1. New York Court of Appeals
Criminal Law
Voting and Decisional Patterns:
Focus on Rosenblatt
Vincent Martin Bonventre, J.D., Ph.D.
November 2005

2. Pre-Rosenblatt Late Wachtler era Post-Wachtler Emerging Kaye Court
Pro-prosecution record
Wachtler/Bellacosa v. Kaye/Titone
Post-Wachtler
Pro-defendant swing
Wachtler Court – Kaye Court transition
Emerging Kaye Court
Pro-defendant swing persists
Kaye/Titone/G.B. Smith/Ciparick “liberal” majority
Post Court-Bashing
Pro-prosecution “adjustment”
Kaye/Ciparick voting shift

4. Early Rosenblatt Reprise Emerging Kaye Court Post Court-bashing
Rosenblatt’s First 3 Years
Titone to Rosenblatt
Kaye/Ciparick shift persists
Court’s pro-prosecution record
Pataki’s appointees
Rosenblatt: the “non” Pataki appointee

6. The Rosenblatt Years Reprise Pataki’s Majority? Court Re-Adjustment
Rosenblatt’s first 3 years
Pataki’s Majority?
Titone to Rosenblatt
Bellacosa to Graffeo
Levine to Read
[Simons to] Wesley to R.S. Smith
Court Re-Adjustment
Kaye/Ciparick re-shift
Pataki’s judges: Wesley, Graffeo, Read
“Non” Pataki judges: Rosenblatt & (?) R.S. Smith
Court’s Pro-defendant Swing Back (?)

8. Rosenblatt / Current Court
Re-Emerging Pro-defendant Wing
G.B. Smith
Kaye/Ciparick
Solid Pro-prosecution Votes
Graffeo to Read
The Less Predictable Smith
Rosenblatt in the Center
An Unmistakable Spectrum
G.B. Smith/Kaye/Ciparick
Graffeo/Read
Rosenblatt/R.S. Smith