Here's a report circulated last week by Alan Flacks -- blogger and commentator on all things related to Manhattan judicial politics:
MANHATTAN JUDICIAL VACANCIES IN 2009
In 2009, there is only one "County-wide" vacancy, that for State Supreme Court Justice as John Stackhouse retires, reaching the constitutional age limit.
In the Civil Court, Cynthia Kern (3rd Dist.), Analisa Torres (6th Dist.), and Walter Tolub (9th Dist.) are up for re-election. Tolub is considering leaving the bench, but he says that he won't make a decision as to whether or not he'll run again until 14th January, 2009. [Tolub, a long-time Liberal Party member, changed his enrollment to Democrat in 2004.]
Currently there are two "open" N.Y.C. Civil Court seats: In the 9th Civil Court District [14th to 96th Sts., 7th Ave. to Lex.], vacated by Judith Gische who was elected to the State Supreme Court trial bench, and in the 3rd District [14th to 65th Sts., 7th Ave. to the Hudson] as Marilyn Shafer reaches the constitutional age limit.
This brings up another issue: Only State Supreme Court Justices may be "certificated" to serve up to six additional years past the mandatory retirement age of 70. Lloyd McAulay and this writer repeatedly have urged our local State Senators to start the bill process to amend the State constitution to provide for the certification of all elected judges. Here in the City, we lose the sagacity of many Civil Court judges when they turn 70, and being a Judicial Hearing Officer is not the same. State Senator Tom Duane says that with the Democrats in control of the State Senate this year ("barely") and a Democrat as the Senate Judiciary Committee chair, it may be feasible.
Surrogate-elect Nora Anderson is suspended, with pay, from the N.Y. County Surrogate position until the pending charges on campaign finance (brought by the D.A.) are resolved one way or another. The order, issued by the Court of Appeals on 29 December 2008, became effective January 1st of this year. A judge will be appointed by 16th January, 2009, by the Office of Court Administration to fill the job temporarily according to Chief Administrative Judge Ann Pfau. It probably will be a judge with some knowledge and experience in that field and a sitting Supreme Court Justice who doesn't have an interest in the job, long term, if Anderson were convicted and removed. If she is acquitted, that, as Kipling would say, is another story.
