NY Times: Judges Are for Sale — and Special Interests Are Buying
OCCUPY NY COURTS NOV 1 - A blistering new report details how big business and corporate lobbyists are pouring money into state judicial elections across the country and packing the courts with judges who put special interests ahead of the public interest.
The new study — by New York University Law School’s Brennan Center for Justice, the National Institute on Money in State Politics, and the Justice at Stake Campaign, a non-partisan reform group — found that a small group of super spenders plays the biggest role, using their money to buy the kind of judges they want hearing their cases. These super spenders are the usual suspects: mainly big business, corporate lobbyists, and trial lawyers. Also high on the list: a disturbing category called “unknown.” In many states, disclosure laws are so weak that special interests can buy judicial elections without the public even finding out.
Cohen, the author of Nothing to Fear, teaches at Yale Law School.
Professor Cohen, WE WILL OCCUPY COURTS NOV 1:
Americans for Legal Reform proudly presents: ELENA SASSOWER, director and co-founder of the Center for Judicial Accountability, Inc. (CJA), will be our guest speaker at the November 1st meeting of Americans for Legal Reform.
OCCUPY NY COURTS
Tuesday, November 1st
7:00 p.m.
Plainview Library
999 Old Country Road
Plainview, N.Y. 11803
(Tel: 516-938-0077)
Comment by Cecilia K. Gullas
A Court Decision by the Appellate Term, First Department on a Court Order by Housing Court Judge Brenda Spears is very revealing on the kind of inefficient lazy judge that Judge Brenda Spears is. The decision was published in the New York Law Journal on Wednesdayh, January 4, 2012 under Court Decisions on page 21. The decision by the Appellate Term says that “Civil Court erred in dismissing the underlying illegal lockout proceeding after colloquy, without taking sworn testimony or receiving evidence pin admissible form. Issues concerning petitioner’s occupancy status in the single room occupant hotel premises and the legality of respondents-owners’ actions were not properly addressed by the informal procedure utilized in Housing Court.”
Judge Brenda Spears is not working to the best interest of litigants. She is wasting limited court responses by expecting the Appellate Term to do the job for her. She should be removed from the bench!.
I have a court case involving Judge Brenda Spears who violated the civil and constitutional due process rights of a rent stabilized tenant in a non payment proceeding where she ignored and dismissed the non existence of 4 dismissed nonpayment proceedings that were never litigated in court by the landlord. Only 1 nonpayment was litigated which granted the tenant an Abatement. This case also involves a Nuisance action. Ironically, appellate case law requires notification and warnings be sent to the tenant by the landlord or by their managing agents. This was never done. No documentation was submitted against the tenant. Instead, she relied on the false testimonies of 7 petitioner witnesses who all admitted they never documented one single nuisance incident against this tenant. Her judicial was so bad, the Appellate Term First Dept. transferred the case over to the Appellate Term Second Dept. so they can reverse and reprimand her. There is more to come with the case. The tenant of record plans to file a “private citizen” / “public official” lawsuit against Brenda Spears. (notice she wasn’t called a judge)
I too have a major problem with JUDGE BRENDA SPEARS
She should be removed from office .
Bias against Tenants..Favoring Landlords
Please contact….put our heads together an take ACTION against her!