A lawsuit alleging Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn made illegal, 11th-hour rule changes to cling to power was delayed in court Wednesday, after a fraught hearing in which a Brooklyn judge was repeatedly forced to address the courtroom like a kindergarten teacher, asking party members to use their inside voices.
During the morning hearing, Brooklyn Democratic Party Law Chair Anthony Genovesi Jr. grumbled, raised his voice, jumped up and down from his seat, and barked at court officers in a boisterous display of court theater, as he argued that the case should be adjourned until all defendants could find attorneys. (Genovesi's client, Bichotte Hermelyn, did not appear at the hearing.)
"Are we going to forget about their rights?" he asked New York Supreme Court Judge Jill Epstein, in a loud and impassioned plea to push the hearing to a later date. "They have rights," Epstein replied, before adding: "Mr. Genovesi, I'm going to ask you to please temper your tone."