Oct 3, 2008 8:08 pm US/Eastern
Judges Caught Parking In Brooklyn Park
Tell CBS 2 HD They Do It For Safety Reasons
By CAROLYN COSTELLO, CBS 2 HD News
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
It was a place for the public to take a stroll, read a book or have a cup of coffee. But now some state supreme court judges in Brooklyn Heights are using a community park as a place to park their cars.
If you look closely you can see the benches peeking out from behind parked cars. For years the space has been a place for strollers and skateboards, not four-door sedans.
"You know, I take my kids and eat lunch there sometimes," resident Chiori Kaneko said.
"I like to walk through, skateboard a little bit. I go down and sit," added Peter Orlanski.
But state supreme court judges have redefined Columbus Park as a place close to the courthouse for them to park their cars.
"That not right," one New Yorker said. "I feel it's inconvenient for the people."
Added Judy Stanton of the Brooklyn Heights Association: "With all due respect to judges and we do respect judges, we think their cars should be in a parking lot."
Stanton said she's been fighting the parking habits of local judges for years. She said they refuse to park in spaces on the street, or in a lot that's a block away. Instead, they take limited open space away from the community they serve.
For almost a decade judges had been parking on the walkway, another area meant to be open space.
"It is abuse of power, of course," Stanton said.
But the judges who come and go from the courthouse said it's not abuse of power. Parking in the park isn't a perk; it's a necessity -- a safety and security issue.
"We get constant threats in this courthouse to judges," said Kings County State Supreme Court Judge Abe Gerges. "Right now I'm working on two of them with the FBI, where judges have been threatened.
"A judge has to park close to the courthouse."
Judge Gerges said he's sorry for the inconvenience and he and his fellow judges promise they'll stay off park space for good -- as soon as a parking lot alongside the courthouse is ready for them to use.
The lot alongside the courthouse should be repaved and ready for use within the next two months. When it is finished judges have agreed to park there and in other designated spots in the area.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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