenure as Governor Pataki's Deputy Counsel '1995-1997'"

CJA's January 17, 2003 letter to Chairman DeFrancisco --
"
(1) Postponement of the Senate Judiciary Committee's January 22, 2003 Hearing on Judge Susan P. Read's Confirmation to the New York Court of Appeals;
      (2) Request for Information as to the Senate Judiciary Committee's Confirmation Procedures;
      (3) Providing the Public with Judge Read's own Questionnaire Responses as to her Qualifications, etc."

CJA's January 20, 2003 letter to Governor Pataki -- ATT: James McGuire, Counsel --
"CJA's upcoming testimony in opposition to Senate confirmation of Governor Pataki's appointment of Judge Susan Read to the Court of Appeals -- requiring your immediate response to its faxed January 16th and 14th letters to you for information and documents"

 

January 22, 2003:  CJA's TESTIMONY IN OPPOSITION --
HALTED by Senate Judiciary Committee Chair DeFrancisco after the FIRST page
Substantiating Appendix Documents


February 4, 2003 letter from Chief of Staff Carole Luther

CJA's February 7, 2003 letter to Chief of Staff Luther --
"CJA's January 22, 2003 FOIL request for the stenographic transcript of the January 22, 2003 'hearing' on Susan Read's confirmation to the New York Court of Appeals"

  

Transcript excerpt
Senate Judiciary Committee's January 22, 2003 hearing

 

Transcript excerpt
January 22, 2003 Senate floor proceedings


 


CJA's February 10, 2003 letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chair DeFrancisco --
"(1) CJA's request that Senate Judiciary Committee members be provided with copies of CJA's January 22, 2003 written statement, with appendix documents;
        (2) CJA's request for a meeting with Chair DeFrancisco to discuss the January 22, 2003 written statement;
        (3) The practices and procedures of the Senate Judiciary Committee for preserving the records of its confirmation proceedings for Court of Appeals and 'lower' state court judges"
   
Ex. A-1: CJA's December 19, 2001 FOIL request to inspect documents submitted to the Senate
                 Judiciary Committee in opposition to confirmation of Joseph Bellacosa to the Court
                  of Appeals
    Ex. A-2: May 8, 2002 letter of Senate Judiciary Committee Counsel
    Ex. B-1: CJA's December 1, 2000 fax to Senate Judiciary Committee
    Ex. B-2: CJA's January 4, 2001 letter to Senate Judiciary Committee
    Ex. B-3: January 9, 2001 letter of Senate Judiciary Committee Counsel
    Ex. B-4: CJA's March 26, 2001 letter to Senate Judiciary Committee
    Ex. B-5: Pages 42-3 of the transcript of Senate Judiciary Committee Committee's
                November 29, 2000 hearing on Victoria Graffeo's confirmation

 


CJA's January 23, 2003 memorandum to Appellate Division, 2nd Dept. Presiding Justice A. Gail Prudenti & Appellate Division, 3rd Dept. Justice Anthony V. Cardona
"Your Right to 'Hear' CJA's Opposition Testimony to Senate Confirmation of Court of Claims Presiding Judge Susan P. Read to the New York Court of Appeals -- and to 'Be Heard' with Respect Thereto"
  
(indicated copies to Chief Administrative Judge Lippman, Gary Spencer, Public Information Officer/NY Court of Appeals)


January 27, 2003 letter from Mark Ustin, Assistant Counsel/Governor Pataki-Records Access Officer


CJA's April 16, 2003 letter to Governor Pataki's Records Access Officer Mark R. Ustin --
"(1) F.O.I.L. Requests of December 6, 2002 & January 9, 2003;
        (2) F.O.I.L. Requests of January 14, 2003 & January 16, 2003;
        (3) Newly-Initiated F.O.I.L. Requests Pertaining to the Governor's 'Federal Appointments Screening Committee'/'Federal Judicial Screening Committee'"

 
(indicated copy to Nan Weiner, Executive Director/"Federal Appointments Screening Committee")

November 5, 2003 letter from Mark Ustin, Assistant Counsel/Governor Pataki-Records Access Officer

December 5, 2003 letter to W. Brooks DeBow, Deputy Counsel/Governor Pataki --
"CJA's January 14, 2003 and January 16, 2003 Requests, Including Pursuant to F.O.I.L. and Judiciary Law 63.4, for Publicly-Available Materials Pertaining to Court of Claims Presiding Judge Susan P. Read to the New York Court of Appeals"

Deputy Counsel DeBow's December 19, 2003 letter --
"FOIL Appeal 2003-5 (FOIL Appeal Request Dated December 5, 2003 and Received on December 5, 2003)"

CJA's December 26, 2003 letter to Deputy Counsel DeBow

  (indicated copy to Committee on Open Government) -- "FOIL APPEAL 2003-5': CJA's January 14, 2003 and January 16, 2003 Requests, Including Pursuant to F.O.I.L. and Judiciary Law 63.4, for Publicly-Available Materials Pertaining to Court of Claims Presiding Judge Susan P. Read to the New York Court of Appeals"


 

CASE STUDY
OF THE PRESS IN ACTION

NEW YORK TIMES

CJA's January 21, 2003 fax to James McKinley, Jr.

CJA's January 22, 2003 e-mail to McKinley --
"CJA's testimony in opposition to Read confirmation"
  --
CJA's January 22, 2003 written testimony 

CJA's January 29, 2003 letter to McKinley --
RE: "Essential News & Editorial Coverage: The Corruption of 'Merit Selection'
 to the New York Court of Appeals -- The Senate Judiciary Committee's Role"

CJA's January 29, 2003 memo to Editorial Board --
"Essential News & Editorial Coverage: The Corruption of 'Merit Selection'
to the New York Court of Appeals -- The Senate Judiciary Committee's Role"

CJA's February 7, 2003 e-mail to Eleanor Randolph/Editorial Board --
"Vindicating the Public's Rights by Your Powerful Editorial Voice"


NEW YORK LAW JOURNAL

CJA's January 21, 2003 letter to John Caher --
"Vindicating the Public's Rights to 'Merit Selection': CJA's Opposition to Confirmation
of Susan P. Read to the Court of Appeals"

CJA's January 22, 2003 e-mail to Caher --
"CJA testimony in opposition to Read confirmation"

January 23, 2013
"Smooth Sailing"

 front page    

here, too

CJA's March 14, 2003 letter & e-mail to Kris Fischer --
"The New York Law Journal's 'Service' to the Legal Community"



ASSOCIATED PRESS

CJA's January 22, 2003 e-mail to Mike Gormley, Joel Stashenko --
"CJA testimony in opposition to Read Confirmation"

  -- transmitting CJA's testimony in opposition to confirmation of Susan Read for the NY Court of Appeals

CJA's January 25, 2003 letter to Rick Stevens (News Editor/NYS) --
"Endorsing and Authorizing an Associated Press expose of the New York State Senate Judiciary Committee"
     
         
CJA's February 12, 2003 letter to News Editor Stevens --
"Endorsing and Authorizing an Associated Press expose of the New York State Senate Judiciary Committee"


LEGISLATIVE GAZETTE

CJA's January 28, 2003 letter to James Gormley, Assistant Managing Editor --
"Proposal for Professor Chartock's 'Publisher's Corner', etc."
   
CJA's February 12, 2003 letter to Alan Chartock, Publisher & Project Director --
"Proposal for your 'Publisher's Corner', etc."
 

GANNETT, NEWSDAY, NEW YORK POST, DAILY NEWS

CJA's January 22, 2003 e-mail

 

SYRACUSE POST-STANDARD

January 23, 2003
"DeFrancisco quiets a critic"
(Erik Kriss)

CJA's January 24, 2003 e-mail & mail to Peter Lyman/Editorial Page Editor --
RE: Senator DeFrancisco's Chairmanship of the State Senate Judiciary Committee"

January 27, 2003
"A Flawed Process:
Judicial nominees should be subject to more public scrutiny"
(Editorial)


CJA's January 27, 2003 fax to Erik Kriss --
"RE: Senator DeFrancisco's Chairmanship of Senate Judiciary Committee"

CJA's January 28, 2003 e-mail to Peter Lyman (cc: Kriss) --
"Subj: 'A Flawed Process' listed by Brennan Center for Justice"

CJA's March 11, 2003 e-mail and fax to Erik Kriss --
"Subj: March 17th Meeting with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman DeFrancisco"
   
                See:   Judicial Selection - NYS
               
            Judicial Discipline - NYS
 

CJA's March 14, 2003 fax to Erik Kriss --
"Subj: RE: March 17th meeting with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman DeFrancisco" 


   *   *   *

click here for:
OTHER 'MERIT SELECTION"
COURT OF APPEALS APPOINTMENTS



 

 

Top

 
CJA Site Search Engine Search CJA

CJA Homepage  •  Latest News  •  Join Us  •  Site Search