Theres another round of big changes coming to Westchesters matrimonial courts.

Administrative Judge Alan Scheinkman tells me that he is the midst of reorganizing the court, which handles divorce cases. The court is losing one of its four judges to the Bronx, he said, leaving three to take on an overwhelming caseload.

Right now, the four matrimonial judges handle 150 to 200 cases. Each. Its causing divorces to drag on for years and years, Scheinkman said, and that has to stop. He wants to speed up the process by eliminating unnecessary motions filed by lawyers and keeping discovery deadlines firm. Not only would this save time, he said, but would reduce the financial and emotional costs for litigants.

Scheinkman, who oversees the 9th Judicial District, which includes Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange and Dutchess counties, said he would have a better idea in a week or two of how the changes would work for matrimonial ""judges Linda Jamieson, Bruce Tolbert and Sam Walker"".

The last shake-up for the matrimonial courts was in 2006, when the state court system replaced three judges following complaints of mishandled divorce cases.

It began in the wake of a feud between Francis Nicolai, then the administrative judge of the 9th Judicial District, and special referee James Montagnino. Montagnino, a former county prosecutor and longtime court system employee, was accused by several litigants of treating them unfairly. Several female plaintiffs took particular offense at a lecture he gave at Pace Law School two years ago in which he discussed the 10583 Syndrome, a reference to Scarsdales zip code. He was talking about the mentality of stay-at-home mothers in upscale communities having a sense of entitlement to huge divorce settlements from their wealthy husbands.

Montagnino insisted that the comment was taken out of context from a discussion of the distribution of assets and that he was not biased against women and treated all litigants appropriately. He questioned the timing of the investigation, saying it was in response to his own criticism of Nicolai.

Whatever the reasons, Surrogate Anthony Scarpino was named supervising judge of the divorce courts and several judges handling matrimonial cases were reassigned. The role of special referees who mediate divorces also was curtailed; they can mediate custody cases or financial cases, but not both for the same litigants.

Montagnino was transferred to the 3rd Judicial District in Albany. Nicolai stepped down as administrative judge this year and became the presiding justice of the state Supreme Courts Appellate Term for the 9th and 10th districts.---------------------------------------------------

http://www.westchesterguardian.com/index.html

Jury Exacts $8 Million Liability Against Phil Amicone in Freedom of the Press Lawsuit

By Hezi Aris

White Plains, NY, NY -- Sixteen plaintiffs shared in the jury award shy 60 cents of $8 million in which the City of Yonkers was exonerated from any liability in the freedom of the press lawsuit. The firm of DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr, LLP lost the suit in argument against Lovett & Bellantoni, LLP before the courtroom of the Hon. Cathy Seibel late afternoon on October 13, 2010. Judge Seibel was oftentimes solicited by counsel to maintain liability against the City of Yonkers but the Hon. Seibel denied the motion advising that Phil Amicone was personally liable for the actions he caused to take place. The argument taken against Richard Blassberg, et al, was meant to challenge the veracity of the written allegation within the pages of The Westchester Guardian in which it was written that Sassy performed a lap dance for Mayor Phil Amicone. Mayor Amicone denied the occasion took place. The jury did not believe him.

The jury believed the conduct perpetrated by mayoral edict, that is to deny The Westchester Guardian the ability to dispense its papers because its content offended Phil Amicones sensibilities was accepted by the jury and was the catalyst by which the almost $8 million in damages were awarded the former editor and the 15 other plaintiffs.

Justice Seibel did not make the jury privy to the fact that Yonkers Law100-35 was deemed unconstitutional in its written form. Judge Seibel, in agreement with counsel from both parties, believed the issue of the Constitutionality of Yonkers Law 100-35 was immaterial to the central issue before the court and jury, that is, whether the content of The Westchester Guardian was the catalyst for Phil Amicone engaging the largesse and might of the City of Yonkers to steal the blue, steel newspaper stands by which the weekly newspaper was dispensed. DPW Commissioner John Liszewski stated he was directed to remove two such newspaper stands by Mayor Amicone. The jury did not believe Mayor Amicone. In fact, Mayor Amicone perjured himself a few times.

The jury ruling is likely to be challenged within the 20 allotted days in which such a challenge may be consummated.

The Westchester Guardian Publisher Sam Zherka vowed to News 12 Westchester reporter Grace Noone that he will bring suit against Phil Amicone in favor of Yonkersites for the $1 million plus in taxpayer spent expenses to defend the illegal conduct put into action under the aegis of Mayor Amicone. Mr Zherka further advised that he would attain the best legal team available to collect the almost $8 million award.

Judge Cathy Seibel said, Freedom of the press is alive and well! And so it is.

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http://exposecorruptcourts.blogspot.com/2008/07/westchester-guardian-westchester-courts.html

Judge Candidates Startling Allegations About Westchester Courthouse