Judge Gleason Rules: Judicial Screening Panels Controlled by County Leaders

"TWO MEMBERS of the committee that screens judicial candidates in Brooklyn quit the panel Monday night, saying it did not live up to their expectations.
Panel member Robert L. Begleiter announced his resignation and that of Jane N. Barrett at the start of a meeting of the newly restructured Kings County Democratic Judicial Screening Committee.

A letter from the pair to panel Chairman Martin Edelman was distributed to its members yesterday. . .

We resign with regret, as we both had high expectations that the Panel, as reconstituted this year, would further merit selection of judges in Brooklyn and would restore the perception of integrity to a process that has been severely criticized," it said. "Unfortunately, our experience with the Panel has convinced us that it will not, under current procedures, be a vehicle for that reform. . .

We strongly urge the Panel be charged with providing short lists of recommended individuals for judges' positions," rather than rating candidates as "qualified" or not qualified," the letter says. The pair urged that the committee identify "the most merited among the qualified." That is similar to the New York County Democratic Party's method and the process for selection of U.S. magistrate judges. . .
They claim the panel reached the same conclusion by consensus at its first meeting. Ms. Barrett and Mr. Begleiter said in their letter that the indicted pair participated in a June decision about the panel's charter. However, Robert Liff, the party's spokesman, said Mr. Norman has presided over executive committee meetings without voting and Mr. Feldman is not a member."
Law Journal, July 22, 2004

"The executive director of the Brooklyn party, Jeffrey Feldman, declined to give a reason for the two lawyers' resignations, and said they would be replaced after the panel has finished its business for this year. "The panel is in the middle of the process," Mr. Feldman said. . .

"They just got cold feet from all the press," said one Brooklyn Democrat. They resigned without any formal letter, he said. "These are not letter-writers."
New York Sun. May 7, 2003

"Though three judicial screening panel members resigned, none of the others followed suit. And Jeffrey Feldman, executive director of the county organization, said Brooklyn is still a leader in judicial reform. "We're one of only about five organizations to enjoy the input of the screening panel," he said. "We've always been on the leading edge."
Newsday, May 21, 2001

"The First District's selection process is the best in the state because of its screening panel, which is discussed further below, and because of the intense involvemnet of Manhattan Democratic Clubs in judicial politics. . . Nevertheless, even in the First District, New York County's Democratic leader controls the process. Farrell assembles a package of candidatges for presentation to the convention and the delegates approve it. Candidate who Farrell decides should be nominated get nominated. . .

More specifically, the overwhelming majority of these disputes involves rival Democrats clubs in Manhattan. These clubs' members, who must pay dues, represent approximately 1.3% of the registered Democrats in Manhattan. That there are occasional frights for control at the upper levels of the political structure of an AD or a county does not mean the delegate selection process is open to a challenger candidate who seeks her party's nomination. To the contray, it is yet another window into how closed the process is to the ordinary voters. "
From Judge Gleason' Decision

State Commission on Judicial Conduct leaks?

"More on leaks: The state Commission on Judicial Conduct is seeking to remove Brooklyn elected state Supreme Court Justice Reynold Mason for abusing an escrow account (using it to pay for child support and political donations). Mason, who is appealing to the state's top court, presented an affidavit last month alleging that the commission leaked word to Brooklyn Democratic Executive Director Jeff Feldman that the judge would be ousted. Feldman denies it, but if true, it would be a breach of the panel's duty to conduct its affairs in confidence and evidence of a pipeline to the party. Information is power."
Daily News, May 1, 2003

Federal Judge: Voting Wrongs, State Voting Rights

"Jeffrey Feldman, the Brooklyn Democratic Party's executive director, collects $64,000 a year as his special staff assistant for voting rights on the payroll of a state senator." - Daily News Editorial, November 25, 2002

Federal Judge on Feldman
"Feldman’s response is difficult to reconcile with the defendants’ gauzy characterizations of a democratic process open to all party members who seek the office of Supreme Court Justice. He began by mocking the request for a list of delegates to lobby: “I erroneously believed that a learned jurist, such as yourself (Margarita Lopez Torres), would be well aware that Delegates and Alternate Delegates to the Democratic Judicial Convention stand for independent election in the Primary Election, yet to be held.”
Decision by Eastern District Judge John Gleeson

Feldman Blocks Judge Lopez Torres Supreme Court Campaign

"Judge Lopez Torres, who earlier this month won a bruising primary battle against the county party to run on the Democratic line in November for a second term on the Civil Court, said she received no response from Mr. Norman.

One source close to the committee reported that two of its 16 members, upon learning of Mr. Norman's referral role, are considering resigning.

Neither Mr. Karp nor Mr. Norman returned phone calls seeking comment.
The Brooklyn Democratic party's executive director, Jeffrey Feldman, however, acknowledged that the screening panel performs a "gatekeeping" role, but said that "anyone" who writes to Mr. Norman or the county headquarters expressing an interest in a Supreme Court nomination is "referred as a matter of course to the screening panel."

When Mr. Norman was asked about his role by the Village Voice in August, he was quoted as responding, "it's my screening committee ... if I know there is someone we are not going to endorse, then what is the point."

Mr. Feldman explained the apparent discrepancy between the two responses by saying he offered a "technical" answer and Mr. Norman a "philosophical" one. A candidate who was "repugnant" to the party, Mr. Feldman said, might not be referred to the screening committee for review."

Feldman: Surrogate FEINBERG STAYING PUT!

"Jeff Feldman, executive director of the Brooklyn Democratic organization, which strongly backed Feinberg's 1996 election, said he'd just had dinner with Feinberg and reported, "He is quite comfortable being surrogate, as should all citizens of the borough be comfortable with him being surrogate. There is no basis…to suggest that Judge Feinberg will not continue for the infinite foreseeable future as the surrogate for this county."

But what about the investigation under way? "I don't know anybody in Kings County of any prominence who's not under investigation by one agency or another," Feldman said. Feldman meant that as a defense of Brooklyn politics, but it could certainly be construed more as an indictment of it." --- By Erik Engquist, As printed in the Courier Life Newspapers, September 16, 2002

It Is Not About Ethnic Voting Dummy: It is About Integrity

"Jeffrey Feldman, the executive director of the Brooklyn Democratic party, attributed his group's defeat in the countywide races to a fundamental shift in ethnic voting patterns in the borough.

In the past, Mr. Feldman said, Jewish women in countywide races enjoyed a distinct advantage, but that was not the case this year, where the strongest turnout came in Hispanic and black communities. The two losers in the countywide race, Judge Yellen and Judge Sikowitz, are both Jewish. Justice Lopez Torres was born in Puerto Rico, and Judge Thomas is black."
Law journal September 12, 2002

NY Times Editorial Endorsement of Margarita Lopez Torres for Civil Court Judge
"To punish her refusal to hire law clerks referred by clubhouse leaders and other so-called acts of "disloyalty," Margarita Lopez Torres, an able sitting Civil Court Judge was denied the backing of the Democratic Party organization for a second 10-year term. Herdemonstrated independence only bolsters the case for her re-election and the enthusiasm of our endorsement. For voters looking for a way to register their disgust with the crude partonage politics that prevail in judicial endorsements, this is it."

Democracy Brooklyn Style: Knock Them Off the Ballot

"Jeff Feldman, executive director of the county Democratic organization, said it will take more than a handful of spirited races to unseat Norman.

A few months ago, they had about 100 people running - state committee candidates, judicial delegates, people running for every office," Feldman said. "At the end of the day there are four of them left. If that's supposed to indicate a changing of the guard in the party, then I don't see it."
Daily News, September 9, 2002