BREAKING NEWS STORY

I am sure you have all read today that four New York judges have commenced a declaratory judgment action against Eliot Spitzer, the New York Assembly, and the State of New York regarding judicial pay raises (or the lack thereof).  New York Civil Law has obtained the well-crafted Summons and Complaint in this action (see here: Download filed_complaint.pdf ).

Chadbourne & Parke LLP are representing, pro bono, the four Judges (Judge Larabee [New York County Family Court], Justice Nenno [Cattaraugus County Court], Judge Nunez [New York County Criminal Court], and Judge Wright [Civil Court of the City of New York, New York County].

Former New York Court of Appeals Judge George Bundy Smith and Thomas Bezanson are heading up the case for the four Judges.  The Complaint does a very good job of demonstrating the comparison of judicial pay in New York to other states and even other positions in New York.  It also provides a history of judicial pay in New York.  There is also a fascinating separation of powers section of the Complaint.  The action is sure to concern interesting legal issues and hopefully result in well-deserved pay raises for our State’s judiciary.

Here is Chadbourne & Parke’s press release.  Here is a an article in the New York Times and one from the AP.