Chief Administrative Judge Marks: New York is an expensive state to live in, and NY state economy is strong, so give New York judges 35 million dollars to bring their $174,000 salaries to the $203,000 level

New York State Commission for Legislative, Executive and Judicial Compensation has posted the transcript and the video of the yesterday's public hearing dedicated ONLY to judicial compensation.  

The Commission did not indicate when - if at all - public hearings will be held on legislative, administrative or legislative compensation.

The first witness was the Chief Administrative Judge of the State of New York Lawrence Marks.

From Judge Marks I learnt interesting things.

For example, Judge Marks claimed that New York state economy is going strong, and there is no reason for New York taxpayers not to be able to afford a $35,000 increase (and that is only the declared increase, Judge Marks did not indicate how he arrived at such a number, the number is likely to be much higher, considering additionally increased benefits).

Judge Marks seems to wear blinders.

Judge Marks seems not to know (or care) that New York is the leader among the states from which residents are fleeing, due to high corruption, poor economic and job prospects and super-high taxes.

Judge Marks seems not to know (or care) that a recent settlement to have poor criminal defendants be represented by counsel at arraignments (which is not happening now, in violation of people's constitutional right to counsel at important stages of criminal litigation) had to be phased in and considered only a handful of counties - because of budgetary concerns.

Judge Marks seems not to know (or care) about the real state of economy, as presented by the report I blogged about yesterday which puts New York State economy at the 46th place among 51 states.

As to the fact that New York is an "expensive state to live" - I wholeheartedly agree.

Yet, that does not mean that the current judicial salary of $174,000 is inadequate.

After all, the federal poverty level set for all states across the country is $11,700 for a family of one.

Judges currently get $174,000 - that is over 10 times of poverty level.

Those are the same judges who throw in jail parents who are unable to pay child support because they are unemployed, cannot find a job or cannot find a paying job.

These are the same judges who deem that a person can survive on a salary at or lower than poverty guidelines - and pay child support on top of that, or go to jail.

Apparently, there are two poverty levels established, as of yesterday, in the State of New York:

1) the federal poverty level of $11,700 + 135% = $15,795 per year per person (below this level of actual /not imputed/ income New York State child support statute does not allow judges to charge more than $25 a month in child support, which judges regularly and wholeheartedly ignore); and

2) the judicial poverty level of $174,000 per year.

And that is when the average income of a New Yorker - an average between all billionaires and all people who are simply scraping by - is around $52,000 per person per year.

Yet, New York judges consider it fair and morally appropriate to ask for a pay raise when the state economy is going to h*ll, fast.

So, there are no surprises at the level of integrity of New York judiciary.

Oh - and Lawrence Marks is the boss of Judge Coccoma who just hired an attorney who was booted from the 3rd Department for unethical conduct and who, through fraud upon voters, got elected to also be a judge - that is Christina Ryba.

I bet that Christina Ryba's "compensation" is set well over $100,000, over twice the income of an average New Yorker.

It is apparent that hiring Christina Ryba was necessary only as a consolation job (and the letter offer actually said that nearly verbatim), yet was at the expense of taxpayers.

The fraudster Christina Ryba is the future beneficiary of the judicial pay raise, because she is not an exception, rather she exemplifies the caliber of people who occupy benches in New York courts.

Unless you have an ability to brazenly commit fraud and no less brazenly profit by it - like Christina Ryba - you will not be able to get to the bench in New York or survive there.

And these fraudsters, who get to the bench to draw an enormous and already inflated salaries and to cover themselves with self-gifted immunity for CORRUPT acts, for acts in violation of their constitutional oath of office, are adamantly claiming, through Judge Marks as their mouthpiece, that they do not get enough and that they "deserve" more from the already squeezed-to-death New Yorkers.

I will continue reporting on the speeches at the November 30, 2015 hearing before the New York State Commission for Judicial Compensation, with scans - today for some reason my blogger platform did not accept pictures.

Stay tuned.