NY: Chief Justice Lippman Backs Reform of Grand Jury, Attorney Discipline

Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman said Friday he is preparing proposals to change the state's multi-jurisdictional attorney discipline system and reform disclosure rules for grand juries to make their work more transparent.
Lippman declined to give details of his proposals in an interview after his speech, but said they would be forthcoming during his State of the Judiciary address in Albany on Feb. 17.

In providing glimpses of the initiatives to members of the New York State Bar Association's House of Delegates at the New York Hilton Midtown, the chief judge said his proposals would address what he called the most pressing problem facing the bar and the courts: public confidence in the criminal justice system and the courts.

"This crisis threatens, really, everything we stand for," Lippman told the state bar leaders.

"It is so important to the future of justice in our state, and I urge the state bar to look top to bottom at criminal justice reform to ensure that we continue to have the confidence of the public," he said. "I would urge the house and the association to not be bystanders in the dialogue that's going on about making sure that the criminal justice system is transparent and fair to all."

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Lippman Backs Reform of Grand Jury, Attorney Discipline