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I N S BROOKLYN’S ONLY COMPLETE U • The making of an Improbable W L O P Theater experience N • Brooklyn Philharmonic celebrates 50 Nightlife Guide • Lady chefs speak out CHOOSE FROM 36 VENUES — MORE THAN 140 EVENTS! 2003 NATIONAL Brooklyn’s Weekly Newspaper AWARD WINNER Including The Downtown News, Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill Paper and Fort Greene-Clinton Hill Paper Published weekly by Brooklyn Paper Publications at 26 Court St., Brooklyn, NY 11242 Phone 718-834-9350 © Brooklyn Paper Publications • 16 pages including GO BROOKLYN • Vol. 26, No. 44 BWN • November 3, 2003 • FREE ‘Judge cheated us’ Parents slam jurist over lead-poisoning settlement By Deborah Kolben That decision could mean a difference of ments filed with the state Office of Court upset, because two of the banks Judge The Brooklyn Papers almost $300,000 for D-onna, according to Administration, Hutcherson earned at least Hutcherson selected were commercial Parents of a brain-damaged 9-year- her attorney. $1,000 in interest income from each of banks, which pay less interest, and the old girl are fuming over the way a Even more irksome to Donna Bostick HSBC and Signature in 2002. banks were located not in our neighbor- / Tom Callan / Tom Brooklyn judge handled a $290,000 and Richard Samuel, the girl’s parents, was But that was not revealed in court. hood, but across the street from the court- settlement for their daughter. that Hutcherson ordered the money be di- “The judge’s conduct creates an appear- house where the judge works,” the couple wrote in a letter delivered to Chief Admin- While both parties in the lead poisoning vided among three banks — HSBC, Sig- ance of impropriety,” said Howard Benjamin, suit agreed to a structured settlement, a fund nature Bank and Independence Bank — all a Manhattan attorney who handles judicial istrative Judge Ann Pfau. that would make payments to D-onna Bo- located miles from the couple’s Crown ethics cases. “Why do it this way without any Court Street attorney Michael Rosenberg, The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn stick until she turns 35, Brooklyn Supreme Heights home and within one block of the explanation and without disclosing that he who represents D-onna, filed a motion this D-onna Bostick, center, with her parents, Donna Bostick and Richard Court Judge James Hutcherson ruled that a Downtown Brooklyn courthouse. has substantial funds in two of those banks?” week asking Hutcherson to recuse himself Samuel, are claiming a judge is cheating her out of thousands of dollars. lump sum be delivered on her 18th birthday. According to financial disclosure state- “We were really shocked and extremely See JUDGE on page 4 Heated race to Clues sought replace Davis in Ridge By Deborah Kolben younger brother, Democrat Geof- James Davis. Herbert this year The Brooklyn Papers frey Davis, and two of James sought to take on Davis — first The most hotly contested Davis’ political rivals — Working James, then Geoffrey — in a De- seat on Tuesday may well be Families Party candidate Letitia mocratic primary, but his nomi- James and Republican candidate nating petitions were disqualified. hit-run that in the 35th District of Anthony Herbert. A fourth candi- Geoffrey Davis is counting on By Jotham Sederstrom Fort Greene and Prospect date, Abraham Wasserman from the desire of constituents to keep Heights, the seat held by the the small Crown Heights portion the seat in the Davis family to The Brooklyn Papers late Councilman James Da- of the district, appears on the overcome his checkered past and Friends of a Bay Ridge woman vis until he was assassinated Conservative Party line. lack of public experience. who was seriously injured in an early by a deranged political rival In the 2001 Democratic pri- For the past several weeks, morning hit-and-run on Oct. 19 are in City Hall in July. mary, James, who ran with the Davis, Herbert and James have asking any witnesses to the near- Among those vying to replace backing of the Democratic Party been making the campaign Davis are the late councilman’s county leader, narrowly lost to rounds and speaking at candi- fatal accident to contact police. date forums around the district. Augusta Vargas, 24, was walking home Last week, James and Herbert from the Bay Ridge Avenue R train around went head to head at the Church 4 am when a black sedan or small truck with of the Open Door, at Gold and tinted windows Nassau streets in Downtown nearly plowed in- Gavel races Brooklyn. Davis sent a represen- to her as she tative. crossed over to Asked about jumping from Fifth Avenue one party to another, Herbert from 67th Street. said he jumped on board with Despite reacting to judge Dems the Republicans because “they quickly and try- have the money.” ing to jump out Herbert is pro-choice and of the way, the By Deborah Kolben anti-death penalty, but chants the The Brooklyn Papers vehicle clipped Republican mantra that “people Vargas, knock- Until this year, judicial candidates were likely the last bal- should not depend on govern- ing her to the Augusta Vargas ment.” He declared his ideology lot items on the minds of most voters as they stepped up to ground about a as “progressive” encompassing the polls. block away from the basement apartment But thanks to a highly publicized Brooklyn judicial bribery scan- ideals from both the Democrats and Republicans. she shares with a friend. dal and subsequent investigation by District Attorney Charles Hynes “The doctors said had I not turned my into the buying of judgeships, there should be a lot more voters pay- Heavily favored in 2001, James lost to James Davis in the head when I jumped out of the way that ing attention to who is running for Supreme Court in Brooklyn. I’d probably be either dead or a vegetable Because Brooklyn is so heavily Democratic, a spot on the party’s primary by 945 votes. She sub- sequently ran and lost on the — or on life support,” Vargas told The judicial slate has almost always guaranteed a spot on the bench. But Brooklyn Papers from her hospital bed the Democratic Party and its leader, Assemblyman Clarence Norman Working Families line in the general election. this week. Jr., came under fire this year for the backroom way in which it choos- The 24-year-old employee of YRB, a es its judicial candidates. See DAVIS on page 7 Manhattan-based magazine dedicated to un- In response to the criticism, the party opened up the process, if Callan / Tom derground hip hop music, is recovering at only a little, but not before the labor-backed Working Families Party Lutheran Medical Center in Sunset Park, placed an advertisement in the New York Law Journal seeking a ju- INSIDE THE PAPER where last Sunday she underwent five hours dicial slate of its own. of surgery. “Wanted: a few good judicial candidates,” the advertisement read. Classifieds . GO 6-8 GO Brooklyn 8 pages . follows page 4 She was scheduled to go under the knife Among those who saw the ad and applied was Judge Margarita Home Improvement . GO 8 Papers The Brooklyn again Thursday to reconstruct her shattered Lopez Torres, an 11-year civil court judge passed over twice by the Health, Mind & Body. page 4 left knee. Vargas also suffered a fractured Democratic Party, including this year, for its nomination. Parent . page 6 right arm and right leg in the collision. Her Lopez Torres claims she got on the bad side of the party leaders Police . back page Real Estate . GO 6 left hand was sliced to the bone. when she refused to follow the rules of Brooklyn political back Sign of the season “My bone was hanging out,” Vargas said. scratching by declining to hire someone referred by Assemblyman Online at Just in time for Halloween, a masked dummy turned some heads sitting outside the Villiage 247 “She’s really scattered,” said Josie Vito Lopez (no relation). The Bushwick assemblyman has denied he restaurant at 247 Smith St. in Boerum Hill. See GO Brooklyn for Halloween events. See HIT&RUNon page 4 ever pressured her to make a hire. www.BrooklynPapers.com Hear our editors and reporters discuss the news Lopez Torres, the only Hispanic woman on the civil court bench every week in EDITORIAL ROUNDTABLE See JUDGEMENT on page 7 Ballot questions primaries Officials: Keep park patrols By Deborah Kolben week, Assistant Chief Joseph Fox, commanding offi- hanced police visibility in the park is necessary to By Jotham Sederstrom the grip Democrats historically have had on New The Brooklyn Papers cer of Patrol Borough Brooklyn South, opted to keep ensure that public confidence and park use is not affected,” the letter reads. The Brooklyn Papers York City, and Brooklyn, in particular, by eliminat- the extra officers on until early November. Elected officials whose districts adjoin In a letter to Fox, City Council members Bill “Prospect Park is made safer by neighborhood use. ing party labels from all ballots for city elected of- Brooklyn Democrats could be in for a rude Prospect Park are pleading with the police DeBlasio, Yvette Clarke and David Yassky said A seldom-used park is a less safe park. The NYPD’s awakening if a controversial referendum for fice. If passed, the charter amendment could go department to keep beefed up patrols in the they were afraid that the recent spate of highly visibility in the park encourages use and, therefore, non-party elections in New York City gets into effect by 2005. park year round. publicized violent attacks in the “emerald oasis” makes the park safer, in perception and reality.” the nod from voters Tuesday.