Full Senate must vote on judicial nominees, judge rules

Full Senate must vote on judicial nominees, judge rules

The State Senate Judiciary Committee's initial rejection of chief judge nominee Hector LaSalle was unconstitutional and all future Court of Appeals nominees must receive a full Senate floor vote, a Suffolk County judge ruled on Tuesday.

Read More

Grasso secures endorsement from former NYPD commish Bill Bratton

 Grasso secures endorsement from former NYPD commish Bill Bratton

George Grasso, a candidate for Queens district attorney and former administrative judge in Queens Supreme Court, Criminal Term, is touting the endorsement of former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton, who he worked alongside in the department.

Read More

‘Queens get the De Niro’: Astoria film studio backed by famed actor nears completion

‘Queens get the De Niro’: Astoria film studio backed by famed actor nears completion

An Astoria movie studio backed by actor Robert De Niro is almost complete. “We're going to attract all of the film industry,” the mayor said after the final beam of the studio’s structure was installed. “To hell with California.”

Read More

Queens resident faces eviction after allegedly denying landlord’s advances

Queens resident faces eviction after allegedly denying landlord’s advances

Advocates rallied in front of the Queens Civil Court building in support of a South Jamaica resident who is facing eviction from her home of 13 years after allegedly declining her landlord’s sexual advances.

Read More

Senate rejects gov’s chief judge pick

Senate rejects gov’s chief judge pick

The State Senate rejected Governor Kathy Hochul’s nominee for chief judge of the Court of Appeals in a surprise vote on Wednesday, putting an end to a constitutional standoff between the Democratic governor and Democratic majority in the legislature and marking the first time in New York State history a chief judge nominee has been rejected.

Read More

Senate leader defends LaSalle rejection following lawsuit

Senate leader defends LaSalle rejection following lawsuit

“We're entitled to make our rules,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said after a lawsuit was filed alleging that she improperly ended the chief judge nomination of Hector LaSalle. “I'm disappointed, but the reality is that I think it was pretty clear in the committee meeting the votes were not there for Judge LaSalle.”

Read More

Queens officials slam ‘devastating’ city budget

Queens officials slam ‘devastating’ city budget

“This is not fair, this is deplorable,” one community board chair said of the mayor’s proposed budget. “We paid some of the highest taxes in the city per capita. We're not getting anything over here except more shelters, less transportation, less supermarkets. I mean, what are we doing? I'm beating my head against the wall.”

Read More

Lawsuit calls for full Senate vote on LaSalle

Lawsuit calls for full Senate vote on LaSalle

A lawsuit was filed on Thursday demanding that a judge order the State Senate to take a full vote on Governor Kathy Hochul’s nominee for chief judge of the Court of Appeals, three weeks after the nominee was rejected by the Senate’s Judiciary Committee in a 10-9 vote.

Read More