NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Two Brooklyn Supreme Court judges and a Manhattan court security lieutenant who imposed COVID-19 rules are reportedly fighting the virus amid new concerns over renewed in-person court procedures.
The New York Daily News reports the lieutenant — who is not vaccinated — is currently in critical condition and on a ventilator at NYU Langone Hospital for the past five days.
Dennis Quirk, president of the New York State Court Officers Association, told the Daily News the unnamed officer is "anti-vax" in part due to his work at
Ground Zero — where he suffered breathing issues from toxic debris after 9/11 despite the government's contention that the site was safe.
“This is about a total mistrust of the government,” Quirk said.
However, Quirk argued that a Twitter rumor which said the lieutenant did not wear a mask was untrue and was being used as a tool to stop in-person proceedings.
“Some scumbag, dirtbag public defender posted that on Twitter," he added. "We went back and checked the surveillance video — he always had a mask on.”
The Legal Aid Society argued his diagnosis highlighted the need to stop in-person procedures as COVID-19 cases increase and the highly transmissive delta variant spreads.
"Our thoughts are with the lieutenant and all who become sick from COVID," ,” said Tina Luongo, attorney-in-charge of criminal defense at Legal Aid. "That fact is COVID-19 remains a risk for vaccinated and unvaccinated New Yorkers alike, and the lack of consistent mask-wearing in our courts, despite the mandate to wear them, will only continue to exacerbate spread and infection."
Five public defenders asked incoming Gov. Kathy Hochul arguing for "swift and meaningful steps to protect all who enter its courthouses in order to avoid a scenario in which greater limitations must be placed again on in-person appearances.”
They requested visitors be provided with N95 or KN95 masks, non-essential proceedings to be held virtually and for defendants to be held in well-ventilated areas.
A year after Brooklyn Supreme Court judges died of COVID-19, Brooklyn Supreme Court, Matthew D’Emic told the Daily News he tested positive on Tuesday as did Dineen Riviezzo Jay St. courthouse judge Dineen Riviezzo.
Lucian Chalfen, a spokesman for the state court system, wished the judges the very best and said court houses have reinstituted a mask mandate to fight the ongoing COVID threat.
“Along with our continuing monitoring of outside metrics and requiring unvaccinated people to wear masks in all areas of the courthouse — we re-instituted the policy that all individuals regardless of their vaccination status must wear a mask in all public areas of courthouses,” he added.
However, nine people who were in a Brooklyn courthouse reported to test positive within the last week.