COURT OF APPEALS DEVELOPMENTS The Pataki Court Vincent Martin Bonventre, J.D., Ph.D. Legislative CLE, December 14, 2006

1
COURT OF APPEALS DEVELOPMENTSThe Pataki
CourtVincent Martin Bonventre, J.D.,
Ph.D.Legislative CLE, December 14, 2006
2
The Current Court (updated Sept. 2006)
3
(No Transcript)
4
(No Transcript)
5
(No Transcript)
6
Judith S. Kaye

• Appointed 1983, Cuomo
• (replaced JF elect)
• First woman on Court
• From NYC (born in Monticello)
• Appointed Chief Judge 1993, Cuomo
• (replaced SW Cuomo)
• Current term expires March 2007
• Mandatory age retirement 2008

7
George Bundy Smith (retired 2006)

• Appointed 1992, Cuomo
• (replaced FA Cuomo)
• From NYC (born New Orleans)
• Term expired Sept. 2006
• Denied reappointment by Pataki
• (mandatory age retirement would have been 2007)

8
Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick

• Appointed 1994, Cuomo
• (replaced SFH Cuomo)
• First Hispanic on Court
• From NYC
• Current term expires Jan. 2008
• Mandatory age retirement 2012

9
Richard C. Wesley (resigned 2003)

• Appointed 1997, Pataki
• (replaced RDS Cuomo)
• From Livonia
• Rochester area
• (born Canandaigua, New York)
• Resigned for 2d Circuit Appointment, 2003

10
Albert M. Rosenblatt

• Appointed 1998, Pataki
• (replaced VJT Cuomo)
• From Dutchess County (born NYC)
• Mandatory age retirement 2006

11
Victoria A. Graffeo

• Appointed 2000, Pataki
• (replaced JWB Cuomo)
• From Guilderland (born Rockville Center)
• Term expires Nov. 2014
• Mandatory age retirement 2022

12
Susan P. Read

• Appointed 2003, Pataki
• (replaced HL Cuomo)
• From Capital Region (born Gallipolis, Ohio)
• Mandatory age retirement 2017
• Term expires Jan. 2017

13
Robert S. Smith

• Appointed 2003, Pataki
• (replaced RW Pataki)
• From NYC
• Mandatory age retirement 2014

14
Hon. Eugene F. Pigott, Jr.

• Appointed 2006, Pataki
• (replaced GBS Cuomo)
• From Grand Island Buffalo Metro Area
• (born Rochester, NY)
• Mandatory age retirement 2016

15
(No Transcript)
16
(No Transcript)
17
(No Transcript)
18
The Process

• Background Wachtler, Fuchsberg, Breitel, Carey
• Commission composition, purpose evaluate,
  report, recommend
• Applications notice, solicitation, applicants
• Interviews prelim evaluation, in-person meeting
• Vincent M. Bonventre, 12/06

19
The Process contd

• Voting ranking/no-ranking, 2/3 support,
  re-voting winnowing
• Findings Recommendations
• 3-7 candidates
• report on character, temperament,
  professional aptitude, experience, qualifications
  and fitness
• otherwise entirely confidential
• Vincent M. Bonventre, 12/06

20
The Process contd

• Gubernatorial Nomination limited to list,
  agenda?
• Senatorial Advice Consent committee hearing,
  full senate, advice or just consent?
• Vincent M. Bonventre, 12/06

21
The Process contd

• Election vs Nonpolitical Merit Appointment
• Pros / Cons
• Final Product, Comparisons
• Essentials
• Vincent M. Bonventre, 12/06

22
Court of AppealsMaking of the Pataki Court

• Voting and Decisional Patterns in Criminal Cases
• From Cuomo thru Pataki
• Vincent Martin Bonventre, J.D., Ph.D.
• December 2006

23
(No Transcript)
24
Late Wachtler Early KayeAll Cuomo Court

• Late Wachtler era
• Pro-prosecution record
• Wachtler/Bellacosa v. Kaye/Titone
• Post-Wachtler Early Kaye
• Pro-defendant swing
• Wachtler Court Kaye Court transition

25
(No Transcript)
26
Emerging Kaye CourtAll Cuomo Court

• Reprise
• Late Wachtler
• Early Kaye
• Emerging Kaye Court
• Pro-defendant swing persists
• Kaye/Titone/G.B. Smith/Ciparick liberal
  majority

27
(No Transcript)
28
Cuomo to Pataki Transition

• Reprise
• Post-Wachtler / Early Kaye
• Emerging Kaye Court
• Post Court-Bashing
• Pro-prosecution adjustment
• Kaye/Ciparick voting shift

29
(No Transcript)
30
Trending-Pataki Court

• Reprise
• Emerging Kaye Court
• Post Court-bashing
• Patakis Increasing Impact
• Kaye/Ciparick shift persists
• Patakis appointees
• Simons to Wesley
• Titone to Rosenblatt
• Bellacosa to Graffeo
• Courts pro-prosecution record
• But Rosenblatt the non Pataki appointee ?

31
(No Transcript)
32
(No Transcript)
33
(No Transcript)
34
(No Transcript)
35
Patakis Court ?

• Reprise
• Patakis Increasing Impact Bashing
  Appointments
• Patakis Majority?
• Titone to Rosenblatt, Bellacosa to
  Graffeo
• Levine to Read, Simons to Wesley to
  R.S. Smith
• Court Re-Adjustment
• Kaye/Ciparick Re-shift
• Patakis Judges Wesley, Graffeo, Read,
• and (?) R.S. Smith
• Non Pataki Judge Rosenblatt
• Courts Pro-defendant Swing Back (?)

36
(No Transcript)
37
(No Transcript)
38
The 2006 Court

• Re-Emerging Pro-defendant Wing
• G.B. Smith, Kaye Ciparick
• Solid Pro-prosecution Votes
• Graffeo Read
• The Less Predictable R.S. Smith
• Rosenblatt in the Center
• An Unmistakable Spectrum
• G.B. Smith/Kaye/Ciparick
• Graffeo/Read
• Rosenblatt/R.S. Smith
• ?? G.B. Smith Replaced by Pigott??

39
(No Transcript)
40
The Current Court (updated Sept. 2006)
41
Future CourtSpitzers Opportunities ?

• Rosenblatt Replacement, Jan. 2007
• Kaye Reappointment/Replacement, March 2007
• Mandatory Retirement, 2008
• Ciparick Reappoint./Replacement, Jan. 2008
• Mandatory Retirement, 2012
• Graffeo Reappoint./Replacement, Nov. 2014
• Mandatory Retirement, 2022
• R.S. Smith Mandatory Retirement, 2014
• Pigott Mandatory Retirement, 2016
• Read Reappointment/Replacement Jan. 2017
• Mandatory Retirement, 2017

42
(No Transcript)