Tuesday

How Prosecutors Control Judges

Here's an interesting story about what happens when a gutsy judge stands up to a self-important prosecutor:

"Onondaga County District Attorney William J. Fitzpatrick recently continued his efforts to control the local judiciary by filing an Article 78 proceeding against two Syracuse City Court judges, Langston C. McKinney and Kate Rosenthal, seeking to restrain them from such 'unlawful' arraignment practices as scrutinizing felony complaints for legal sufficiency and refusing to consider, for purposes of sufficiency or bail, information that the District Attorney had labeled 'confidential' without providing that information to defense counsel."

What's even more shocking is that this DA managed to get judge McKinney relieved of arraignment duties after the judge expressed concern about the sufficiency of a complaint.

Disgusting.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Well, lets let the mandamus play out. This might be a publicity stunt, but if this prosecutor wants to take it to the App. Div., and he loses he will lose big.