By Dan Murphy
Last month we reported on a countywide issue that most affects residents of New Rochelle concerning that City’s branch of the County Family Court. The current location of the Family Court in New Rochelle, at xx North Avenue, must be relocated.
County Executive George Latimer and his staff have reviewed numerous locations and have suggested that the court relocated to a vacant supermarket on Pelham Road. That location has received intense opposition from the people of New Rochelle, including from Mayor Noam Bramson and some member of the New Rochelle City Council. Our newspaper, which has no interest in the matter whatsoever other than finding the best alternative, agrees with Latimer and County Government that the Pelham Road location should be the new place for the Family Court.
Our stories have received a great deal of interest, primarily from our readers in New Rochelle. We received the following letter, dated August 14, 2018, from the New Rochelle NACCP.
Dear New Rochelle and Westchester County Elected Officials,
I am writing to you on behalf of the New Rochelle Branch of the NAACP. On Thursday, August 9th, 2018 I along with Executive Committee member Minister Mark McLean and others attended a Community Hearing at 40 Willow Drive concerning the plan to relocate the New Rochelle Family Court to the vacated property formerly housing the A&P Supermarket.
It was evident by the prepared signs and opening audience discussions that the assembled group had been organized in opposition to the Family Court coming to the planned location. Seated in the front of the room were New Rochelle City Councilmen Ivar Hyden and Albert Tarantino, as well as Westchester County Legislators Terry Clements and Damon Maher. At the start of the meeting Councilman Hyden announced that no member of the City Council was in agreement of this plan, not even Mayor Bramson to which he received loud applause and shouts of approval.
Terry Clements said that she understood the groups concerns and was also in opposition to the planned site. She inappropriately blamed the selection of the site solely on Administrative Court Judge Kathie Davidson, without mentioning that Judge Davidson is continuing the commitment made by her predecessors to maintain the Family Court in New Rochelle. Councilman Damon Maher indicated that he felt that the Family Court should remain in New Rochelle but was unsure as to whether the selected site was appropriate. His honesty was interrupted by loud boos.
The group shouted several loud derogatory comments with multiple persons saying that they didn’t want “those” people in “their” neighborhood, and that many of them did their own banking and would be afraid to have money on them, one women described one of “them” running down the street near her trying to catch a bus and it was a good thing a police officer was there to flag down the bus for him, there were several questions from them as to why they had to have a court near them, “with 17 year olds” that were bigger than them.
When Mr. McLean attempted to respond to some of their questioning, there were shouts of “throw him out”. The moderator was seen trying to snatch the microphone from Mark. This behavior was reminiscent of scenes depicted in Mississippi or Alabama in the 50’s and 60’s instead of right here in New Rochelle. There was no attempt on the part of the elected officials present to allay the fears or correct their unfounded assumptions clearly based on racial biases.
There was no attempt by the elected officials to explain that this is Family Court not Criminal Court. No criminal court cases are heard in the Family Court. No explanation that the majority of cases heard in Family Court involve adoptions, custody/visitation of children, guardianship, child support and Paternity, and sometimes juvenile delinquency for kids 17 and younger, usually accompanied by their parents, who are trying to stay out of jail, and not looking to victimize those persons expressing these fears.
There was no attempt to explain that the Family Court has existed in New Rochelle for over 50 years, with few people even knowing where it is because there have been no outstanding conflicts surfacing there that require the Police to be called. In fact the Family Court has their own armed State Police assigned daily.
There was no attempt by our elected officials to explain that Family Court operates Monday through Friday from 9am – 5pm and is closed in the evenings, and on weekends and holidays. That the purpose of the Family Court is to resolve Family issues and to refer those seeking assistance to resources in the county. That the Family Court located here only hears cases from New Rochelle, Pelham and Mt. Vernon and that there had been no upgrade to the court since the early 1980’s.
No reminders that the A&P property is located in a commercial area with its own parking, and the Family Court serves far fewer people than one would see 7 days per week, early morning to late evening in a supermarket, and that the site is desirable also because it is accessible by public transportation.
No reminders that the search for a new location for the Family Court has been ongoing for over 5 years since a NYS audit cited the current location as being inadequate with no privacy and no attorney/client rooms, an extremely small waiting area, no client parking, and no waiting area for children. Multiple potential sites have been examined since that time with all found to be inappropriate for varying reasons. It is now, that the current lease has expired, that it is most imperative that another site be located without excuses and further delay.
No one explained that is up to Westchester County officials to locate a potential property. It is then up to the Administrative Judge to offer approval of the site after it is vetted. Former County Executive Rob Astorino was actively supportive of securing an appropriate site in New Rochelle, as is current County Executive George Latimer, in addition to former Administrative Judge Alan Sheinkman, and interim Acting Administrative Judge Michael Coccomo. Current Administrative Judge Kathie Davidson is continuing this commitment to the citizens of New Rochelle to keep the Family Court here. Each of these leaders have tried to engage the New Rochelle elected officials in identifying alternate space. No viable alternatives have been suggested to date, and time has run out.
You as our elected officials need to be reminded that you represent all of your constituents, not just a select few. Hatred, fear, and distrust based on racial prejudice is like a virus. It can be prevented or it can be controlled and eventually eradicated. It can also be introduced to other vulnerable hosts, it can be ignored, it can spread and left without remedy, it can become an epidemic. Language and behavior witnessed at that Community meeting has no place here. For City leaders to say they were unaware of this plan is untrue and opposing it, is fanning the flames of unfounded fear.
In fact the disposable income of Judges, court officers, lawyers and families may positively impact the businesses in that area particularly the restaurants and local stores. We trust our elected officials to make responsible and truthful decisions. We must move forward not backward, build relationships not destroy them. Do the right thing,” Sincerely, Dr. Carla H. Woolbright, President, New Rochelle Branch NAACP
A similar letter was written to Mayor Noam Bramson in 2012, which points to the fact that the search for a new Family Court location in New Rochelle, and the opposition to it, has been in the works for more than five years.
Other interesting new revelations include:
Former County Executive Rob Astorino and his administration did participate in meetings and discussions regarding the NR Family Court. During those meetings, according to those in attendance, Judge Alan Sheinkman “contended that it was not feasible to find another appropriate site for the court in New Rochelle, but the Astorino administration and Deputy County Executive Kevin Plunkett vowed to keep the Family Court in New Rochelle.”
Together with Astorino’s Director of Real Estate Adam Rodriguez, a group of New Rochelle concerned citizens reviewed other locations in New Rochelle and determined that one location, at 592 Main Street, had potential. But by that point Astorino had lost the election to Latimer, who has since made his own review of properties. All of the members of the New Rochelle NAACP and those who worked with Astorino and his administration are in agreement that the Latimer administrations selection of 366 Pelham Road is “by far the best opportunity to finally resolve this issue and keep the family Court in New Rochelle.”
While members of the NAACP in New Rochelle applaud and appreciate the efforts of both Astorino and Latimer to keep the Family Court in New Rochelle, they see a lack of courage coming from New Rochelle City Hall. “The NAACP learned that there was a plan to close the New Rochelle Family court in 2012. Several meetings took place with Judge Sheinkman, Judge Davidson, County Executive Rob Astorino and Mayor Bramson. The initial meeting about the closing of the Family Court took place in Mayor Bramson’s office sometime after the NAACP sent him a letter supporting keeping the Family Court in New Rochelle.
“New Rochelle NAACP President at the time was Ron Williams, who was present along with County Legislator Pearl Quarles and others. Mayor Bramson’s position was made clear in that meeting: he had nothing to do with it and was not interested in taking a position on it. We were shocked that as Mayor he didn’t feel the need to make a statement that he supported keeping the family court open,” said one member of the NAACP at the meeting.
The lack of political courage continues, in our view, in New Rochelle today, especially for New Rochelle democrats, who have presented no viable alternative for a new Family court location, and have had five years to come up with one. We also let the letters and innuendo’s included in that letter, to speak for itself.
