NOW Asks Supporters to Write Judge Deciding State Senator’s Guilt
The National Organization for Women is asking supporters to call or write the judge presiding over the bench trial of a state senator accused of domestic violence.
The trial of New York State Sen. Hiram Monserrate begins on Monday, but NOW is already asking supporters to send the judge a message requesting the maximum sentence, the City Room blog of the New York Times reports. Monserrate is accused of slashing his companion’s face during an argument.
Judge William Erlbaum is hearing the case without a jury. Joseph Tacopina, Monserrate’s lead lawyer, called the campaign to persuade the judge “inappropriate, improper and offensive.”
“They’re trying to improperly persuade the fact finder,” Tacopina told the Times. “It’s akin to writing a letter to a juror.”
David Bookstaver, a spokesman for the state’s Office of Court Administration, told the Times the matter is “an intriguing question.” He said judges are public officials, and the rules concerning public contact are not the same as those barring juror contacts.
