Justice Baynes holds conference in LICH case
The parties in the case against SUNY Downstate’s proposed plan to close Long Island College Hospital in Cobble Hill were again in the courtroom of Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Johnny Lee Baynes on Monday.
In a closed conference, the attorneys for both sides discussed the manner in which SUNY adhered to or has violated the temporary restraining order issued by Baynes in April to prvevent SUNY from taking measures to effectuate a hospital closure. Baynes issued a modified TRO last week permitting SUNY to communicate with the Department of Health. As the initial April TRO is still in place, SUNY and DOH are still not permitted to discuss the possibility of closing LICH until all legal matters have been adjudicated.
LICH doctors and some members of the New York State Nurses Association were permitted in the courtroom temporarily. Baynes acknowledged their presence but noted that he was not taking testimony, and the doctors and NYSNA members were then ushered out of the courtroom.