Port Jefferson Justice Court Irregularities Referred To DA: Report

PORT JEFFERSON, NY — Port Jefferson Village's justices did not provide adequate oversight over the justice court's operations, resulting in errors and other irregularities that have now been forwarded to the Suffolk County District Attorney's office, Newsday reported.

Bank records provided by the senior court clerk, who assisted the court's four justices and was responsible for the department's financial transactions, were altered and there was a cash shortage of $2,096 discovered in a recent audit, according to a news release from state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's office.

In place of the missing cash, the senior court clerk deposited 12 personal checks totaling $2,096, and also deposited $6,525 in receipts into a neighboring village’s bank account, then transferred it back two months later without notifying the justices, the office said.

The objective of the audit, conducted between June 1, 2015, to May 31, 2017, was to examine whether the justices provided adequate oversight to ensure receipts were collected, deposited, recorded, and remitted in an accurate and timely manner, according to the comptroller's office.

In the audit, examiners found the justices did not provide adequate oversight, and errors and irregularities were found in the court’s records, including that the senior court clerk’s duties were not properly segregated and bank records provided by the senior court clerk were altered, the comptroller's office said.

An August 2016 deposit for $1,055 was also missing and was not credited to the justices' account until 10 months later, according to the comptroller's office.

Code enforcement also did not account for all tickets issued or voided, the office said.

The comptroller's office recommended the justices provide oversight of court operations to ensure collections are properly deposited, recorded, and remitted, and to investigate the irregularities identified in the audit.

The justices should also ensure bank reconciliations and accountabilities are performed and that identified differences are corrected, the office said, adding that the board should ensure that code enforcement accounts for all tickets, and that the department reconciles its records with those of the court.

Village officials have agreed with the findings and indicated they plan to initiate corrective action, according to the comptroller's office.

In a March 31 letter to the comptroller's office, Port Jefferson Mayor Margot Garant said that the clerk cited in the report is no longer employed by the village, and that most of the court's personnel have been replaced. She went on to note that the village has since hired two court clerks — one apiece for each justice, as recommended, as well as an administrator to work with code enforcement.

"Being able to bring in new personnel to these key positions has enabled us to introduce, design, and create many of the needed procedures, protocols, and systems necessary to develop and implement the policies and procedures between and within the departments as recommended in the report," Garant wrote.

DA spokeswoman Tania Lopez declined to comment for Newsday's story.

To read more about the audit's findings in Newsday, click here.