THE FLACKS REPORT
Late August, 2014
James d'Auguste, Nancy Bannon, and Lynn Robin Kotler—all Civil Court Judges--were reported by this year's screening panel as the three "most highly qualified" from among the seven applicants [see item #1, infra] as required by the Party's rules for the judicial screening panel for State Supreme Court Justice [item #6]. According to sources, the panel's preference was d'Auguste first, Bannon second, and Kotler third. D'Auguste came out of the Lexington Democratic Club, Bannon from Tilden, and Kotler from the Chelsea "Reform" Democratic Club. Supreme Court Justice Milton Tingling was found "meriting re-designation" for his current seat (his term was up) [item #3].
Corrections: Arthur Engoron was inadvertently left out of those "2/4" candidates [item #4]. The County "cocktail" party [no cocktails, only wine, beer, and H2O] was at D.C. 1707 A.F.L./C.I.O. [item #7].
Postscriptum: Strangely, the story of the replacement for "The Greg Soumas" seat, the Manhattan Democratic seat on the New York City Board of Elections, is only being followed by one newspaper, the N.Y. Daily News and their political reporter Celeste Noelle Katz. Read all about it at:
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics
Further Information
1. The following Civil Court Judges applied to the County's Supreme Court Screening Panel (in no particular order): James d'Auguste, Kelly O'Neill Levy, Robert Reed, Tanya Kennedy, Nancy Bannon, Lynn Robin Kotler, Raymond Bruce.
2. Margaret Chan did not apply as previously reported.
3. Justice Milton Tingling, who is seeking re-designation, was also interviewed.
4. Judges Kathryn Freed, Barbara Jaffe, Andrea Masley, Lori Susan Sattler, Arthur Engoron, and Arlene Bluth are considered "2/4" judges [reported as "most highly qualified" in two of the previous four years], and may be considered at the judicial convention.
5. Keith "L.T." Wright ( sub nom Jeanine Johnson) did not want these two leading organizations to be asked to send a panelist: Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund; Lambda Legal/N.Y.
6. The screening panel met on Monday, 25th August, 2014, to interview candidates and to vote on the three (3) "most highly qualified" of the seven applicants.
7. The County organization cocktail party, where the results of the panel's selections will be announced, was also on Monday, 25th August, 2014. [The panel report must be publicly released within 24 hours according to the Party's rules.] Locus: A.F.S.C.M.E. District Council 1707 A.F. of L./C.I.O., at 6 o'clock P.M., 420 West 45th Str., (betw. 9th & 10th Aves.), Manhattan.
8. The First District Democratic judicial nominating convention is scheduled for Tuesday, 16th September, 2014, at the School of Visual Arts Theatre (formerly the RKO 23rd Str.) at 333 West 23rd Street (betw. 8th & 9th Aves.), Manhattan. The convention is open to the public.
2014 New York County Democratic Screening Panel
for State Supreme Court Vacancies
On July 9 th, 2014, the New York County Democratic Committee announced the formation of a screening panel to report on candidates for the nomination of the Democratic Party for the two (2) vacancies on the New York State Supreme Court, First Judicial District (New York County), which will be filled in the November 2014 General Election. The chief operating officer of numerous bar associations, community organizations, and law schools designated the following members to the panel, which will report the three (3) "most highly qualified" candidates from among the seven applicants (all lower court judges) for the one (1) "open" seat. [Justice Milton Tingling is running unopposed for re-election.]
Carla Lyn Cheung, Esq., Asian American Bar Association of N.Y.
Asst. Corporation Counsel, N.Y.C. Dept. of Law
Brooklyn Law School – 2 nd Dept. 2008
Michelle J. Chui, Esq., Asian Americans for Equality
N.Y.U. Law School – 1 st Dept. 2007
Beth Christine Hofmeister, Esq., Association of Legal Aid Attorneys
The Legal Aid Society
Loyola U. School of Law (Chicago) – 1 st Dept. 2007
Elizabeth M. Connolly Esq., Brehon Law Society
Asst. Corporation Counsel, N.Y.C. Dept. of Law
Albany Law School – 1 st Dept. 2009
Vivien G. Naim, Esq., Cardozo Law School
Benjamin Cardozo School of Law – 1 st Dept. 1989
Ottavio Mannarino, Esq., Columbian Lawyers Association
Baratta, Baratta & Aidala
New York Law School – 1 st Dept. 2012
Luis Freddy Molano, M.D., Community Healthcare Network
Community Healthcare Network – V.P. H.I.V. Programmes
Marlon D. Peterson, Fortune Society
Fortune Society, Director of Community Relations
Stephen Andrew Rutenberg, Esq., Jewish Community Relations Council of New York
Sidley, Austin
U. of Penn Law School – 2 nd Dept. 2002
Shoshana T. Bookson, Esq., Jewish Lawyers Guild
Law Offices of Shoshona T. Bookson
Benjamin Cardozo School of Law – 1 st Dept 1983
Sung Wan Kim, Esq., Korean American Lawyers Assn. of Greater N. Y.
Kelley, Drye, & Warren
Columbia Law School - 1 st Dept. 2005
Gretchen Kathleen Robinson, Esq., Metropolitan Black Bar Association
N.Y.P.D. Civilian Complaint Review Board
American University College of Law (D.C.) – 3 rd Dept. 2003
Sharon D. Long, N.A.A.C.P. Mid-Manhattan Branch
LaGuardia Community College, Sr. Placement Counselor
Laura S. Schnell, Esq., National Employment Lawyers Association/N.Y.
Eisenberg & Schnell
University of Chicago Law School – 2 nd Dept. 1985
Susan Gail Barrie, Esq., National Lawyers Guild, New York City Chapter
Susan Barrie
Brooklyn Law School – 1 st Dept. 1980
Kimberly Ann Mosolf, Esq., Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Columbia Law School – 2 nd Dept. 2007
Phil Pierre, New York Urban League
Educator – Mark Valley High School teacher
Virginia Ann LoPreto, Esq., N. Y. S. Women's Bar Assn., N.Y.C. Section
Virginia A. LoPreto
Benjamin Cardozo School of Law – 2 nd Dept. 1983
Carmen Angelica Pacheco, Esq., Puerto Rican Bar Association
Pacheco & Lugo
St. John's University School of Law – 2 nd Dept. 1987
Harley David Diamond, Esq., L.G.B.T. Bar Assn. of Greater New York
N.Y.C. Housing Authority, Law Dept. Sr. Litigation Counsel
John Marshall Law School – 1 st Dept. 1988
Gregory Gil Ballard, Esq., Assn. of the Bar of the City of New York
Sidley, Austin
Columbia Law School – 1 st Dept. 1993
Jonathan Daniel Lupkin, Esq., New York State Bar Assn., Commercial & Federal Litigation Section
Rakower, Lupkin
Columbia Law School – 2 nd Dept. 1993
Meryl Iris Schwartz, Esq., New York State Trial Lawyers
Jonathan C. Ritter
Brooklyn Law School – 2 nd Dept. 1991
Rebecca M. Roiphe, Esq., New York Law School
New York Law School, Professor (Am. legal history; professional ethics)
Harvard Law School – 1 st Dept. 2002