The six former Queens Library trustees who took Borough President Melinda Katz and state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to federal court in a bid to retain their volunteer positions on the board suffered a major setback Tuesday.
Brooklyn Magistrate Judge James Ornstein recommended that their requests for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that would nullify their July 23 dismissal by Katz be denied. Ornstein made the decision in a verbal ruling from the bench, which a source familiar with the case said is rare and demonstrates the ease with which he made his determination.
"I think it's worth noting that it's rare for a magistrate judge to dictate a report and recommendation from the bench," the source said. "The judge felt strongly enough about what he had heard in arguments to render the decision then, and it was unequivocal."
In federal court, magistrate judges often hear motions and make recommendations to the judge actually assigned to the case, so the recommendation is not final. The source said the assigned jurist, U.S. District Judge Margo Brody, could make the ruling official within a few days.
The plaintiffs have until Aug. 29 to file objections to Ornstein's decision or they lose the right to appeal.
A spokesman for their attorney, Douglas Grover of the firm Schlam, Stone & Dolan, said they are weighing their legal options.
If you want to chuckle long and hard, read this.
7 comments:
The amount of gall displayed by the ousted trustees during this process is astounding. A total lack of conscience.
They went to federal court to win back VOLUNTEER positions???? Hmmm
Okay, now rebuild the Peninsula Library in Rockaway Beach. The building was damaged during Hurricane Sandy and is the ONLY library damaged that is not back up and running. It is operating out of a mobile home.
The Queens Public Library collection development policy adheres to national standards with decentralized decision making across the various branches, so I'm not buying this hysteria from the trustees.
I don't like Katz, but she did the right thing here. These people are either projecting their own fanatical need for a position of power or looking to peddle their influence in some non-descript "consulting" line-item for various city contractors.
Only in Queens folks, only in Queens. The absolute nerve of the trustees, the sense of over entitlement, the very idea that they could be held accountable!!
What have they done for Queens other than loot the QBPL coffers?
Isn't Stamatiades the guy who owns the restaurant of the same name in Astoria that offers valet service when they don't have a parking lot (thus creating a double parked car fiasco every single fucking day)?
Nevermind letting him have a volunteer position - throw this guy in jail for causing a road hazard every single day.
Look into how he funded his $200,000 office space in CALDC and how much they have actually helped the business community (as opposed to showing movies in Astoria Park)
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