[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 126 (Friday, September 19, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S9734]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN HONOR OF JUDGE LAWRENCE H. COOKE

 Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, this weekend a glorious and 
important event will take place in Monticello, NY. On Sunday, September 
20, 1997, the Courthouse in Sullivan County will be renamed the 
Lawrence H. Cooke Sullivan County Courthouse. Judge Cooke, a native of 
Monticello, is one of our State's more distinguished jurists. His legal 
career spans almost 60 years and is highlighted by his tenure from 1979 
through 1984 as the chief judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, 
our State's highest court.
  While Judge Cooke may be best known for his time on the court of 
appeals and his many years as a judge, practicing attorney, and town 
supervisor in Sullivan County, he also served as a member of my 
Judicial Screening Committee from 1985 through 1993. During his 8 years 
on the committee he provided wise counsel in helping me select 
candidates for Federal judgeships to be nominated by the President. 
While not necessarily the most glamorous part of being a Senator, 
selecting individuals for nomination to a Federal judgeship is one of 
our most important responsibilities. Long after a Senator has left the 
body, the judges whom he/she helped select may remain on the bench for 
many more years to come with life tenure. Judge Cooke provided 
invaluable assistance to me in this endeavor and I am pleased to say 
that he is now lending his talents to New York Governor George Pataki 
by serving on the Governor's judicial screening committee for State 
judgeships.
  When I travel around New York State, one of the things I like to do 
if I have a couple of free minutes is to visit the local county 
courthouse. In most places, the courthouse is a grand and beautiful old 
building, and the courthouse in Sullivan County is no exception. 
Sullivan County was founded in 1809 and the current courthouse is 
actually the third it has had. The original burned down in 1844 and the 
second was replaced by the current structure in 1909. The newly named 
Cooke Courthouse is an Ohio sandstone building which was designed by 
William Beardsley of Poughkeepsie and built by the Kingston firm of 
Campbell and Dempsey for $143,000. In 1979 the building underwent a 
major renovation. It is a beautiful and historic building well 
befitting of Judge Cooke's name.
  Mr. President, 1997 marks the sesquicentennial of the New York State 
Court of Appeals. With the exception of the U.S. Supreme Court, this 
court is perhaps the most important court in our Nation's legal 
history. One of the greatest jurists of the 20th century, Benjamin 
Cardozo, was a chief judge of this court before being nominated by 
President Franklin Roosevelt to the Supreme Court. Even today, every 
law student must read several of Judge Cardozo's opinions as part of a 
legal education and his opinion in Palsgraff versus Long Island 
Railroad is still the seminal case on proximate cause in torts. The 
current chief judge, Judith Kaye, is nationally recognized as a leader 
in judicial reform, especially in the area of jury selection. It is a 
proud and important tradition with which Judge Cooke is associated, and 
he certainly is an important part of that tradition.
  On this special day on which we honor Judge Cooke, I want to wish the 
Judge and his wife Alice the best and thank him for his many years of 
service to me, to Sullivan County, to New York State, and to our 
justice system.

                          ____________________