The New York Observer » Thomas McNamara http://www.observer.com Just another WordPress site Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:37:48 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Levy Files Sixth Lawsuit of Senate Coup ALBANY—Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy is suing members of the still-hobbled State Senate, claiming he needs to know who the chamber's president is so he can conduct his business as a county official.

"The state legislature has had more than enough time to come to a resolution, but it has not," Levy said in Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/4379/levy-files-sixth-lawsuit-senate-coup Levy Files Sixth Lawsuit of Senate Coup ALBANY—Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy is suing members of the still-hobbled State Senate, claiming he needs to know who the chamber's president is so he can conduct his business as a county official. "The state legislature has had more than enough time to come to a resolution, but it has not," Levy said in a Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2009/politics/levy-files-sixth-lawsuit-senate-coup Sides Agree to Produce Records, Keep Talking Out of Court ALBANY—We'll have to wait until Monday, or even longer. Judge Thomas McNamara sent the dueling parties in State Senate leadership struggle back to the negotiating table—a move that has become something of a trademark for him. By my count, this is the sixth time legal action related to the case has been adjourned. After a closed, Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2009/politics/sides-agree-produce-records-keep-talking-out-court Sides Agree to Produce Records, Keep Talking Out of Court ALBANY—We'll have to wait until Monday, or even longer.

Judge Thomas McNamara sent the dueling parties in State Senate leadership struggle back to the negotiating table—a move that has become something of a trademark for him.

By my count, this is the sixth time legal action related to the case has been adjourned. Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/4242/sides-agree-produce-records-keep-talking-out-court Judge Reponds to Senate Republican Motion: ‘You Need to Resolve This’ ALBANY—Judge Thomas McNamara is back, and he still doesn't want to get involved in the State Senate leadership struggle.

After hearing an argument from Republican attorney Jack Casey, who filed a motion on behalf of State Senators George Winner and John Flanagan, McNamara declined to sign a temporary restraining order against Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/4206/judge-republican-motion-resolve-this Judge Reponds to Senate Republican Motion: ‘You Need to Resolve This’ ALBANY—Judge Thomas McNamara is back, and he still doesn't want to get involved in the State Senate leadership struggle. After hearing an argument from Republican attorney Jack Casey, who filed a motion on behalf of State Senators George Winner and John Flanagan, McNamara declined to sign a temporary restraining order against Angelo Aponte, the Democrat-designated Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2009/politics/judge-reponds-senate-republican-motion-you-need-resolve Republicans Now Taking Senate Fight Back to Court ALBANY—The State Senate leadership battle is going back to court.

Two Republican state senators are filing a lawsuit against Angelo Aponte, the Democrat-designated secretary of the State Senate, seeking to restrain him from exercising his position. Aponte seems to control the nuts and bolts of the chamber, including sergeants at arms who on Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/4199/republicans-now-taking-senate-fight-back-court Republicans Now Taking Senate Fight Back to Court ALBANY—The State Senate leadership battle is going back to court. Two Republican state senators are filing a lawsuit against Angelo Aponte, the Democrat-designated secretary of the State Senate, seeking to restrain him from exercising his position. Aponte seems to control the nuts and bolts of the chamber, including sergeants at arms who on Tuesday blocked Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2009/politics/republicans-now-taking-senate-fight-back-court ‘This Mess Is Worse Than Ever’ ALBANY—Apparently, the court decision that both sides in the State Senate leadership struggle were waiting for has changed nothing.

Both sides claimed victory when Justice Thomas McNamara dismissed a suit filed last week by the Democrats, a suit which would have declared Malcolm Smith (still!) the majority leader and president pro tempore Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/4065/mess-worse-ever ‘This Mess Is Worse Than Ever’ ALBANY—Apparently, the court decision that both sides in the State Senate leadership struggle were waiting for has changed nothing. Both sides claimed victory when Justice Thomas McNamara dismissed a suit filed last week by the Democrats, a suit which would have declared Malcolm Smith (still!) the majority leader and president pro tempore in the Senate. Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2009/politics/mess-worse-ever Espada Jr. Implores Dems to Show For Session, Warns, Vaguely, of ‘Legal Implications’ ALBANY—Not surprisingly, Republicans are seizing upon the dismissal of the Democratic lawsuit against the coup they hatched last week to call upon their colleagues to join them for session at 3 p.m. State Senator Pedro Espada Jr., the defecting Democrat who has joined the Republicans in a "coalition" government, asked David Paterson to clean up Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2009/politics/espada-jr-implores-dems-show-session-warns-vaguely-legal-implications Espada Jr. Implores Dems to Show For Session, Warns, Vaguely, of ‘Legal Implications’ ALBANY—Not surprisingly, Republicans are seizing upon the dismissal of the Democratic lawsuit against the coup they hatched last week to call upon their colleagues to join them for session at 3 p.m.

State Senator Pedro Espada Jr., the defecting Democrat who has joined the Republicans in a "coalition" government, asked David Paterson to Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/4058/espada-jr-implores-dems-show-session-warns-legal-implications Judge Dismisses Democratic Challenge to Senate Coup ALBANY—Finally, after delaying for negotiations four times, Justice Thomas McNamara dismissed a lawsuit filed by Democrats to declare Malcolm Smith the leader of the State Senate.

I'm not in court because I was covering David Paterson, who spoke with reporters, but got the news from Democratic attorney Michael Kink's Twitter feed.

Republicans Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/4056/mcnamara-dismisses-lawsuit Judge Dismisses Democratic Challenge to Senate Coup ALBANY—Finally, after delaying for negotiations four times, Justice Thomas McNamara dismissed a lawsuit filed by Democrats to declare Malcolm Smith the leader of the State Senate. I'm not in court because I was covering David Paterson, who spoke with reporters, but got the news from Democratic attorney Michael Kink's Twitter feed. Republicans told me last Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2009/politics/judge-dismisses-democratic-challenge-senate-coup Judge Punts Again, to Laughter; Paterson Counsel Sees Hope ALBANY—Justice Thomas McNamara has punted again.

He huddled behind closed doors with lawyers representing both sides in the State Senate leadership dispute, before announcing in court that he was, for the fourth time, giving both sides more time to negotiate.

"During the course of that conference several issues were discussed, and based upon Read More

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