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Manhattan Democrats Reportedly Reverse Decision To Oust Tenant-Friendly Judge
By
Emma Whitford
Published Sep 12, 2016
Modified Apr 3, 2018
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By
Emma Whitford
Published Sep 12, 2016
Modified Apr 3, 2018
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The Manhattan Democratic Party is reportedly planning to include tenant-friendly Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Doris Ling-Cohan on its reelection ballot at the Democratic county convention later this month, defying a down-vote from an independent panel tasked with deciding which judges should be considered for inclusion on the ticket come November.
The decision follows a vote in Ling-Cohan's favor from the party's executive committee, according to the New York Post. The tabloid cited anonymous sources; the Manhattan Democrats could not immediately be reached for comment.
Party operatives control which judge candidates get listed on the party line, and, generally, who gets elected. And it's rare for the party panel—made up primarily of local lawyers and activists—to bar a sitting judge from the ballot.
The narrow 12-10 vote against Ling-Cohan surprised many tenant, LGBT, and Asian-American advocates last week, who accused real estate lawyers on the panel of targeting a judge with a history of making pro-tenant rulings. The NY Post first reported on the vote, citing anonymous sources who described Ling-Cohan as "lazy" and "slow." More than 100 local Democrats and advocates rallied against these allegations last week, and retired Supreme Court judge Emily Jane Goodman dismissed them in full, saying that "none of the things that are being written about her have I ever heard inside 60 Centre Street."
Assemblyman Keith Wright, head of the New York County Democrats, also spoke out against the panel's ruling, saying, "I fundamentally disagree with the panel's decision," and that Ling-Cohan "is the author of ground-breaking decisions and a standard bearer for her community."
In 2002, Ling-Cohan became the first female Asian judge in New York Supreme Court history. Her legacy includes the landmark 2005 decision ordering New York City to issue marriage licenses to gay couples (which then-mayor Michael Bloomberg went on to successfully appeal).
The director of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, which spoke out strongly in Ling-Cohan's favor last week, cautioned on Monday that this reported decision does not guarantee the judge's reelection. Also, while it's good news for Ling-Cohan, it raises questions about the legitimacy of the independent panel, and the entire election process of judges in New York.
"How did the panel reach a decision that wasn't based on the right standards?" said Margaret Fung. "Voters need to think about whether this is the way they want judges to be elected."
The Post addressed last week's allegations that Ling-Cohan was unfit in a follow-up piece on Monday, writing, "Court insiders say her statistical record in handling and disposing of cases put her in the middle of the pack, not at the bottom."
The New York Law Journal reports that Ling-Cohan will have to get majority approval from the 140-odd convention delegates in order to land on the ballot.
Delegates to the convention will be elected by registered Democrats at the ballot box during tomorrow's primary, unless of course there aren't enough delegate candidates to make a given district contested, in which case, whoever is nominated as a delegate automatically proceeds to the convention. Yes, we know, this makes no sense.
Tagged
Democratic party
doris ling-cohan
housing court
judicial election
new york supreme court
Emma Whitford
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