Panel Recommends Three Manhattan Civil Court Candidates

Another judicial race quietly got underway in Manhattan last night when a judicial screening panel released the names of candidates they consider the most qualified Democrats for the countywide judge position in the county's First District, that will be on the ballot later this year.

The three people reported out of the committee were: Gerald Lebovits, Nancy Bannon and Frank Nervo.

Among those who met with the panel, but were not recommended, are Frank Perry, chairman of Community Board 10; Lynn Kotler, president of the Chelsea Reform Democratic Club; and David Cohen, a housing court judge.

The judicial screening panel has an informal role by which independent individuals in the legal community determine who they believe to be the most qualified candidates for judicial positions--it's basically supposed to be a way of establishing who has the necessary legal knowledge, but the panel's recommendations are nonbinding.

Not getting reported out of the panel does not prevent anyone from continuing their judicial campaign, but it might help as the candidates take the next steps to win over clubs and political allies.