“John Reddy, who has worked in the Surrogate's Court for 29 years, was the protégé of a lawyer who got mixed up in a court scandal.” -Daily News, August 14, 2008
Public Administrator counsels John Reddy, Phillip Beckerman both belonged to Counsel Joseph Arenson's law firm. In addition Reddy and Beckerman are partners in their own law firm.
Karen S. Burstein, a former State Senator and Family Court judge challenged Renee Roth for Surrogate in 1996. Burstein contends that a circle of friends and political allies have benefited disproportionately.
“Ms. Burstein says that when the Manhattan Public Administrator, Bruno Cappellini, resigned under pressure in 1988, Surrogate Roth let his successor, Ethel Griffin, hire to the lucrative position of counsel to the public administrator a law partner of the previous counsel, who had also resigned under pressure.” – NY Times, September 7, 1996
Bruno Cappellini the Public Administrator and his counsel Joseph Arenson left the Manhattan Surrogate Court after a report about his management style were published by AG Robert Abrams and Controller Ned Regan in 1987. Beckman, a member of Arenson law firm, was Arenson replacement as counsel. Beckman was replaced by his law partner John Reddy shortly after a story came out accusing Beckman with having an illegal bank account that the office opened up for the dead, the PA used to distribute funds to other lawyers. Beckman said his name was forged on papers and check of the said account. Arenson also had the same kind of bank account that the office opened for the deceased to distribute fees to lawyers for their work on the estates.
Update
Mr. Reddy has received $691,447 for work his firm has received on 28 cases involving the Public Administrator's Office, according to information provided by the OCA. The court system first started tracking those payments in May 2006. - NY Law Journal, August 21, 2008
2 comments:
John Reddy is the most qualified candidate to clean up Manhattan Surrogate's Court. He already has a ten point plan for Surrogate Court reform. Read it at www.reddyforsurrogate.com
Remember to vote Sept. 9th.
In a 2007 audit of the Manhattan public administrator, the New York City Comptroller found that her (two) attorneys earned $2,787,944 for calendar year 2005, none of which was reported to the IRS by the public administrator, as required.
Reddy may have REPORTED earning $691,147 (for 2008? from May 2006 to date?) but he probably got much more.
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