Brooklyn attorney and civil litigation attorney Robert Bittner says the courts have not been receptive to his claims that the city’s civil litigation lawyers are “disruptive.”
He said a judge recently sided with him in a lawsuit filed against the city by New York City Council member Ydanis Rodriguez.
Rodriguez claims he was fired from his civil litigation job after he was accused of illegally entering a home with his son, and he claims that a lawyer from the city used his son’s name.
Rodriquez also said he was asked to pay more than $150,000 in legal fees to defend himself against claims that he illegally entered a home and assaulted his daughter.
But Bittners lawyers say the city of New York’s civil lawsuits lawyers are not “disruptionary” and have a history of helping defendants in their cases.
“They have done great work.
They have a very positive record of doing that,” he said.
He said he believes the city should hire a full-time civil litigation legal team that is independent of the city council, which he says could bring new efficiency to the process.
Bittner, who is based in Brooklyn, also said the city could start paying his lawyers more because of the ongoing legal battle with his clients.
He wants to get more money from the council to help him pay his bills, but the city has not yet indicated it will act on his request.
He said he is hopeful that it will soon.
Bettner, along with the Legal Aid Society of New Jersey, filed a federal lawsuit in September alleging that the Council has violated the Equal Access to Justice Act by refusing to hire a single full- or part-time lawyer.
He also sued the city over a series of lawsuits brought by other civil litigation attorneys who claim they have been threatened with termination for filing lawsuits.
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