A damning article in the Village Voice, The Sales of Justice, reports that District Attorney Charles Hynes will soon indict people regarding the sale of a judgeship in New York’s King County (Brooklyn).
The price? $50,000 – $70,000 for a seat with the robes.
Brooklyn has been the site of prior judicial scandals. If these allegations are meritorious, it will be the fourth Brooklyn judge that D.A. Hynes has prosecuted. As someone who tries cases in that courthouse, I can only hope this story turns up empty, but I don’t think that is what will happen.
It also reminds me that just a few short weeks ago new Gov. Eliot Spitzer said this at his inaugeral about politics and judges:
I will also submit a second constitutional amendment that will take
the politics out of the selection of judges and implement a merit appointment process.
The shame of it all is that the conscientious and ethical judges will be tainted by the bad apples.