Erie County Surrogate Court in Buffalo. Photo: Google
Surrogate court judges in New York have sole authority to appoint their courts’ chief clerks, not the Office of Court Administration, according to a recent decision by a Buffalo trial court judge.
Surrogate’s Court Judge Honorable Acea M. Mosey.
State Supreme Court Justice Catherine Nugent Panepinto’s ruling in favor of Erie County Surrogate Judge Acea Mosey on July 12 dealt a blow to OCA’s position that a constitutional amendment in 1978 unified the court system, and placed nonjudicial employees under the authority and auspices of the chief judge and his top administrative judge.
