ALBANY—Lawyers argued for over two hours in Mineola over the legality of David Paterson’s appointment of Richard Ravitch as lieutenant governor, with the judge saying things would be decided “expeditiously,” a lawyer involved in the case said.
“It took a good two and a half hours plus,” said John Ciampoli, an attorney representing Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos. Ciampoli said Supreme Court Justice William LaMarca “would try and decide this expeditiously, but didn’t give us a date.”
Ciampoli, along with attorney David Lewis, argued that Paterson exceeded his constitutional authority when he appointed Ravitch last week. Skelos filed suit in Nassau County, where he lives, to temporarily restrain Ravitch from acting as lieutenant governor and challenge Paterson’s authority to make such a designation.
