Judge dismisses Summit Park lawsuit: Wolfe and Lynch file notice of appeal

Chairman of the Rockland County Legislature Alden Wolfe has filed a notice of appeal following the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by the CSEA and AFL-CIO unions against the county and several county representatives and entities, including Wolfe himself.

The suit claimed the closure of the Summit Park Hospital violated the County Charter. The unions and co-petitioner William J. Riccaldo had filed the lawsuit against the County of Rockland, County Executive Ed Day, the Rockland County Legislature, Chairman of the Legislature Alden Wolfe and Rockland County Health Facilities Corporation.

New York Supreme Court Justice Gerard E. Loehr ruled the matter moot on August 3.

It appears Wolfe, represented by outside counsel Dennis Lynch, has a disagreement with the judge.

County Executive Ed Day has issued a memorandum expressing his astonishment at Wolfe’s decision to appeal the county’s victory. He has informed the county attorneys that Rockland County taxpayers should not be on the hook for any legal expenses incurred by Wolfe during his appeal.

Wolfe and Lynch filed a notice of a petition and have not filed a full-fledged appeal as yet. They have six months to do so, dating from August 17, 2016.

Day’s memorandum can be seen below/right. Click the image to enlarge.

At the time the lawsuit was filed in November 2015, Wolfe did express some sympathy with the union’s objection to the  protocol taken during the closure of the hospital.

Wolfe was initially named in the suit not because he was a protagonist of the union’s complaints, but because the actions of he and the whole Legislature would be needed should the unions have won the case.

From the outset, Wolfe chose to be represented by outside counsel Lynch, instead of utilizing County Attorney Thomas Humbach.