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

ROBERT SMITH
 

COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL NOMINATION

CJA's October 16, 2003 letter to Commission on Judicial Nomination, resent October 17, 2003 -- ATT: Stuart Summit -- "Public Access Rights Pursuant to Judiciary Law 63.3"

Commission's October 20, 2003 fax with October 15, 2003 report

CJA's December 8, 2003 letter to Commission on Judicial Nomination, resent December 23, 2003 -- ATT: Stuart Summit -- "Public Access Rights Pursuant to Judiciary Law 63.3 and Article 6 of the Public Officers Law: The Freedom of Information of Law (F.O.I.L.)"

January 8, 2004 fax from Commission on Judicial Nomination

CJA's January 22, 2004 letter to Commission on Judicial Nomination --
"The application package pertaining to the vacancy created by the resignation of Richard C. Wesley"

* * *

CJA's January 12, 2004 testimony in opposition
to New York State Senate confirmation of Robert S. Smith
to the New York Court of Appeals.

Relevant referred-to &/or accompanying documents

(1)      CJA's October 16, 2000 report on the Commission on Judicial Nomination's corruption of "merit selection" to the NY Court of Appeals
           SEE: Judicial Selection - State - NY The Corruption of "Merit Selection" to NY's Highest State Court: Graffeo

(2)     CJA's November 13, 2000 report on the complicitous roles of the bar associations in the corruption of "merit selection" to the NY Court of Appeals
          SEE: Judicial Selection - State - NY The Corruption of "Merit Selection" to NY's Highest State Court: Graffeo

(3)     CJA's December 19, 2003 letter to NYS Senate Judiciary Committee Chair DeFrancisco -- "Senate confirmation of Robert S. Smith, Esq. to the New York Court of Appeals; (1) Request for publicly-available documents; (2) Request to testify in opposition"

(4)     CJA's December 6, 2003 letter to NY Governor Pataki. -- "Publicly-Available Materials Pertaining to Governor Pataki's Appointment of Robert S. Smith, Esq., to the New York Court of Appeals"

(5)     CJA's December 26, 2003 letter to Governor Pataki -- "Publicly-Available Materials Pertaining to Governor Pataki's Appointment of Robert S. Smith, Esq., to the New York Court of Appeals"

(6)     CJA's December 22, 2003 letter to NYS Comptroller -- "Request for Information & Documents Pertaining to the State's Authorizations, Designations, and Payments to Special Counsel and, in particular, to Robert S. Smith, Esq."

(7)     CJA's January 2, 2004 letter to Local Governmental Assistance Corporation -- "Request for information, as well as documents pursuant to F.O.I.L., pertaining to special counsel representing the Local Government Assistance Corporation in its lawsuit against the NYS Legislature"


Transcript Excerpt
of January 12, 2004 Senate Judiciary Committee Confirmation Hearing
(see, in particular, pages 66-67)


Transcript of January 12, 2004 Senate Confirmation


Message from the Governor, Confirmation by the NYS Senate


 

FOIL CORRESPONDENCE:

Governor George Pataki:

CJA's December 6, 2003 letter to Governor Pataki. --
"RE: Publicly-Available Materials Pertaining to Governor Pataki's Appointment
of Robert S. Smith, Esq., to the New York Court of Appeals"

Governor Pataki's December 12, 2003 letter

CJA's December 26, 2003 letter to Governor Pataki --
"RE: Publicly-Available Materials Pertaining to Governor Pataki's Appointment
of Robert S. Smith, Esq., to the New York Court of Appeals"

Governor Pataki's December 15, 2004 letter


Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi:

CJA's December 22, 2003 letter to Comptroller --
"RE: Request for Information & Documents Pertaining to the State's Authorizations,
Designations, and Payments to Special Counsel and, in particular, to Robert S. Smith, Esq."

Comptroller's December 31, 2003 letter


NYS Local Government Assistance Corporation:

CJA's January 2, 2004 letter to Local Governmental Assistance Corporation --
"RE: Request for information, as well as documents pursuant to F.O.I.L., pertaining to special counsel representing the Local Government Assistance Corporation in its lawsuit against the NYS Legislature"

NY Local Government Assistance Corporation's January 12, 2003 letter

NY Local Government Assistance Corporation's February 27, 2004 letter

NY Local Government Assistance Corporation's March 25, 2004 letter

NY Local Government Assistance Corporation's April 21, 2004 letter


Senate Judiciary Committee:

CJA's January 13, 2004 letter to Chair DeFrancisco --
"RE: Request for stenographic transcript of the Senate Judiciary Committee's January 12, 2004 'hearing' to confirm Robert S. Smith to the New York Court of Appeals"

January 20, 2004 e-mail from Chief of Staff Carole Luther

January 23, 2004 e-mail from Chief of Staff Luther

CJA's January 23, 2004 letter to Chair DeFrancisco --
"RE: Payment for the transcript of the Senate Judiciary Committee's January 12, 2004 'hearing' to confirm the appointment of Robert S. Smith to the New York Court of Appeals"

January 26, 2004 letter from Chief of Staff Luther


Secretary of the Senate:

CJA's January 12, 2004 Request for Copies of Records

Secretary of the Senate Steven M. Boggess' January 20, 2004 letter

CJA's January 20, 2004 letter to Secretary of the Senate Boggess --
"RE: Requested Records Pertaining to Senate Confirmation of Robert S. Smith to the New York Court of Appeals"

*      *      *

CJA's January 26, 2004 memo to NYPIRG, Common Cause, and League of Women Voters --
"RE: Vindicating the Public's Right to Know: The Role of $ in 'Merit Selection' to the NY Court of Appeals"


League of Women Voters' January 26, 2004 e-mail

 

*    *    *


CASE STUDY
OF THE PRESS IN ACTION

THE NEW YORK TIMES

January 13, 2004 Metro Briefing:
"Albany: Lawyer Appointed to Appeals Court"
(Al Baker)

CJA's January 21, 2004 memo to Albany Bureau Chief James McKinley, Jr.  --
"RE: In further support of a New York Times investigative expose of 'merit selection'
to the New York Court of Appeals"

February 18, 2004
"A New Robe in New York State's Highest Court"

GANNETT

January 15, 2004
"Smith's approval exposes flaws in the review process"
(Yancey Roy)



ALBANY TIMES UNION

January 13, 2004
 "Lawmakers sign off on Pataki's pick"
(James Odato)

 

NEWSDAY

CJA's December 31, 2003 e-mail to Dan Janison --
"Subject: Are Special Counsel 'for Sale' to Pataki Donors -- and How About Appointed Judgeships?"

CJA's January 2, 2004 e-mail to Dan Janison --
"Subject: Follow-up to yr article, 'Pataki Donor Could Gain from City Bond Sale"

CJA's January 14, 2004 e-mail to Dan Janison --
"Subject: Following the $: The Payoff in 'Special Counsel' Assignments & Appointive Judgeships"



BUFFALO NEWS

January 13, 2004
"Victim's Sister Urges Death Penalty Revisions"
(Tom Precious)

CJA's January 22, 2004 e-mail to Albany Bureau Chief Tom Precious --
"Subject: Robert Smith's Confirmation to the NY Court of Appeals"

 

THE NEW YORK SUN

January 13, 2004
"Senators Confirm Smith as Member Of Court of Appeals"
(William Hammond)

CJA's January 20, 2004 letter to Stuart Marques, News Editor --
"RE: (1) Supervisory oversight over the deficient, cover-up news reporting of William F. Hammond, Jr., 'Senators Confirm Smith as Member Of Court of Appeals', (NY Sun, 1/13/04) and his unprofessional, unaccountable conduct in connection therewith;
        (2) Proposal for a meeting to discuss the panoply of groundbreaking, electorally-significant stories CJA has to offer on issues of judicial selection and discipline -- all readily-verifiable and fully documented"

CJA's January 20, 2004 letter to Bill Hammond


 *   *   *

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


 

 

 

 

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