Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Despite charges, N.Y. judges refuse to remove chief Date: Tue, 10 Nov 92 15:13:22 EST Message-ID: \SE A;NATION \SS (WS) \HD Despite charges, N.Y. judges refuse to remove chief \BY ASSOCIATED PRESS \DT ALBANY, N.Y. ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - The state's top judges yesterday took no action to remove the court's chief judge as he awaits federal trial for allegedly threatening an ex-lover in an extortion scheme. Sol Wachtler remained under a suicide watch at a hospital after his weekend arrest. He is chief judge of the Court of Appeals, the state's highest court. "He has not been suspended, he has not resigned," said senior Associate Judge Richard Simons. "There is no need. "The court will continue to function as if he were ill, or whatever," said Judge Simons, who said he would function as chief judge in Judge Wachtler's absence. Judge Wachtler will continue to receive his $120,000-a-year salary and could reclaim his seat if released on bail, said Richard Zander, a court spokesman. The court's six associate judges could have suspended Judge Wachtler, but Judge Simons said they never discussed that option during a meeting yesterday on how to run the court in his absence. The case has been front-page news all across the state, but Judge Simons said the court had not received any formal notification of the charges against Judge Wachtler. He was scheduled for a bail hearing today. The FBI arrested Judge Wachtler, 62, Saturday on charges he harassed a Manhattan socialite and Republican fund-raiser, tried to blackmail her and threatened to kidnap her 14-year-old daughter. The woman was identified in news reports as Joy Silverman. Law enforcement officials said the harassment began earlier this year after the women broke off a lengthy affair with Judge Wachtler. Flip Lorenzoni, chief deputy U.S. marshal in New York City, said yesterday that Judge Wachtler was confined to a small room at Long Island Jewish Hospital and was under 24-hour guard because of fears he might kill himself. The criminal complaint against him quoted the woman as saying Judge Wachtler had been undergoing treatment for a serious medical condition for at least two years. Court colleagues said they did not know what the illness was, but the New York Times quoted an unidentified law enforcement official yesterday as saying the judge had been diagnosed with cancer. The Court of Appeals functions like most states' Supreme Court. New York's Supreme Court is the state trial court. As chief judge of the Court of Appeals, Judge Wachtler presides over all state courts and more than 5,000 judges. In New York state, only the Court of Appeals, or the state Legislature through impeachment, can remove judges from the bench. Judge Wachtler, a liberal Republican, was elected to the court in 1972 and appointed its chief judge by Gov. Mario Cuomo, a Democrat, in 1985 for a 14-year term. Judge Simons, who will be acting as chief judge, also is a Republican. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM