JUDGE GOES DOWN

ANOTHER AREA JUDGE REMOVED

Another area judge has been removed from the bench. Here's Michelle Bolton's story.

The nail in the coffin was the allegation that Spargo pressured lawyers (lawyers with cases pending before him) to contribute to his defense fund. An ugly business.

Spargo was an excellent election lawyer, the go-to guy for Republicans in the area. If his license isn't endangered, he can certainly find work. Not that he needs to. According to sources, Spargo is from a very wealthy family, Revere Ware being one of the family's "minor" business concerns.

By all accounts, Spargo is a decent guy, but a poor judge. One local attorney lamented that since the allegations have been pending, Judge Spargo "seemed completely uninterested in being a judge. He was lazy and apathetic about doing his work."

Spargo's removal came as a shock to no one, including Spargo.

Pataki now gets to make an appointment. Will Chris Hummel, who was lost in the politicial shuffle last year between county GOP chairs and Bruno, get the nod? Hummel will make a good Supreme Court judge. Or will Pataki reward an area flunkie before he leaves office? We're hoping for Hummel but putting our money on flunkie.

AREA SALARIES

The Times Union had an interesting piece in Friday's paper on average salaries in the area. Here's a PDF file with the complete U.S Labor Department report.

Police Officers came in at an average of $45,429 (presumably, overtime not included) with middle school teachers checking in at $55,180. We thought that odd until we remembered how dangerous it is being a middle school teacher in many area schools.