|
NY Jurist
Who Reportedly Testified By Daniel Wise Brooklyn Justice Howard A. Ruditzky left the bench on medical leave on June 8, Office of Court Administration spokesman David Bookstaver confirmed yesterday. Justice Ruditzky, 62, left on leave at his request, said Mr. Bookstaver, who declined to provide further details. The judge had been widely reported to have received immunity when he testified before a Brooklyn grand jury examining whether Democratic nominations for Supreme Court judgeships were for sale. According to several published reports, Justice Ruditzky confirmed for the grand jury that a supporter had paid more than $40,000 in cash and postage stamps to help him get a nomination in 2001. The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office has not brought any criminal charges. Justice Ruditzky's lawyer, Sheldon Eisenberger, did not respond to a request for comment. Justice Ruditzky, who was elected to the Civil Court in 1990, won the 2001 election for Supreme Court. Clarence Says Jail & Farewell By Alex Ginsberg
"Great day. Eventually
it'll be behind me." Having been convicted twice on larceny charges - once for accepting an illegal campaign contribution and again for stealing from his campaign funds - the former Crown Heights power broker received the same sentence back in 2005. But his lawyers obtained a stay from an appeals court, allowing Norman to remain free on bail while the higher court reviewed his case. In the meantime, two other cases against the former political boss went forward. In 2006, Norman was acquitted on charges he padded his Albany travel expense account. But earlier this year, he was convicted once again, this time for strong-arming cash out of judicial candidates. Last week, Norman lost the appeals on the first two cases and was ordered to appear before the original trial judge, Martin Marcus, for execution of sentence. He did that yesterday, nattily attired in a dark blue, double-breasted suit. As he waited more than an hour for his lawyer to appear, Norman, surrounded by supporters, including his minister father, appeared unperturbed at the prospect of hard time. The actual court proceeding, when it finally got rolling, was anticlimactic. "Mr. Norman is here to voluntarily surrender for execution of sentence," his lawyer, Richard Mischel, told the judge. "Sentence is executed," Marcus replied, and the cuffs went on. Norman finally began serving his term on the same day that another disgraced public servant, state Supreme Court Justice Gerald Garson, was himself sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison. It's Garson who indirectly led to Norman's undoing. In 2003, the then-sitting judge was confronted with damning surveillance videos of him accepting cash and cigars, and he offered to help investigators blow the lid off judgeships for sale by the county party boss. Garson wasn't able to deliver the goods, but Hynes' team put Norman under the microscope, uncovering an illegal $10,000 contribution from a lobbyist and the improper deposit into his savings account of a $5,000 check made out to his campaign. It's those sentences that Norman began serving yesterday. An appeal is still pending on Norman's most recent conviction, the one that came closest to Hynes' long-sought goal of nailing his former ally for selling judgeships. In that case, a jury found that Norman used his position as the county Democratic leader to force aspiring candidates for civil court to fork over thousands of dollars to two preferred campaign vendors. If the appeal fails, he'll do another one to three years on that case. Hynes yesterday linked the two high-profile prosecutions. "Our investigation has proven that two powerful men, Gerald Garson and Clarence Norman Jr., used the political and judicial systems to line their own pockets and the pockets of their cronies," the DA said. "Today, the political and judicial landscape of Brooklyn has changed." He cited a federal judge's decision last year declaring the state's judicial selection process unconstitutional and ordering the legislature to design a better system. Norman Gets a Jail Break By Patrick Gallahue Appellate Division Judge Robert Schmidt upheld a stay yesterday allowing ex-Assemblyman Clarence Norman to remain free on $50,000 bail while he appealed his conviction. Sources speculated it could be several years before Norman begins serving his 1-to-3-year sentence imposed Monday. He was also ordered to pay back $10,000 he coerced from former civil-court judge Karen Yellen during a 2002 primary. 'King' of the Clink - Norman Is Jail-Bound By David K. Li A judge yesterday sentenced disgraced Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman to one to three years behind bars for shaking down a judicial candidate. Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Martin Marcus also ordered "King of Brooklyn" Norman to pay back $10,000 he coerced from former civil-court judge Karen Yellen, $1,000 of which went to a fellow politician and $9,000 to pay a favored get-out-the-vote operative. It was the third criminal conviction in two years for Norman, who remains free on bail and has vowed to appeal. Norman was found guilty in February of grand larceny in what prosecutors called a scheme to extort judicial candidate Yellen. Norman was also found guilty of one count each of attempted grand larceny and coercion, but was acquitted on five other counts. At two trials in 2005, Norman was found guilty of stealing $5,000 donated to his re-election committee in 2001, and of trying to conceal $10,000 in contributions. He was acquitted last year of unlawfully billing the Assembly for mileage on a Lincoln Town Car leased by the Democratic Party. Oral arguments are set for tomorrow to determine whether Norman should be allowed to remain free on bail pending his appeals. "For now, this is a good result," said lawyer Richard Mischel, as he strolled out of court with Norman. Yellen sat quietly by herself in a corner of the Brooklyn courtroom as Marcus imposed sentence. Her upper lip quivered before she forced a slight grin as she appeared to fight back her emotions. "It's somewhat closure for me . . . it was justice," Yellen whispered outside court. Yellen said it's "unlikely" she'll ever seek election to the bench. A sitting judge when she lost during a 2002 primary, Yellen testified against Norman and recounted how he yelled in the face of her campaign manager to demand the strong-armed loot. Prosecutor Kevin Richardson painted Norman as a tyrannical monarch, who didn't hesitate to wield authority against powerless subjects. "Clarence Norman himself demanded they do it [pay], or they were out!" Richardson said, slamming his fist on the lawyers' table. "At that time, Clarence Norman wore the crown. He was the king of Brooklyn." With Post Wire Services
Disgraced
Clarence Norman Guilty of Grand Larceny The Associated Press In a mixed verdict, the jury also found Clarence Norman Jr. guilty of one count of attempted grand larceny and coercion, but acquitted him of five other counts. In the last of four criminal cases against Norman, the Brooklyn state Supreme Court jury deliberated about three days before reaching its verdict. Norman had been named in four indictments stemming from District Attorney Charles Hynes ’ probe into whether Norman and other party leaders sold judgeships.At two trials in 2005, Norman was found guilty of stealing $5,000 that was donated to his re-election committee in 2001, and of trying to conceal $10,000 in contributions. He was sentenced last year to two to six years in prison but remained free on bail while fighting the remaining charges. At his third trial last year, Norman was acquitted of charges he unlawfully billed the Assembly for mileage on a Lincoln Town Car leased by the Democratic Party. The longtime assemblyman was forced to resign following his first conviction. Norman Put on '$queeze' By Alex Ginsberg A key adviser to a Brooklyn judicial candidate allegedly shaken down by Clarence Norman told jurors yesterday how he begged the former party boss' right-hand man to back off his demand for $10,000 - but was shown no mercy. The adviser, Peter Weiss, said his 2002 plea to Norman's then-Democratic Party lieutenant, Jeffrey Feldman, was rebuffed."I told him we had no money, that it wasn't fair," Weiss recalled, referring to the re-election campaign of Civil Court Judge Karen Yellen. "I told him we had done everything that [the county organization] had asked. He said his principal was adamant and the money had to be paid." Norman faces jail time for allegedly threatening Yellen and another candidate with the withdrawal of party backing if they didn't run their campaigns according to his word. The former assemblyman's defense team says he was only trying to get the two white candidates to spend their money in minority communities. Black Judge Dissed By Alex Ginsberg
CLARENCE NORMAN Was proved wrong. Thomas, now a sitting Supreme Court justice, testified that she first approached Norman five years ago to ask for the county organization's support in the upcoming Civil Court contest. She said Norman's first response was to tell her how much work it would be and how much money it would cost and, most important, to remind her that no black candidate had ever won a countywide race in Brooklyn. "Ultimately, he told me he couldn't support me because he didn't think I could win," Thomas said. "I believe he told me something like I didn't have the right last name." Norman, 55, faces seven years in prison for allegedly shaking down the candidates he did endorse and threatening to withdraw his support unless they funneled thousands to two of his preferred vendors. His defense team has consistently cast the embattled former county boss, who is black, as a defender of equality who urged white candidates to spend their money in minority communities. Yesterday's testimony seemed tailor made to dispel that image. But defense lawyer Anthony Ricco said the comments merely reflected his client's understanding of the difficulties minority candidates face and was not an approval of those difficulties. "It is one of many comments that have been made in the case that show that African-Americans have been disenfranchised from the political system in Kings County," said Ricco. "We're glad that they called her [as a witness]." Pressed further, he added, "This is not a halo trial. This is a trial about politics." B'klyn Boss Greed's Elex 'Shakedown' By Alex Ginsberg Karen Yellen, then a
sitting judge who went on to lose the 2002 primary, described the
fiery exchange inside the party headquarters on Court Street in
Brooklyn between Norman and her campaign manager, Scott Levenson.
"I know I was shocked because the way it was done was not the way one expects it to happen - unprofessional and astonishing." Prosecutors allege that Norman demanded Yellen take part in a $12,000 joint mailing with two other candidates, which she considered a waste of money since she couldn't trumpet her exclusive endorsements and risk upstaging the other two. "I was lumped in with these other two people," Yellen said of co-candidates Robin Garson and Marcia Sikowitz. "We weren't the same." The mailing, prepared by Norman's go-to vendor, Branford Communications, went out with a typo - "aduls" rather than "adults" - in all 91,000 copies. Norman is also on trial for allegedly squeezing from Yellen another $9,000 for nonexistent get-out-the-vote efforts in central Brooklyn. Yellen broke into tears on the witness stand when asked about the final results of the 2002 primary. "I lost," she said. "And I was out of a job." Norman's defense team made much of Yellen's refusal to pony up the $9,000 to Norman's consultant, William Boone, for distribution of literature in central Brooklyn. According to their theory, the ex-judge thought pouring funds into those minority neighborhoods would end up helping the minority candidates, Margarita Lopez Torres and Delores Thomas. "Much of central Brooklyn was a minority area," she conceded. "There were two other candidates who were minority candidates. It was not that we were ignoring the area." But she bristled when defense lawyer Anthony Ricco accused her of snubbing black voters. "You said you only wanted to spend money in white neighborhoods?" he asked. "No," she shot back. Norman, 55, has already been sentenced to two to six years on two campaign-finance convictions, but remains free on $110,000 bail while the verdicts are appealed. Last year, the former assemblyman emerged victorious from a third trial, beating charges he double-dipped from his Albany travel expense account. The current charges come closest to - while still falling short of - Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes' goal of exposing the corrupt system of judgeships for sale. Yellen offered a tantalizing taste of that sort of chicanery late in her testimony when she testified that she forked over the $9,000 the day after the primary - when she knew she had already lost. "I thought that possibly I could go up to the Supreme Court," she said, noting that nominating conventions for that office followed soon after the primary. "That I could get the nomination from the party if I paid the monies that were demanded of me, that I could save my career." Norman in Threat: Aide By Alex Ginsberg A one-time lieutenant of disgraced former Brooklyn Democratic Party head Clarence Norman yesterday said his boss threatened to dump a Civil Court candidate who didn't want to run a joint campaign with local cronies. Jeffrey Feldman, 53, testifying in exchange for a dismissal of larceny charges he had faced with Norman, claimed that Scott Levenson, a campaign manager for Karen Yellen, angered Norman by questioning orders to cooperate with two candidates in a joint campaign. Norman "turned to Mr. Levenson and said, to the effect, '. . . If you don't agree to this, you're not going to have any support in this county,' " Feldman said. Prosecutors allege Norman extracted $12,600 from the Yellen camp for the joint campaign, then $9,000 for literature distribution.
It Was Pay or Be 'Dumped,' Norman Jury Hears
Brooklyn Housing Court Judge Marcia Sikowitz told a Brooklyn jury that when she ran for civil court in 2002, Norman and a top aide repeatedly pressed her and fellow candidate Karen Yellen to pony up thousands of dollars for a well-connected printer and another pal of Norman's or lose the Democratic machine's vital endorsement. Norman and his aide warned the women in early 2002 that it might cost as much as $150,000 to run for office - but in July they started to threaten the would-be candidates, Sikowitz testified. "One of the people working for Karen Yellen was upset. He said, 'What if we don't participate, what if we don't do this?'" Sikowitz said. "Mr. Norman said, 'We'll dump her!' He was upset. He was angry." Both women ended up paying the printer but did not hand over as much cash as Norman allegedly demanded. They got the endorsement but lost the election. But under cross-examination, Sikowitz said she didn't think it "unusual" for arguments over a political campaign to get heated. Norman, already sentenced to two to six years in prison on other campaign corruption convictions, is charged with strong-arming the women. Jury Hears of Threat by Norman By Alex Ginsberg When a city judge balked at funneling thousands of dollars to a consultant preferred by Brooklyn Democratic kingpin Clarence Norman, the boss had three choice words for her campaign crew. "We'll dump her," Norman bellowed inside the county party's war room on Court Street, a witness testified yesterday.The witness, Housing Court Judge Marcia Sikowitz, had hoped to win election to Civil Court in 2002, and believed she was on her way when she got the endorsement from Norman's powerful organization. But in a series of meetings at the party headquarters, Norman and his right-hand man, Jeffrey Feldman, allegedly laid out demands, including a $16,000 payment to consultant William Boone. Another candidate, Karen Yellen, openly rebelled, Sikowitz recalled, prompting the rebuke from the county boss. "I didn't want to be dumped, either," Sikowitz told jurors. Sikowitz finished last in the primary. Judge with a Grudge By Alex Ginsberg January 31, 2007 -- The Brooklyn judge credited with bringing down the borough's corrupt system of filling judgeships took the stand yesterday against the man who ran it - telling jurors that crossing disgraced Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman Jr. nearly torpedoed her 2002 campaign. Margarita Lopez Torres, now a sitting surrogate, sued state election officials two years ago, winning a stunning victory when a federal judge ruled unconstitutional the entrenched system of Brooklyn party bosses picking candidates for the primary.Yesterday, she described how Norman, the alleged master of that very system, yanked his support for her in a closed-door meeting at his Democratic club. Prosecutors trod delicately on the reasons Norman booted her from the party slate in 2002, to avoid prejudicing jurors. But outside the presence of the panel, they indicated that the surrogate told them she'd refused to hire the daughter of Assemblyman Vito Lopez (D-Brooklyn), a freshly minted law-school graduate, as her law secretary. Lopez, who is not related to Lopez Torres, has since replaced Norman as Brooklyn's Democratic honcho. Lopez Torres told jurors she was demoralized when she realized she wouldn't have party backing. "You're on your own without an organization. You have to start from scratch to build up an organization that can get you elected," she said. But Lopez Torres pulled off a victory in 2002 anyhow, photocopying campaign literature at Kinko's and relying volunteers culled from her family, friends and neighbors. Lopez Torres' testimony barely touched on the issues of the trial, Norman's alleged strong-arming of her competitors Marcia Sikowitz and Karen Yellen in return for party backing. But she did offer her opinion that Norman was managing the two women straight to defeat by forcing them to mount a joint campaign with a third white woman, Robin Garson. "I found it remarkable that there was a slate of three white women and we didn't think it would necessarily play well in certain parts of Brooklyn," she said. Defense lawyer Anthony Ricco dove into that opening, striving to cast Lopez Torres as a narrow-minded campaigner who apportioned her resources with a map and a red pen. "Do you ever take these kinds of facts into consideration?" he asked. "This is a minority community? This is a Latino community?" "Yes," Lopez Torres said. How
to Buy a Gavel- By Alex Ginsberg
It was a $12,000 check to a
Norman crony for an POWERBROKER:
Clarence Norman,
all-but-useless mailing and a
$9,000 payment "Because I am the King of Brooklyn, they're going to do it my way or the highway," said prosecutor Kevin Richardson as he gave jurors his best impression of the bullying party boss. "If they didn't do what he wanted, he was willing to cut off his nose to spite his face." Norman, 55, has already been sentenced to two to six years for campaign-finance crimes, and was acquitted last year of charges he double-dipped from his Albany travel expense account. He is free on $110,000 bail while the guilty verdicts are appealed. But the current trial on grand larceny and coercion charges in Brooklyn Supreme Court promises to deliver on Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes' long-awaited vow to expose a system in which judgeships were routinely for sale in the largest Democratic county in the country. Because Democrats far outnumber Republicans in Brooklyn, winning the Democratic primary is tantamount to winning election. And winning the primary was an uphill battle without Norman's loyal army of volunteers to collect signatures, pass out flyers and litigate, prosecutors said. Norman's lawyer, Anthony Ricco, meanwhile, compared Norman to Martin Luther King Jr., likening him to a politician fighting for the rights of his constituents. "Just like that man who wrote that letter sitting in that cell 50 years ago, he's fighting that same fight," Ricco said, alluding to King's 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail. According to prosecutors, Norman met in May 2002 with the three anointed Civil Court candidates - Margaret Cammer, Marcia Sikowitz and Yellen - and demanded that they form a joint campaign. Yellen balked, reluctant to pay for a proposed joint mailing that Norman wanted handled by Branford Communications, a favored firm. "Do it my way or you're out!" Norman allegedly bellowed, slamming his fists down on a table. "And the room fell silent," said Richardson. "The threat was as loud as a bomb." Even as late as primary eve, Norman allegedly threatened to keep the boots off the ground unless Yellen ponied up $9,000 to consultant William Boone for election work in central Brooklyn. It's that last demand that could prove divisive. Ricco said Yellen and Sikowitz, both white candidates, were wary of "wasting" the $9,000 on voters in predominantly black central Brooklyn. "These individuals were not extorted by Clarence Norman," said Ricco. "He tried to inspire them beyond their own ignorance. Ignorance of themselves and ignorance of . . . the Brooklyn community." Ricco promised reams of election data that would show the futility of what he termed a racist approach to campaigns. He said Yellen spent thousands in white districts - only to fare better in the black neighborhoods she'd written off. 7 Judges Face Quiz at 'Boss' Trial By Alex Ginsberg When disgraced Brooklyn Democratic ex-boss Clarence Norman's trial begins next week, the witness box will look more like the bench. Seven Brooklyn judges - and the county's current political boss - were included on a list of possible prosecution witnesses submitted yesterday.Next week's trial, the ex-assemblyman's fourth, will focus on whether he threatened to withdraw county-machine support for civil-court candidates Karen Yellen and Marcia Sikowitz unless they funneled thousands to preferred election consultants. He's already been sentenced to prison for campaign-finance crimes. The list of possible witnesses includes surrogate judge Margarita López Torres, who was elected in 2005 without machine support. She is likely to detail her shabby treatment at the hands of the Kings County Democratic County Committee. Current Brooklyn Democratic boss Vito López is on the list as well, though it's anybody's guess what he'll say about how the machine operates now. The list includes Brooklyn Civil Court Judges Delores Thomas, Johnny Baynes and Robin Garson and the wife of Supreme Court Justice Michael Garson, as well as former Brooklyn Civil Court Judge, Margaret Cammer.
Norman Pal Deal By Zach Haberman and Alex
Ginsberg
The surprise move fueled speculation that Feldman, who had a front-row seat to the backroom deals of the Brooklyn Democratic machine for more than a decade, was offering up plum details of judgeships bought and sold. CLARENCE NORMAN
Feldman, 52, the
executive director of Norman's He'd faced up to seven years in prison on the 22-count indictment. "We have concluded that Jeff Feldman was nothing more than a messenger who delivered demands to judicial candidates," said chief prosecutor Michael Vecchione. "These demands, which are the subject of this indictment, were at the behest of and on behalf of his boss." Vecchione told the presiding judge, Bronx Supreme Court Justice Martin Marcus, that the DA's office had inked an agreement with Feldman to cooperate on this and future investigations. "Relieved," was all Feldman would say following the barely five-minute court appearance. "I am grateful that this personal ordeal has terminated with the dismissal of all criminal charges," he added in a written statement. "I look forward to continuing my efforts to advance the causes and principles of the Democratic Party and to enable the election of its candidates in all branches of government." The move was highly unusual in that prosecutors generally do not reward cooperators until after they've testified. Nevertheless, Feldman's lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, promised that his client would appear when called. "Mr. Feldman has agreed to fully cooperate with the Kings County District Attorney's Office and if called as a witness will testify truthfully," he said. Feldman's sweet deal, paired with prosecutors' mention of future investi- gations, all but confirmed suspicions that Feldman was ready to assist in the DA's ongoing probe into judgeships for sale. "Jeff was in the middle of everything," said one Brooklyn courts insider, adding, in reference to judges suspected of buying their way onto the bench, "I'm sure when they read about this, they won't be too happy." Another source familiar with the DA's probe said one of the main targets of the investigation was Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Howard Ruditzky, who The Post reported last year ponied up between $50,000 and $100,000 for his spot on the bench. Ruditzky did not immediately return a message left at his chambers and courts spokesman David Bookstaver declined to comment. Disgraced Norman in Blame Game By Alex Ginsberg Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman is blaming his most recent criminal conviction on the failure of another embattled pol - Assemblywoman Diane Gordon - to step up for him. In a 100-page brief filed before the Supreme Court's Appellate Division yesterday, Norman's lawyer says prosecutors and the judge should have granted Gordon the immunity she said she needed to take the stand. "Unquestionably, the defendant was seriously handicapped by the sudden turn of events regarding Assemblywoman Gordon," argues lawyer Richard Mischel in the papers. Gordon had been expected as a witness at Norman's last trial in December to explain that the $5,000 the Brooklyn boss was accused of pocketing was actually payback for cash he'd advanced to her earlier. But the East New York assemblywoman unexpectedly declined to testify without a grant of immunity, a development the papers call a "debacle." Gordon is now under
indictment for soliciting a $500,000 bribe from a Brooklyn developer
in the form of a free house. Clarence Bid to Stay out of Jail By Alex Ginsberg Disgraced former Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman, free on $110,000 bail while he appeals a pair of criminal convictions, asked yesterday for a second get-out-of-jail pass that would keep him out of the pokey until mid-September. In papers filed with the Appellate Division, Norman's lawyer, Richard Mischel, says that the extra 120 days is necessary so that he can draw up the appeals for the embattled pol's convictions. Norman is seeking to overturn guilty verdicts for accepting illegal campaign contributions and pocketing $5,000 earmarked for his re-election coffers. Shelly May Rat on Norman By Nancie L. Katz Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver may testify against Clarence Norman at his trial on charges he illegally sought reimbursement for travel to and from Albany. As jury selection began for Norman's third felony trial in less than a year yesterday, Brooklyn prosecutors identified Silver as one of the witnesses they plan to call. If he takes the stand, Silver likely would be asked if Norman - his former deputy speaker - was allowed to be reimbursed for travel between Brooklyn and Albany even though the borough Democratic Party he chaired was already paying for it. Norman, already sentenced to two years in prison for the other convictions, could face up to an additional seven years if convicted of larceny and 76 counts of filing a false instrument for travel vouchers he submitted in 1999-2002 totaling just over $5,000. Once a Brooklyn kingpin, Norman was knocked from the Crown Heights Assembly seat he held for 23 years and his 15-year chairmanship of the Brooklyn Democratic Party when a jury convicted him of campaign corruption in September. He was also disbarred. In December, a second jury found him guilty of stealing a $5,000 check made out to his campaign committee. He has managed to stay out
of jail pending appeals of the two convictions. Norman Due Third Trial By Zach Haberman The state's highest court says ousted Assemblyman Clarence Norman will have to face trial — again. The Court of Appeals said yesterday they would not listen to arguments by Norman's legal team, who had hoped to get it to toss out charges that he cheated on his Assembly-paid travel expenses. The dethroned Brooklyn Democratic Party boss, convicted twice last year of skirting campaign-finance rules, will now face his third criminal trial in less than seven months. Norman is accused of filing vouchers for travel expenses with the Assembly even though the Kings County Democratic Party had already footed the bill. He allegedly pulled off the penny-pinching scheme at least 76 times for a total of $5,585. "We are prepared to go to trial on March 6," said Jerry Schmetterer, a spokesman for the Brooklyn DA's Office. A lawyer for Norman did not return a call for comment. Norman was sentenced last month to two to six years in prison for not reporting thousands of dollars in in-kind political contributions and pocketing a $5,000 check intended for his re-election committee. He also faces a fourth indictment for strong-arming judicial candidates into using specific people to print their campaign literature. He is currently free on $110,000 bail. 2 to 6 Years for Norman By Zach Haberman Clarence Norman, at Brooklyn Supreme Court yesterday, said "I accept full responsibility for the situation that I have unquestionably put myself in." Clarence Norman once served the people now he'll serve time. Blasting the one-time Brooklyn Democratic Party boss as "devious and manipulative," Judge Martin Marcus yesterday sentenced the beleaguered former assemblyman to two to six years behind bars for violating campaign laws. "As I stand before you today, I want to make it clear that I accept full responsibility for the situation that I have unquestionably put myself in," Norman said in a statement before the pronouncement of his sentence, which his lawyer had requested be only community service. "I certainly acknowledge that I'm here today in this situation because I have exercised poor judgment," he said. "Never, never, ever did I deliberately or consciously seek to break the law or circumvent the law." After apologizing to his family, Norman, 54, said, "I'm sorry that I have really let down my constituents, the people who for 23 years placed their trust and confidence in me, and I certainly hope they will indeed forgive me." Norman, convicted of not reporting thousands of dollars in political contributions and pocketing a $5,000 check intended for his re-election committee, admitted: "Unfortunately, I took a shortcut." Upon hearing the news that he will be going up the river, the disgraced political leader — as he had done throughout much of his two criminal trials — folded his hands together and sat with a cold, blank stare on his face. "The mechanisms by which he [skirted the election laws] were so devious and manipulative, and the excuses he offered that he was preoccupied with other important matters, that he was guilty of sloppiness, not guile were not credible to either of the juries or to me," the judge said. Norman, 54, got his first taste of prison life immediately afterward, when the judge ordered him to a holding cell behind the courtroom while Norman's lawyer ran over to the nearby Appellate Division. There, the lawyer argued that the ousted party boss be let loose until a judge in that court decides if the convictions should be overturned. An Appellate judge freed him if only temporarily on $110,000 bail pending a decision on whether he should remain out of prison while awaiting a ruling on his appeal. Former Brooklyn Democratic Boss Sentenced to Prison The Associated Press A former assemblyman and head of the Brooklyn Democratic Party was sentenced on Wednesday to two to six years in prison for separate convictions on campaign corruption charges. At two trials in state Supreme Court last year, juries found Clarence Norman Jr., 54, guilty of stealing $5,000 that was donated to his re-election committee in 2001, and of trying to conceal $10,000 in contributions. Prosecutors had asked Justice Alan Marcus to give Norman of five to 15 years in prison. The defendant still faces two more possible trials on related charges. "We respect Judge Marcus' decision and look forward to the next two trials," said Jerry Schmetterer, spokesman for Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes. A call to Norman's attorney was not immediately returned. Norman was named in four indictments stemming from Hynes' probe into whether he and other party leaders sold judgeships. The charges allege a pattern of criminal mishandling of political finances, grand larceny and conspiracy. The longtime assemblyman
was forced to resign early last year following his first conviction.
Norman Will Stay Silent to the End By Zach Haberman and C.j.
Sullivan Prosecutors hoping to get Clarence Norman to sing about the sale of judgeships will hear only the sound of silence. The dethroned Brooklyn Democratic Party boss will not look to make any 11th-hour deal this week to avoid serving prison time for two felony convictions and gain leniency on the two remaining indictments he faces, sources told The Post. The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office has long suspected Norman of being the ringleader of a circle of dirty jurists who paid hefty sums to get on the bench. Sources say if Norman keeps mum, the DA's investigation will effectively be "stonewalled." "You would think he would want to get out from under all this jail time," said a source with knowledge of Norman's legal maneuvering. A Brooklyn jury first found Norman guilty of campaign-finance fraud in September, while another convicted him last month for a $5,000 contribution check to his re-election committee in 2001. If he sticks to his guns and refuses to come clean about the purported justice-for-sale scandal, Norman could face as much as 15 years behind bars when Judge Martin Marcus decides his fate Wednesday. "I'm not worried, this too shall pass," the disgraced politician defiantly told The Post yesterday as he returned home from church. "We rest our faith in God." Norman's lawyer, Edward Rappaport, insisted, "It's not that my client doesn't want to cooperate. "It's that he has no knowledge of the things they say he does." A spokesman for the Brooklyn DA would not comment on any possible deal discussions, saying only, "[Norman] will be sentenced on Wednesday." Rappaport has filed a memo with the judge asking for a light sentence of probation, sources said, noting prosecutor Michael Vecchione recently filed a similar letter asking Marcus to throw the book at Norman and give him the full 15 years. Despite Rappaport's best attempts, courthouse insiders say there is very little chance Norman won't be put behind bars. "That's pretty definite," the source said. "The only question is how much [prison time]. He's probably not going to get a matter of months." "I think Marcus is going to hit him harder than that." If Norman does get sentenced to hard time, Rappaport will immediately request Marcus allow his client to stay in the courtroom for a short time instead of being put in a holding cell. During the interlude, Rappaport would head to the nearby appellate court to file paperwork requesting Norman be freed on bail while the lawyer appeals his two convictions, sources said. When asked about the real possibility of his client being sent up the river, Rappaport said, "Nobody's happy about going to jail, but he doesn't seem depressed." "Whatever is going to be, is going to be," he said. Squeeze Play on Norman By Jim Hinch
"The window is closing, and there is a very small opportu nity" for Norman to avoid serious jail time by telling prosecutors what he knows about Brooklyn's alleged judge bribery scandal, said the source, who is close to Norman's case. But "no one thinks [Norman] understands the seriousness of the position he's in." Norman faces up to 15 years in the slammer — eight for his first political-corruption conviction in September, and seven more after a jury on Thursday found him guilty of stealing a $5,000 check made out to his re-election committee. He will be sentenced Jan. 10. He also faces two more felony trials — one for allegedly double-dipping on state travel reimbursements, another for allegedly coercing Clarence Norman judicial candidates into paying Democratic Party hacks for "campaign" work. Another source close to the case said prosecutors' investigation into judges suspected of bribing their way onto the bench has stalled out. So they're eager to cut a leniency-for-information deal with Norman, who is suspected of taking or coordinating the bribes. Norman's lawyer, Edward Rappaport, did not return a call for comment. A DA spokesman declined to comment on the prospect of a deal.
'Houdini' Norman 'Just Stupid' By Jim Hinch "Every great magician learns the art of misdirection," said prosecutor Michael Vecchione of Norman's alleged theft of a $5,000 campaign contribution to his own re-election committee. But Norman's lawyer said the only thing his client is guilty of is "stupidity" for cashing the contribution check. "We wouldn't be here" if Norman had simply ripped up the $5,000 contribution and asked for a reimbursement check made out to his personal account," said lawyer Edward Rappaport. Norman Case May Go to Jury Today By Nancie L. Katz The larceny case against Clarence Norman is expected to go to a jury today - after the deposed Democratic Party boss insisted for three hours yesterday he's not a thief. The former assemblyman underwent grueling questioning by Assistant Brooklyn District Attorney Michael Vecchione over a $5,000 check Norman cashed that was made out to his reelection committee. Norman has said the October 2001 check was to reimburse him for cash he gave to Assemblywoman Diane Gordon to pay Primary Day workers for Democrat Alan Hevesi's failed 2001 mayoral campaign. "It was for money I laid out. Unfortunately, the check was written incorrectly," Norman said. "You never went back at any time to correct the so-called [mistake]?" Vecchione asked sarcastically. "No, I did not," Norman said. Both the prosecution and defense rested yesterday and are expected to sum up this morning. Norman faces
up to seven years in prison if convicted. By Jim Hinch Dethroned Brooklyn political boss Clarence Norman stepped off the witness stand yesterday sticking by his innocence, but was forced to concede that his defense didn't always add up. Norman told jurors repeatedly that he didn't steal a $5,000 campaign-contribution check because, even though he cashed it into his personal bank account, he thought it was reimbursement for a loan. But prosecutor Michael Vecchione just as often made Norman admit that everything about his handling of the check was unusual. Vecchione displayed documents showing that virtually every other time Norman sought reimbursement for political expenses, he got them from his campaign treasurer. And Vecchione got Norman to agree that the night he pocketed the check, he knew members of his political club had recently written it as part of a series of contributions to various Brooklyn political organizations. The check reads "contribution" on its memo line, not "reimbursement." But Norman said the word "contribution" was mistakenly written in by political operatives who had made so many donations that night, they forgot Norman's check was a reimbursement. "I was happy" to get the check, Norman said. "I was worried about getting my money." Former Brooklyn Party Leader in Rematch With Prosecutor By Michael Brick Clarence Norman Jr., the former Brooklyn Democratic leader and assemblyman, took the stand in his corruption trial yesterday as its focus narrowed to this question: What was Mr. Norman thinking when he deposited a check written to his re-election campaign committee into his personal bank account? In a full day of testimony in State Supreme Court in Brooklyn, Mr. Norman spent the morning explaining himself and the afternoon parrying questions about his intelligence, literacy and actions from a prosecutor who sought to undermine his account. This is the second trial for Mr. Norman, who was convicted in September of soliciting illegal campaign contributions, and his long volley with the prosecutor, Michael F. Vecchione, first deputy district attorney, was something of a rematch. Mr. Vecchione cross-examined a faltering Mr. Norman in the earlier case, eliciting statements including, "I have no independent recollection." In contrast to that performance, Mr. Norman appeared calm and self-assured on the stand yesterday, measuring his replies in soft, explanatory tones even as Mr. Vecchione yelled at him, sighed loudly and spun on his heel. Mr. Norman is charged with larceny for depositing the $5,000 check, written by a political club he controlled and made out to his campaign committee, into his personal bank account. He contends that the money was a reimbursement for funds he had personally advanced to Assemblywoman Diane Gordon. Mr. Norman's lawyer, Edward M. Rappaport, had promised jurors that Ms. Gordon would testify, but when she took the stand last month, she invoked the Fifth Amendment to avoid incriminating herself for failing to report a contribution. That left Mr. Norman to explain things himself yesterday, and his first obstacle was a copy of the check itself, displayed on a screen before the jury. In the memo line, it said, "Contribution." Dressed in a dark suit with a pocket handkerchief, Mr. Norman clasped his hands and faced the jurors as Mr. Rappaport led him through his version of events: Ms. Gordon, a Democratic Assembly colleague, told him days before the primary election scheduled for Sept. 11, 2001, that she needed money to support Alan G. Hevesi's mayoral campaign in her East New York district. Mr. Norman gave her $5,000 of his own money and later requested reimbursement. He found a check for $5,000 in an envelope on his desk. He felt confident that it was intended as a reimbursement, and convinced a bank teller to deposit the funds into his personal account."I was just trying to get my money back," Mr. Norman said. When Mr. Vecchione began his cross-examination, Mr. Norman stopped looking at the jury. He raised his eyebrows, and his gaze followed the prosecutor back and forth across the courtroom. Mr. Rappaport often objected and there were frequent sidebars with the judge, Martin Marcus. Mr. Vecchione asked about Mr. Norman's education and career, seeking to establish his familiarity with election law. The questioning spanned loan procedures, the workings of several political organizations and the competence of certain party officials. Mr. Rappaport's objections slowed the pace, and Mr. Norman derailed some lines of questioning with concessions leading to tangents, but the focus returned repeatedly to two issues. The first issue, addressed directly, was that Mr. Norman had deposited the check in his personal account. "Is there an exception in the law for Clarence Norman Jr.?" Mr. Vecchione asked. After an objection was overruled, Mr. Norman responded, "Definitely not." The second, broached less directly, was the question of what Mr. Norman had been thinking. "You know, do you not, that larceny is when someone takes something that does not belong to them, would you agree with me?" Mr. Vecchione asked. Mr. Norman, who passed the bar on the first try and once worked as an assistant district attorney in Brooklyn, conceded that definition, adding a word. "Intentionally," he said. The trial is to continue today. $Tate of Denial By Jim Hinch Dethroned Brooklyn political boss Clarence Norman took the stand yesterday and told a jury he "absolutely" did not steal a $5,000 campaign contribution to his re-election committee. But a prosecutor then proceeded to poke hole after hole in Norman's explanation — that the check was actually a reimbursement for money Norman had loaned another politician for campaign work. "Is there an exception in the law for Clarence Norman Jr.?" prosecutor Michael Vecchione asked incredulously after Norman claimed he somehow "knew" the check, made out to his re-election committee in 2001, was really meant for him personally. "No," Norman conceded. Norman described how he found the check one evening in an envelope on his desk in his Brooklyn Assembly district office. He said he put the check "in my bag," and took it to his local Chase Bank branch, where "the people at the bank know me" and let him cash the check, even though it wasn't made out to him. Norman said he couldn't recall who the "friend" was who let him cash the check. "Just a teller," he said. Norman said the $5,000 was reimbursement for money he had loaned Assemblywoman Diane Gordon so she could mount a get-out-the-vote effort for mayoral candidate Alan Hevesi. Norman said he loaned Gordon the money personally because she needed it right away and couldn't wait for cash from one of Norman |
February
3, 2007 -- A failed Brooklyn Civil Court candidate told jurors
yesterday how then-county Democratic boss Clarence Norman went face
to face with her campaign manager, demanding she cave in to his
demands in return for the machine endorsement. 
A
day after his second straight felony conviction, disgraced Brooklyn
political boss Clarence Norman (left) was "in denial" as he faced a
stark choice: 'fess up or head to the pen, a source told The Post
yesterday. 