Candidates for Brooklyn judgeships logged on to a virtual forum Tuesday night to introduce themselves to voters. In the process, they provided a glimpse into some of the complex back-room dealings that underpin judicial elections in New York.
The Surrogate’s Court hears cases involving the probate of wills, the administration of estates and trust proceedings. Brooklyn’ two surrogate’s judges (only one slot is open this cycle), also play a critical role in the local Democratic party’s ability to dole out patronage, because they can give out lucrative estate cases to lawyers favored by the party.
Particularly problematic is the court’s Public Administrator’s office, which handles the assets of those who die without wills. The surrogate’s judges, who serve 14-year terms, appoints the public administrator, which means the (often party-aligned) judge has the unique power to appoint the head of a city agency and the office’s chief lawyer. As a result, the position often goes to politically connected insiders who frequently wind up at the center of financial scandal.