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Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why New York Judges are fighting a major plan to fix court backlogs
— This story first appeared in New York Focus, a non-profit news publication investigating New York state politics. Sign up for their stories at newsletter. New York's justice system has a major problem with backlogs. People languish at Rikers Island and other jails, waiting for their trials. Civil cases drag on for years. Yet a proposed fix is facing fierce opposition from a surprising source — state Supreme Court justices, who routinely witness the consequences borne by the backlogs. In the final days of the Albany legislative session, a constitutional amendment to create an uncapped number of new state Supreme Court justice seats is nearing the finish line. The amendment passed both the Senate and Assembly last year, and if both chambers pass it again before the session's end in June, it will secure a spot on the statewide ballot in 2026, leaving the final decision to voters. The 'Uncap Justice Act' has broad and powerful support. Its backers include Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, leaders of the Office of Court Administration, the city and state bar associations, the Business Council, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and groups representing the rights of criminal defendants. Politically outgunned The opposition comes primarily from several associations representing state Supreme Court judges, which acknowledge they are politically outgunned. Yet some assemblymembers are having second thoughts after listening to counterarguments, according to Frank Caruso, president of the state Association of Justices of the Supreme Court. He called the measure nearing passage 'reckless,' and believes a rival plan is gaining last-minute steam. The fight pits separate but equal branches of government against each other. It also puts part of upstate at odds with New York City, especially Manhattan, which the amendment's two main sponsors — State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Alex Bores — represent. To win election, state Supreme Court judges must first be nominated to appear on the ballot by political party insiders, a process that has been criticized for inherent conflicts of interest. After nomination, candidates appear on the general election ballot in one of New York's 13 judicial districts, and if successful, win 14-year terms. The proposed amendment would make a simple change in the state constitution by removing language that limits each of New York's 13 judicial districts to one Supreme Court justice per 50,000 people. The status quo is based on language adopted in 1846 and last modified in 1963, when, according to Bores, caseloads were a third of today's. According to Bores, three districts have hit their cap and couldn't add another justice without a huge spike in population: Manhattan, the Bronx, and the Capital Region. 'The dumbest reason why we are so backlogged is that we don't have enough judges,' Bores told New York Focus. 'There is no similar limit in the federal constitution. There is no similar limit in 49 states.' New York has 11 trial courts, and ten of them have no such limit. The exception is the Supreme Court, which can hear a wide range of both criminal and civil cases. If the amendment passed, the legislature could place new Supreme Court judges anywhere in the state. Each new judgeship costs the state roughly $1 million annually, according to Bores. Manhattan shoulders a disproportionate share of litigation, driven by its daily influx of millions of commuters, more than 50 million annual tourists, and concentration of foreign, federal, state and local government institutions, according to the nonprofit Fund for Modern Courts. Its role as a global financial hub also makes it a key venue for complex business disputes. 'An average Manhattan Supreme Court Justice walks into their office every day with 2,500 cases on their docket and 400 motions awaiting their decision,' said Assemblymember Eddie Gibbs, who represents a portion of Manhattan. There was a distinct Manhattan presence at an Albany press conference last week in support of the proposed amendment, including assemblymembers, a group representing public defenders, and the executive director of the county Democratic Party. There were also assemblymembers from Brooklyn, Westchester, and Albany. Though case backlogs have grown across the state since the onset of Covid-19, the largest spike occurred in New York City. Between 2019 and 2024, the number of unresolved cases across New York City courts jumped by 34 percent, according to data from the Office of Court Administration. Pending cases elsewhere in the state increased by 9 percent. The constitutional limit on Supreme Court justices filters down to the other trial courts. According to the New York City Bar Association, there were 364 elected Supreme Court justices in 2022. In addition, 317 more judges had been 'reassigned' by the state Office of Court Administration to serve as 'acting' Supreme Court justices from other courts. This maneuver to circumvent the constitutional limit takes away resources from lower courts and forces litigants to appear before judges whom they'll never be able to vote for or against. 'This 'robbing Peter to pay Paul' approach stretches our judicial resources thin,' said Muhammad Faridi, president of the New York City Bar Association. 'It depletes critical resources from other courts that need them the most. It undercuts the right of voters to elect Supreme Court justices.' Caruso, president of the state Association of Justices of the Supreme Court, said he agreed that the state needs to expand the number of Supreme Court justices and end the system's unacceptable delays. But he said the Bores proposal threatened to 'undermine the separation of powers' by injecting a political branch of government — the legislature — into the judiciary. 'Our concern is any type of 'horse-trading,' where judges would be sent — or a seat would be sent — from one end of the state to the other,' he said. The legislature currently has unfettered discretion to create other types of trial court judgeships, and allegations of politicization have arisen in the past. For instance, in an effort to address case backlogs, the Democratic-controlled legislature added 12 civil court judgeships in New York City last year. The four Democrat-heavy boroughs received three new judges each, while none went to Republican-heavy Staten Island. While Staten Island Republicans slammed the move, Hoylman-Sigal told the New York Post that judges could be transferred from other boroughs to Staten Island if necessary. But those judges wouldn't have been elected by more conservative Staten Island voters. Caruso, who is a state Supreme Court justice in Niagara County, expressed concern that 'districts west of Albany would suffer' if the distribution of judgeships were in the hands of a legislature dominated by downstate lawmakers. 'I don't think the focus would be on us and our districts, our constitutional guarantee,' he said. He acknowledged the severity of backlogs in New York City, but argued that you 'don't want to throw the rest of the state under the bus in order to deal with those backlogs.' Caruso's statewide advocacy group opposes the proposed amendment, as does an association representing New York City's Supreme Court justices. Yet there is a split within the five boroughs, with Manhattan's Supreme Court justices supporting the amendment. A group representing 'acting' Supreme Court justices also backs the Uncap Justice Act. Bores has introduced a companion bill that would require the state's chief administrative judge to make annual recommendations to the legislature concerning the number of judges needed in each court. This chief administrative judge would take population into account, as well as other factors, such as the number of cases filed and their complexity. Ultimately, Bores's bill would leave decisions about adding judgeships in the hands of the legislature. This companion bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday but hasn't moved through committee in the Assembly. According to Bores, both Chief Judge Rowan Wilson and Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas support the proposed constitutional amendment. But Caruso believes that removing the cap would place too much power in their Office of Court Administration, which could exert influence upon the legislature's decisions about where to create judgeships. While Supreme Court justices generally have a favorable view of Wilson, he won't be chief judge forever, Caruso noted. and in the future, 'you could wind up with a dictatorial person that won't listen to anything.' Instead, Caruso's organization supports a rival proposed constitutional amendment sponsored by Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz of the Bronx and state Senator Leroy Comrie of Queens. This proposal would retain a population cap in the constitution but allow a justice for every 30,000 people per judicial district, rather than the current cap of 50,000. According to Caruso, this would allow the legislature to create up to 266 additional Supreme Court judgeships while still providing 'guardrails for each district.' Dinowitz told New York Focus that he tried to come up with a proposal where 'every place around the state could more easily benefit.' 'Some of the backlogs were exacerbated as a result of the pandemic, and so some of that is starting to ease a bit. But nonetheless, there is a need,' Dinowitz said. 'I do think that lowering it to 30,000 will address the problem for the indefinite future.' 'My concern with the other bill — and I'm not saying it's a horrible bill, because it's not — is that everything would go to one place, like Manhattan,' Dinowitz said. 'The way I've proposed it, I think it will guarantee some fairness.' For a proposed constitutional amendment to go onto the ballot, a measure must pass in two separately elected legislatures. Elections are held every two years, with the next one coming November 2026. So even if the Dinowitz proposal were passed this year or next, it still would require passage again in 2027 or 2028 to go on the ballot. Because the Uncap Justice Act passed the legislature last year — before 2024 elections — it could pass either this session or next year and still be on the ballot in November 2026. But Bores is pushing for passage this year and is close: The proposed constitutional amendment is poised to be voted on by the full Senate, though it still hasn't passed through the Assembly Judiciary Committee. Caruso said that last year, the legislature moved so quickly to pass the Uncap Justice Act that his group didn't get a chance to 'lobby the way we wanted to. It kind of came out of nowhere, without any discussion with us.' While his group still faces an uphill battle, Caruso said that some assemblymembers jumped behind the Uncap Justice Act without hearing counterarguments and have now reconsidered. 'There were some Assembly people that initially supported the Bores bill that, when we talked to them, they said, 'Oh, geez, we didn't realize that,'' he said. 'So now, they switched to the Dinowitz bill.' The association did lobby the legislature last year, according to Bores. Since then, the Assembly cosponsors have only grown, from 52 to 73. Two members took their names off after being lobbied by the association, but after speaking to Bores, have returned, he said. The Dinowitz bill currently has seven Assembly cosponsors. Ultimately, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie will decide which bill, if any, moves to the Assembly floor for a vote. Facing the rival proposal, Bores believes Uncap Justice is the only proposed means of permanently addressing the crushing backlog. The constitutional language 'was last changed in the 1960s,' Bores said. 'When it's changed the next time, none of us who are in this conversation will be part of it. So do we want to pass this problem on? Or do we just want to solve it?'
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Moen Raises the Alarm on the Health Risks of Cheap, Off-brand Faucets
NINETY PERCENT OF CHEAP, OFF-BRAND FAUCETS TESTED CONTAIN LEAD AND OTHER TOXIC CHEMICALS DEERFIELD, Ill., May 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Moen, one of Fortune Brands Innovations' (NYSE: FBIN) leading brands and a leader in water experiences, is calling attention to concerning new findings that show cheap, off-brand, foreign-made faucets present serious health risks for consumers. Moen commissioned independent, third-party laboratory tests of top selling cheap, off-brand, foreign-made faucets.* The tests were conducted by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials ("IAPMO") and found that 90% of faucets tested failed to meet American safe drinking water standards. Unfortunately, market data indicates up to 35 million cheap, off-brand, foreign-made faucets were imported into the United States between 2020 and 2024, potentially leaving millions of Americans exposed to high levels of lead and chemicals. "In recent years, off-brand, foreign-made faucets have entered the American market with prices so low that we were skeptical that the products were safe for use, and we were right," said Aaron Bores, executive vice president, product development at Fortune Brands Innovations. "The third-party testing results were more egregious than we had expected. Nearly all the tested products failed one or more American safe drinking water testing standards, and several had levels of lead and chemicals that far exceeded our American safety standards. These cheap off-brand products aren't just pushing the limits of our safety standards – they are obliterating them, and the consumer is paying the price." The majority of faucets tested in the recent study were found to leach lead at high levels, far exceeding today's American safe drinking water standards. In addition to lead, water running through a vast majority of the tested faucets was found to contain elevated levels of chemicals. Some of the results for dangerous substances showed levels 356% to 591% higher than the safety standards. On May 14, 2025, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued nine product warnings against these off-brand, foreign-made faucets, urging consumers to immediately stop using these products due to the presence of lead. The notices can be found here and here.* Lead exposure is well known for its negative health effects throughout life, particularly for younger children, and consumption over time of the types of chemicals found during testing could result in serious health concerns, including an increased risk of certain types of cancer.*** "People are buying off-brand, foreign-made faucets because they are cheap, but the team behind Moen wants them to know that cutting costs on a faucet isn't worth the health risks to them and their families. Everyone should be free from worrying about lead or chemical contamination from an off-brand faucet in their water. With Moen® products, people can have peace of mind," Bores said. In contrast to certain cheap, off-brand, foreign-made faucets, Moen products undergo rigorous safety testing. The brand's deep knowledge of water dynamics and challenges enables Moen to deliver water safely through high-quality, long-lasting products. Moen stands behind its faucets with a lifetime limited warranty**** and best-in-class customer service. These factors have contributed to Moen's recognition as America's Most Trusted® Faucet Brand for 10 consecutive years.***** Moen is part of Fortune Brands Innovations' portfolio of industry-leading home, security and digital products. The Fortune Brands portfolio is increasingly focused on solutions that have a lasting and positive impact on both people and the planet. "As part of Fortune Brands Innovations, our purpose is to elevate every life by transforming spaces into havens, and the way in which Moen provides faucets that are safe and reliable shows how we are living up to that purpose every day," Bores said. For additional details on the findings, visit and view the full study and data here. About the ResearchThe independent study was conducted by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials ("IAPMO"), a third-party laboratory. The IAPMO tested 19 top selling cheap, off-brand, foreign-made faucets through NSF Metals and Organics testing and 6 top selling foreign-made, off-brand pressure balancing valves for shower temperature performance testing. *View the full study and data here. ** *** Based on data found at as of February 7, 2025. ****For complete warranty information, visit Important exclusions apply. Warranty only applies to the original purchaser. ***** ABOUT MOEN Moen is the #1 consumer faucet brand in North America, offering a vast array of stylish and innovative kitchen and bath faucets, showerheads, accessories, bath safety products, kitchen sinks, garbage disposals, leak detection products and connected home offerings for residential applications that give consumers more power than ever before to understand and control the water that flows through their homes. These thoughtful designs deliver an exceptional user experience and elevate how people interact with water daily. In addition, Moen® Commercial offers superior-performing products that can deliver lower lifetime costs for today's facilities. ABOUT FORTUNE BRANDS INNOVATIONS Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc. is an industry-leading home, security and digital products company whose purpose is to elevate every life by transforming spaces into havens. The Company is a brand, innovation and channel leader focused on exciting, supercharged categories in the home products, security and commercial building markets. The Company's portfolio of brands includes Moen, House of Rohl, Aqualisa, SpringWell, Therma-Tru, Larson, Fiberon, Master Lock, SentrySafe and Yale residential. Fortune Brands is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois and trades on the NYSE as FBIN. To learn more, visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Moen Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cheap Chinese-made faucets recalled over potential chemical hazards for drinking water
The federal government is warning Americans not to buy cheap knockoff faucets online that could leach harmful chemicals and heavy metals into their drinking water. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Wednesday that it's recalling four Chinese-made faucets sold on Amazon over unsafe levels of lead exposure. It said the lead can be especially harmful for babies, young children and pregnant women. The recalls come after American faucet brand Moen noticed cheap foreign-made faucets for sale on Amazon, the company told NBC News. Moen paid the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, a plumbing certification agency with American National Standards Institute accreditation, to test 19 of the top-selling inexpensive foreign-made products. The IAPMO lab found 17 of the 19 faucets failed to meet national drinking water standards — 11 for lead and 15 for organic compounds including carcinogens and a chemical used to treat lice and scabies. 'Consumers that use these products and drink this water with these higher levels of contaminants are going to be at higher risk for getting things like cancer,' said Tom Palkon, chief technical services officer at IAPMO. The government's recalls were greeted with applause on Capitol Hill. 'The American consumer is going to know that they need to stop using all of these faucets that they may have bought on these websites,' Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., told NBC News on Wednesday. 'You need to ban people who can't meet our safety standards.' In March, Duckworth and Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., wrote a joint letter to the CPSC asking it to investigate imported plumbing products, citing the results of IAPMO's faucet testing. Moen said an estimated 35 million cheap faucets from foreign brands were sold in the U.S. in the last five years, citing an industry e-commerce tool. The faucets might seem like a bargain at around $30 — and can look very similar to faucets from top American brands that can go for hundreds of dollars. Moen said that makes it tough for consumers to tell a high-quality fixture apart from a knockoff. 'We've seen examples where they're literally copying every aspect of our product, from markings to trademark names and logos that we put on our product,' said Aaron Bores, Moen's executive vice president of product development. During a U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Intellectual Property hearing Wednesday, Bores asked the government to close intellectual property loopholes that allow the sale of the counterfeit faucets. Holding up two valves at the hearing, Bores said: 'When searching for this one Moen valve on e-commerce, we found one real Moen SKU. That same search resulted in 41 counterfeit SKUs. Consumers have no chance of discerning a real product from a fake, nor do the most experienced plumbers.' Amazon has not responded to NBC's request for comment. The companies selling the recalled faucets couldn't immediately be reached for comment. The CPSC said in its recalls that consumers should immediately stop using the faucets — adding that until they're replaced, people should only drink from them after running the water for 15 seconds. Palkon from IAPMO said consumers can look for certification marks on faucets and verify them with the certification agency online or by calling the agency. He said consumers can also use water filters to remove some heavy metals and chemicals. This article was originally published on
NBC News
15-05-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Chinese faucets recalled over potential chemical hazards
The federal government is warning Americans not to buy cheap knockoff faucets online that could leach harmful chemicals and heavy metals into their drinking water. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Wednesday that it's recalling four Chinese-made faucets sold on Amazon over unsafe levels of lead exposure. It said the lead can be especially harmful for babies, young children and pregnant women. The recalls come after American faucet brand Moen noticed cheap foreign-made faucets for sale on Amazon, the company told NBC News. Moen paid the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, a plumbing certification agency with American National Standards Institute accreditation, to test 19 of the top-selling inexpensive foreign-made products. The IAPMO lab found 17 of the 19 faucets failed to meet national drinking water standards — 11 for lead and 15 for organic compounds including carcinogens and a chemical used to treat lice and scabies. 'Consumers that use these products and drink this water with these higher levels of contaminants are going to be at higher risk for getting things like cancer,' said Tom Palkon, chief technical services officer at IAPMO. The government's recalls were greeted with applause on Capitol Hill. 'The American consumer is going to know that they need to stop using all of these faucets that they may have bought on these websites,' Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., told NBC News on Wednesday. 'You need to ban people who can't meet our safety standards.' In March, Duckworth and Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., wrote a joint letter to the CPSC asking it to investigate imported plumbing products, citing the results of IAPMO's faucet testing. Moen said an estimated 35 million cheap faucets from foreign brands were sold in the U.S. in the last five years, citing an industry e-commerce tool. The faucets might seem like a bargain at around $30 — and can look very similar to faucets from top American brands that can go for hundreds of dollars. Moen said that makes it tough for consumers to tell a high-quality fixture apart from a knockoff. 'We've seen examples where they're literally copying every aspect of our product, from markings to trademark names and logos that we put on our product,' said Aaron Bores, Moen's executive vice president of product development. During a U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Intellectual Property hearing Wednesday, Bores asked the government to close intellectual property loopholes that allow the sale of the counterfeit faucets. Holding up two valves at the hearing, Bores said: 'When searching for this one Moen valve on e-commerce, we found one real Moen SKU. That same search resulted in 41 counterfeit SKUs. Consumers have no chance of discerning a real product from a fake, nor do the most experienced plumbers.' Amazon has not responded to NBC's request for comment. The companies selling the recalled faucets couldn't immediately be reached for comment. The CPSC said in its recalls that consumers should immediately stop using the faucets — adding that until they're replaced, people should only drink from them after running the water for 15 seconds. Palkon from IAPMO said consumers can look for certification marks on faucets and verify them with the certification agency online or by calling the agency. He said consumers can also use water filters to remove some heavy metals and chemicals.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
Berlin Heights father accused of using cattle prod to discipline young children is considering plea offer
SANDUSKY, Ohio (WJW) — A Berlin Heights father accused of disciplining his young children with an electric cattle prod left a plea offer on the table on Tuesday. Robert Bores, 35, of Berlin Heights, was indicted by an Erie County grand jury in March 2024 on felony counts of domestic violence and endangering children, alleging he subjected three children to 'cruel' and 'excessive' corporal punishment, court records show. He initially pleaded not guilty. He appeared in court on Tuesday, March 25, for an update on plea negotiations. His attorney, Jonathan McGookey of Sandusky, said Bores intends to take the case to trial. Cleveland men accused of selling weapons to undercover agents posing as Mexican cartel members At the time the children were 7, 9 and 10 years old, according to the indictment. They referred to the device as the 'shocker,' Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth told the FOX 8 I-Team in March 2024. 'The indication we have is that it may have been used for alleged disciplinary reasons by the father to punish a child for various issues,' Sigsworth told the I-Team after Bores' arrest on March 13, 2024. 'It's alarming. I don't know what would compel someone to use a cattle prod on children.' Bores previously pleaded or was convicted in two domestic violence cases in the Vermilion Municipal Court, in 2017 and 2021, according to his indictment. Man pulls gun in Solon road rage incident: police Watch previous FOX 8 I-Team coverage in the player below: Court records show Bores in February sought to modify his bond, allowing him to have supervised visits with his children, with whom he hadn't had contact since the charges were filed. 'A grand jury determined there is probable cause to believe that the defendant used a cattle prod to psychologically, emotionally and physically harm the victims. The defendant now wants to sit in a room with them and chat about random things,' reads prosecutors' response. 'The state believes allowing him to do so will be nothing other than a subtle form of intimidation, designed to adversely impact the victims' ability to present evidence against him.' The judge did not rule on the motion before the plea hearing was set, court records show. Judge Beverly McGookey said Tuesday she was 'not inclined' to rule on that before a potential plea agreement was settled. If the case goes to trial, the date will be May 19. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
