——JANUARY——

-Oral arguments conducted in Brooklyn federal court over Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s third-term bill.

-Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix, who is yet to be promoted to Administrative Judge, presides at hearing over Brooklyn House of Det-ention expansion.

-Renowned jurist and former Brooklyn Supreme Court Administrative Judge Ronald Aiello dies from cancer at age 69.

-Appellate Division, First Department Presiding Justice Jonathan Lippman chosen by Gov. David Paterson as Chief Judge of the state, following public controversy over lack of diversity amongst list of candidates.

-Alleged cop-killer Robert Ellis is sentenced to 15 years for weapons possession in connection with the death of Officer Russel Timoshenko.

-Newly renovated judicial parking lot opens at Brooklyn Supreme Court.

-Chief Justice John Roberts swears in Sen. Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

-California prosecutors announce they will seek death penalty for four soldiers accused of sadistic killing of Bensonhurst Marine and wife.

-Former Brooklyn Assembly-woman Diane Gordon heads to prison after being convicted of bribery. -Bensonhurst funeral home owner Joseph Nicelli sentenced to eight to 24 years for role in infamous body parts scandal.

-Hon. Barry Kamins is sworn in as a Manhattan Criminal Court judge.

——FEBRUARY——

-Brooklyn native and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg returns home after having pancreatic cancer surgery.

-“Navy Yard Butcher� Smaljl Tulja’s trial for a 1990 murder in Brooklyn continues via satellite with courts in the Balkans.

-Jury selection begins for retrial of accused cop-killer Lee Woods; codefendant Dexter Bostic meanwhile is sentenced to life without parole for killing Officer Timoshenko. In an unprecedented act, at sentencing, Bostic recites the 19th-century poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley.

-Appellate Division dismisses appeal challenging the Atlantic Yards environmental impact statement, making opponents of the multibillion dollar project still without a victory in any meaningful lawsuit or litigation.

—MARCH—

-Three years after ghoulish scandal exposed, final body-parts defendant, Lee Cruceta, sentenced to eight to 24 years.

-Brooklyn Law School Prof. Susan Herman named ACLU president.

-Brooklyn Supreme Court Justices L. Priscilla Hall and Plummer E. Lott promoted to the Appellate Division, Second Department in Brooklyn Heights.

-“Mafia Cops� Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa sentenced to life in prison for over a half-dozen murders.

-Accused Brooklyn cops appear in Brooklyn Supreme Court on charges that one of them sodomized a fleeing pot-smoker with his police baton near Prospect Park.

-Historic Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff pleads guilty.

-Cop-killer Lee Woods convicted after retrial and faces mandatory life sentence without parole.

-Mafia assassin and John Gotti confidant Charles Carneglia is convicted in Brooklyn federal court of age-old murders; however, he is acquitted of killing Brooklyn Criminal Court Officer Albert Gelb in 1976.

-Kings County Supreme Court Justice Sylvia Hinds-Radix rules that Department of Correction can reopen the Brooklyn House of Detention in Boerum Hill.

-Renaissance Plaza, which includes the Marriott Hotel building that houses the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and New York Law Department, is evacuated after fire.

-Kings County Supreme Court Administrative Judge of the Civil Term Abraham G. Gerges is named as temporary head of the Criminal Term as well.

-Radio host George Weber, of Henry Street in Carroll Gardens, is stabbed to death by teenager John Katehis after the two reportedly met up for an evening of drugs and rough sex. Katehis, a self-described Satanist, is charged with murder.

-Atlantic Yards opponents file motion seeking appeal with the New York Court of Appeals in Albany challenging the state’s use of eminent domain.

——APRIL——

-The appeal of a woman known as the “Undercover Mother,� who disguised herself as a sexy thirtysomething to woo a juror into confessing improprieties regarding her son John Giuca’s murder conviction, is dismissed.

-Last year’s drug house raid in Bay Ridge leads Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes to multimillion dollar crack ring during “Operation Drugs On Arrival.�

-Serbia pays Brooklyn man $900,000 as compensation for one of its citizens beating him into a coma at a bar outside Binghamton University.

-New lewdness charges are filed against Michael Mele, the sex offender suspected in last year’s disappearance of Bay Ridge resident Laura Garza, who was last seen Upstate with Mele after leaving the Marquee nightclub in Manhattan. Police continue to search for her body.

-Project Runway television star Kenley Collins pleads guilty to disorderly conduct in Brooklyn Criminal Court for allegedly assaulting her then-boyfriend by hurling her cat at his face.

-Former Brooklyn Congressman Vito Fossella pleads guilty to drunk driving charges and agrees to spend two weekends in jail.

-Brooklyn Rackets Chief Michael Vecchione releases non-fiction book about apprehending and prosecuting the “Mafia Cops.�

-“Hipster Grifter� Kari Ferrell, an alleged con woman believed to be hiding in Williamsburg, is tracked down by local hipsters and Salt Lake City police.

-Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice David Schmidt displays his father’s concentration camp uniform to his courtroom as a solemn reminder in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

-Brooklyn Law graduate, William Parente of Bay Ridge, murders his wife and two daughters before killing himself in a Baltimore hotel during a college visit.

——MAY——

-Brooklyn lawyer and city attorney Paul Rephen argues a tax law case before the U.S. Supreme Court. -Kings County Supreme Court Justice Sylvia Hinds-Radix and Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Barry Kamins are named as Brooklyn’s new administrative judges. The restructured positions will put each in charge of all civil matters and criminal matters in the Brooklyn courts, respectively.

-For the second year in a row, Brooklyn judges unite together on the steps of the Kings County Supreme Court at 360 Adams St. for Law Day.

-Murder trial begins for convicted kidnapper and former bouncer Darryl Littlejohn, who is charged with the brutal rape and murder of Imette St. Guillen.

-Exotic dancer found guilty for murder at Hotel Gregory. Bay Ridge hotel has history of mysterious and violent deaths.

-Brooklyn Bar Association President Diana Szochet passes the crystal gavel on to new President John Lonuzzi.

-Brooklyn Daily Eagle Legal Editor Ryan Thompson publishes legal analysis of the myriad of lawsuits facing Bruce Ratner and the Atlantic Yards project, writing that litigation-related delays will likely continue into the year 2010 or longer.

-Lincoln High School basketball star Lance Stephenson appears in Brooklyn Criminal Court on sex abuse charges.

-President Barack Obama selects Manhattan Circuit Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor as his nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court.

——JUNE——

-Brooklyn woman Tameeka Lewis sentenced for being booking agent at Emperors Club VIP in prostitution scandal that netted then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

-Jury convicts Darryl Littlejohn of raping and killing grad student Imette St. Guillen.

-Thomas Prusik-Parkin, posing as his dead mother, is arrested on theft and fraud charges after investigation by Brooklyn D.A.’s Office.

-Sheepshead Bay resident Aristotle Plagianakos is acquitted by a jury of manslaughter charges related to the jet-skiing drowning death of teenager Paul Zaccaria.

-Native Brooklynite David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam,� joins effort to stop “murderabilia� sales.

-Bernard Madoff, called the “devil� and “the evilest man in history,� is sentenced to 150 years in prison.

——JULY——

-Former international fugitive Stefan Colmer sentenced to prison for sex abuse. He was the first defendant to be extradited from Israel to the United States after the enactment of a new amendment to the Israeli-American treaty.

-Darryl Littlejohn sentenced to life without parole for the rape and murder of Imette St. Guillen, whom he met while working as a bouncer at a SoHo nightclub.

-While awaiting trial in federal court, John Gotti Jr. complains of kidney stones and conditions at Sunset Park federal lockup.

-Kings County Administrative Judge Barry Kamins, Brooklyn Law Prof. William Hellerstein and Court of Appeals Judge Theodore Jones are named to New York State’s Justice Task Force on Wrongful Convictions.

-Lincoln High School basketball phenom and soon-to-be University of Cincinnati star forward Lance Stephenson pleads guilty to forcibly touching a female classmate in Brooklyn Criminal Court.

-Fugitive and former Wall Street broker Julian Tzolov is captured in Spain and returned to the United States where he will plead guilty to criminal charges related to the sub-prime mortgage meltdown.

-Federal agents raid cash houses and kidney-trafficking ring in Brooklyn. It is reportedly the first documented case of black-market kidney trafficking in America. Three New Jersey mayors also arrested.

-Appellate Division Justice L. Priscilla Hall lifts preliminary injunction that prevented Richard Ravitch from serving as New York State Lt. Governor.

——AUGUST——

-After coming within seconds of winning the Kings County Supreme Court’s annual court officer/intern basketball game, the interns are defeated again for the 16th straight year.

-Multimillion dollar Ponzi scheme, which snared Conservative Party boss Michael Long, begins to be uncovered in Bay Ridge. More than 40 investors sue alleged schemer Philip Barry in Brooklyn federal court.

-Teenager Fabian Henderson indicted for throwing his pit bull off a Red Hook rooftop. The dog, known as Oreo, is surgically repaired and restored to health. However, she is euthanized months later because of behavioral problems, despite protests and offers to adopt the dog.

-After 18 years, Bay Ridge woman Laura Ronning’s murder may finally be solved. Met Opera singer Paul Plishka’s son, Jeffrey Plishka, is charged with the grotesque murder of the camp counselor.

-A California judge rules that charges will stand against four soldiers accused of sadistically torturing Bensonhurst Marine Jan Pawel Pietrzak and his wife before executing them.

-Brooklyn residents and victims’ families speak out against the release of Libyan terrorist and Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi.

-High-powered New York criminal defense lawyer Robert Simels is convicted of plotting to kill a witness in a drug case.

-Appellate Division, Second Department in Brooklyn rules that Gov. David Paterson’s appointment of Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch is unconstitutional.

-“One Tree Hill� actor Antwon Tanner pleads guilty in Brooklyn federal court for selling federal identification numbers for profit.

-Off-duty Brooklyn officer Michael Rakebrandt foils Dunkin’ Donuts robbery in Ditmas Park. Ice-cream freezer, however, is shot.

—SEPTEMBER—

-Kings County Supreme Court Judge Vincent Del Giudice sets historic bail of $1 million for fake doctor Michail Sorodsky, who is charged with drugging and raping patients.

-Park Plaza diner in Brooklyn Heights is sued by former staff members in class-action lawsuit for back wages.

-Brooklyn-born pharmaceutical giant Pfizer pays record $2.3 billion in settlement of illegal-marketing allegations.

-Al Pacino, Susan Sarandon and John Goodman begin filming the HBO movie You Don’t Know Jack about “Doctor Death� Jack Kevorkian in Brooklyn Supreme Court, Civil Term.

-Posing as a pimp and a prostitute, two activist filmmakers infiltrate advocacy group ACORN’s Downtown Brooklyn office and secretly videotape staffers advising them on how to commit fraud and conceal their illegal activity — even suggesting the hooker bury her money in a tin can in the backyard.

-Mafia assassin Charles Carneglia sentenced to life in prison for numerous murders and crimes connected to the Gambino crime family.

-Feds begin to unravel suspected 9/11-anniversary bomb plot of Najibullah Zazi, who is seen on video buying stockpiles of bomb-making materials in Colorado. A Queens imam is immediately charged in Brooklyn for lying to authorities about his communications with Zazi. Media storm descends on Downtown Brooklyn as Zazi is brought to New York and arraigned.

——OCTOBER——

-Brooklyn Law School Prof. Gerald Shargel is retained to defend Robert J. Halderman, who is accused of attempting to blackmail Late Show host David Letterman with information that Letterman had sex with several female staffers.

-A Brooklyn man, Rockefeller Auguste, is sentenced to two years in prison for plotting to have his wife’s hand chopped off in order to get back his wedding ring.

-Grand jury investigation begins into manslaughter charges brought against police officer Andrew Kelly, who is suspected of driving drunk and killing a woman leaving a wedding reception in Flatlands. Several fellow officers are alleged to have helped Kelly cover up his drunkenness with chewing gum and water.

-Gov. Paterson visits Brooklyn Supreme Court, Criminal Term as Rockefeller drug-law reform becomes reality.

-Former MTV Real World star and now-political hopeful Kevin Powell helps negotiate the return home of the “Antigua 6,� six young tourists charged with assaulting police during a mishap in Antigua.

-Atlantic Yards opponents sue MTA over agreement to sell Forest City Ratner the railyards for $100 million over 22 years.

-The Court of Appeals hears oral arguments on the constitutionality of using eminent domain to seize land at Atlantic Yards so that Bruce Ratner can build a basketball arena for the New Jersey Nets. Eagle reporter Samuel Newhouse travels to Albany on bus rented by Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn to cover the case. -The much-awaited trial of two Bear Sterns hedge fund managers connected to the housing market collapse begins in Brooklyn. They are later acquitted.

-Atlantic Yards opponents file yet another lawsuit, claiming that Empire State Development Corporation is illegally circumventing the need for supplemental environmental review.

-Brooklyn native Kirby Brown and two others die in sweat lodge ceremony in Sedona, Ariz., and family members file wrongful-death suits.

-Kings County Supreme Court Civil Term Help Center opens to offer expanded services to pro se litigants. -Trial begins for “teardrop robber� Luis Rodriguez, who was accused of robbing Red Hook bars Moonshine and Bait & Tackle. Local bartenders expected to testify.

-Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Vincent Del Giudice acquits man who found a clock that resembled a bomb in a Brooklyn Heights dumpster and was charged with felony crimes.

-Miss USA comes to Brooklyn with mammography van to raise awareness for breast cancer.

——NOVEMBER——

-Reginald Boddie and Pamela Fisher elected to the Kings County Civil Court. Acting Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Rachel Adams and Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes re-elected.

-As coverage continues of the upcoming murder trial of John Katehis, who recently appeared in court with “Prince of Darkness� scrawled on his shoes, a spokesperson for the Church of Satan criticizes the Brooklyn Daily Eagle for calling Katehis a “Satanist.�

-Attorney Gerald Shargel claims suspect in Letterman blackmail case was simply shopping his screenplay about the TV host’s philanderings.

-U.S. District Court Judge Charles P. Sifton of Brooklyn federal court dies at the age of 74 from lung disease. -ACORN sues in Brooklyn federal court after U.S. Congress cuts off government funding to the organization after ACORN was revealed to be facilitating crimes.

-A liquid form of marijuana make its debut in Brooklyn.

-Brooklyn Law School’s Second Look Clinic celebrates the exoneration of Fernando Bermudez, who was wrongly imprisoned for 18 years for a murder he did not commit.

-City Councilman Charles Barron (D-Brooklyn) is convicted by Brooklyn Criminal Court Judge Alexander Jeong for disorderly conduct stemming from the Sean Bell protests.

-“Teardrop robber� Luis Rodriguez convicted of robbing the Moonshine bar, but acquitted of robbing the Bait & Tackle bar.

-Community group Brooklyn Speaks and state and city politicians join Atlantic Yards litigation by filing lawsuit challenging the project’s approval process.

-Two days before Thanksgiving, the New York Court of Appeals rules that the state can exercise eminent domain at Atlantic Yards. It is the biggest decision made in the Atlantic Yards litigation to date. Opponents, however, vow to continue fighting in the courts.

-In a case that eerily resembled the infamous killing of Nixzmary Brown, a Brooklyn woman pleads guilty to killing 3-year-old Kyle Smith, who was under her care. The woman’s boyfriend still faces charges.

——DECEMBER——

-Fabian Henderson, who pled guilty to throwing his pit bull Oreo off a rooftop, skips his court date, and sentencing is adjourned to next year.

-Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his former mayoral challenger, Comptroller Bill Thompson, to face off again in legal battle. Bloomberg seeks extraordinary writ to compel Thompson to approve design contract for Brooklyn House of Detention.

-Assault victim Brian Steinhauer testifies via video in Serbia about his alleged assault by Binghamton University basketball player Miladin Kovacevic.

-One-year anniversary of the night that Bay Ridge woman Laura Garza disappeared after meeting sex offender Michael Mele in the Manhattan nightclub Marquee. Police continue to search for her body and prosecutors continue to build murder case against Mele, who is detained for unrelated crimes but may be released on parole by before new year.

-Mistrial declared for alleged neo-Nazi Hal Turner, who was charged with advocating the murder of federal judges in Chicago. Allegations that Turner was simply acting as an FBI informant are not confirmed.

-Brooklyn Bar Association hosts annual dinner at the Marriott Hotel on Adams Street. Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Allen Hurkin Torres, past-President Manuel Romero, and state Sen. John Sampson are honored.

-The so-called “Bernie Madoff of Bay Ridge� Philip Barry is indicted in Brooklyn federal court, charged for operating a $40 million Ponzi scheme.

-The U.S. Department of Justice announces that terror suspect Majid Khan, who is charged with plotting to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge, may be tried in Brooklyn federal court, while debate continues over the upcoming 9/11 trials in Manhattan.

-Atheists come to Brooklyn to sue Catholic bishop for allegedly making political robocalls.

-After 32 years on the bench, Kings County Supreme Court Justice James G. Starkey says goodbye to his colleagues at his retirement party.

—By Ryan Thompson
& Samuel Newhouse
Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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