The New York City Bar Association has just come out with its rating of district attorney and judicial candidates in the upcoming general election, and it ruled that incumbent Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson is not qualified to hold office.
Johnson, according to the Bar Association’s press release, is “Not approved by reason of the candidate’s failure to affirmatively demonstrate that he possesses the requisite qualifications for the court for which he is a candidate.”
The group also found Brooklyn judicial candidate Noach Dear not qualified to hold office.
The decision on Johnson may have had something to do with the fact that he declined to meet with the City Bar Association, a process that most other candidates for legal positions submit to.
I’m still waiting for Johnson’s statement on the rating.
Here’s the association’s press release:
New York–The New York City Bar has evaluated candidates running in the general elections for Supreme Court, District Attorney, Surrogate’s Court, and Civil Court in Bronx County, Kings County, New York County, Queens County and Richmond County.
In examining candidates for the judiciary, the Committee on the Judiciary of the Association seeks to determine whether the candidate possesses the requisite qualifications for judicial office, such as integrity, impartiality, intellectual ability, knowledge of the law, industriousness, and judicial demeanor and temperament.
The Committee advances two ratings: APPROVED and NOT APPROVED. Candidates rated APPROVED have affirmatively demonstrated qualifications necessary for the performance of the duties of the court for which they are being considered.
The Committee’s conclusions are as follows:
Supreme Court
Bronx County
George Villegas Not approved by reason of the candidate’s failure to affirmatively demonstrate that he possesses the requisite qualifications for the court for which he is a candidate
Kings and Richmond Counties
Paul M Atanasio Not approved by reason of the candidate’s failure to affirmatively demonstrate that he possesses the requisite qualifications for the court for which he is a candidate
Ross Brady Not approved by reason of the candidate’s failure to affirmatively demonstrate that he possesses the requisite qualifications for the court for which he is a candidate
L. Priscilla Hall Approved
Dennis W. Houdek Not approved by reason of the candidate’s failure to affirmatively demonstrate that he possesses the requisite qualifications for the court for which he is a candidate
Larry D. Martin Approved
Robert J. Miller Approved
Albert Tomei Approved
New York County
Shelia Abdus-Salaam Approved
Paul G. Feinman Approved
Fern A. Fisher Approved
Charles Ramos Approved
Queens County
Denis J. Butler Approved
Kenneth C. Holder Approved
Joseph F. Kasper Not approved by reason of the candidate’s failure to affirmatively demonstrate that he possesses the requisite qualifications for the court for which he is a candidate
Kerry John Katsorhis Not approved by reason of the candidate’s failure to affirmatively demonstrate that he possesses the requisite qualifications for the court for which he is a candidate
Steven W. Paynter Approved
Theodore Stamas Approved
Surrogate’s Court
Kings County
Diana A. Johnson Approved
Theodore Alatsas Not approved by reason of the candidate’s failure to affirmatively demonstrate that he possesses the requisite qualifications for the court for which he is a candidate
Richmond County
Robert J. Gigante Approved
District Attorney
Bronx County
Robert T. Johnson Not approved by reason of the candidate’s failure to affirmatively demonstrate that he possesses the requisite qualifications for the court for which he is a candidate
Queens County
Richard A. Brown Approved
Richmond County
Daniel M. Donovan, Jr. Approved
Michael J. Ryan Approved
Civil Court
Bronx County
1st District
Paul Indig Approved
Donald A. Miles Approved
Kings County
Countywide
Frederick C. Arriaga Approved
Vincent F. Martusciello Not approved by reason of the candidate’s failure to affirmatively demonstrate that he possesses the requisite qualifications for the court for which he is a candidate
Michael S. Reinhardt Not approved by reason of the candidate’s failure to affirmatively demonstrate that he possesses the requisite qualifications for the court for which he is a candidate
Robin K. Sheares Not approved by reason of the candidate’s failure to affirmatively demonstrate that he possesses the requisite qualifications for the court for which he is a candidate
Debra Silber Approved
Philip J. Smallman Not approved by reason of the candidate’s failure to affirmatively demonstrate that he possesses the requisite qualifications for the court for which he is a candidate
Thomas J.R. Stadnik Not approved by reason of the candidate’s failure to affirmatively demonstrate that he possesses the requisite qualifications for the court for which he is a candidate
Carolyn E. Wade Approved
3rd District
Dawn Marie Jimenez Approved
5th District
Noach Dear Not approved by reason of the candidate’s failure to affirmatively demonstrate that he possesses the requisite qualifications for the court for which he is a candidate
James P. McCall Approved
6th District
Katherine A. Levine Approved
New York County
Countywide
Harold B. Beeler Approved
Dorothy Chin-Brandt Approved
Robert R. Reed Approved
1st District
Lucy Billings Approved
9th District
Andrea Masley Approved
10th District
Geoffrey D. Wright Approved
Queens County
Countywide
Rudolph E. Greco, Jr. Approved
4th District
Robert Beltrani Not approved by reason of the candidate’s failure to affirmatively demonstrate that he possesses the requisite qualifications for the court for which he is a candidate
Cheree A. Buggs Approved
6th District
William A. Viscovich Approved
About the Association
The New York City Bar Association was founded in 1870, and since then has been dedicated to maintaining the high ethical standards of the profession, promoting reform of the law, and providing service to the profession and the public. The Association continues to work for political, legal and social reform, while implementing innovative means to help the disadvantaged. Protecting the public’s welfare remains one of the Association’s highest priorities.
