Secretly taped talks lead to resignation for two Staten Island judges
Secretly taped talks lead to resignation for two Staten Island judges:- Two high-ranking Staten Island judges stepped down from their administrative posts on Wednesday after secret recordings of the pair were turned over to investigators, a source familiar with the case told the Daily News.
State Supreme Court Justices Judith McMahon and Stephen Rooney resigned from their positions atop the county’s civil and criminal courts, said Lucian Chalfen, a spokesman for the state’s Office of Court Administration.
Sources said the county clerk, Michael Pulizotto, secretly recorded the pair for two years and turned over the tapes to the inspector general on Tuesday.
It’s unclear what is said on the recordings or whether the judges were heard speaking together or separately.
“McMahon was not well liked. She has a habit of screaming at people. It’s her way or the highway,” a source said. “She especially became worse once her husband became DA.” McMahon is the wife of Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon.
Judith McMahon is expected to be transferred to Manhattan courts to oversee civil cases, while Rooney will still hear criminal cases on Staten Island, the source said.
“An interim administrative judge for both civil and criminal terms will be announced shortly, while a process is being set up to find a permanent replacement,” said Chalfen.
Source:- http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/secretly-taped-talks-lead-resignation-s-judges-article-1.3475809
