There goes the Judge...Elizabeth Shollenberger

I commend this publication (White Plains Citizen Net Reporter) for reporting on the court order suspending White Plains City Court Judge Elizabeth Shollenberger. But there is so much more to the story and many unanswered questions.

Only this past December, then-Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Shollenberger was appointed to a ten year term on the White Plains City Court. At that time, as reported by the Journal News, I vigorously opposed her appointment, an appointment which completely ignored the recommendations of the Judicial Screening Committee on which I served. Alas, only four months into her ten year term, she was, by court order, removed from all cases and prohibited from taking on new cases. Almost immediately after her appointment, the new judge was failing to fulfill her duties.

Several questions deserve answers: What did the Mayor know about her ability to serve a ten year term or to serve at all, for that matter? What benefits and pay will the judge receive at taxpayer expense if she cannot serve out her term?

As someone who interviewed Ms. Shollenberger for the position only a few weeks before her appointment, I can state with confidence that no reasonable person could have concluded at the time of her appointment that she likely could serve anything approaching a full-time ten year term on the bench.

Your readers also should know that Tim James, Ms. Shollenberger's husband, and the new Democratic Party Chair, is the person who first contacted me to determine if I would serve on the Judicial Screening Committee. The Mayor contacted me thereafter and appointed me to the Committee. Why was the Mayor consulting with Ms. Shollenberger's husband to fill the only vacancy on the very Committee that would be reviewing Ms. Shollenberger? What conversations, if any, did the Mayor have with Mr. James at that time about his renomination by the Democratic Party?

The Mayor ultimately recused himself from the vote on Ms. Shollenberger because she served as his campaign treasurer. Yet, because the Mayor personally asked me to serve on the Judicial Screening Committee, he hardly recused himself from the judicial appointment process. Since then, new Democratic Party Chair James has done his part to secure the Mayor's renomination.

Notably, Councilperson Beth Smayda abstained on the vote to appoint Ms. Shollenberger. To my knowledge, she has yet to publicly state the reason for that intriguing vote. I suspect that Ms. Smayda is a person of principle who did not want this appointment to be a stain on her public service.

This is a very serious matter involving a reckless or even intentional misuse of taxpayer money -- likely to reward and appease party bosses. It may be tempting to shrug this off as "politics as usual." But maybe, just maybe, White Plains residents will conclude that they are entitled to better government than this.

Mark Elliott
Member, White Plains Judicial Screening Committee