Baroni Suspended

Convicted Bridgegate defendant William Baroni has been suspended by the New York Appellate Division for the First Judicial Department

Respondent’s conviction stemmed from his misuse of his position as Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey by conspiring with others, including the Port Authority’s Executive Director, to punish the Mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey, for not endorsing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s re-election bid, by improperly closing lanes on the George Washington Bridge in September 2013, thereby causing the streets of Fort Lee to become clogged with traffic. Respondent and his co-conspirators fabricated and advanced a false story that the lane reductions were for a traffic study so that they could use Port Authority resources and personnel to carry out their scheme, and deliberately ignored inquiries from the Mayor of Fort Lee regarding the closures.

As a result of the conviction

the Committee’s motion to deem the offenses of which respondent has been convicted “serious crimes” within the meaning of Judiciary Law § 90(4)(d) and immediately suspend respondent from the practice of law, pursuant to Judiciary law § 90 (4) (f) and 22 NYCRR 1240.12(c)(20(ii), should be granted, and respondent is directed to show cause, before a referee appointed by the Court, pursuant to Judiciary Law § 90(4)(d) and 22 NYCRR1240.12(c)(i) and (iv), who shall thereupon hold a hearing within 90 days of respondent’s release from prison, why a final order of censure, suspension, or disbarment should not be made.

(Mike Frisch)