Sol Wachtler is a former New York Statelawyer and judge, and former Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, which is the highest position in the state judiciary. State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th) - Land 122,409 km² - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... A lawyer is a person qualified to give legal advice who advises clients in legal matters and represents them in courts of law and in other forms of dispute resolution. ... A judge or justice is an official who presides over a court. ... The Court of Appeals is New Yorks highest appellate court, created in 1847. ... In law, the judiciary or judicature is the system of courts which administer justice and provide a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ...
Wachtler began his government career in 1963, when he was elected a councilman of the town of North Hempstead. He was elected to the New York State Supreme Court in 1968 and elected to the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, in 1972. In 1985, he was appointed Chief Judge of the State of New York and the Court of Appeals. 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... North Hempstead is a town located in Nassau County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 222,611. ... New York County Supreme Court building at 60 Centre Street, from across Foley Square The Supreme Court of the State of New York is one of several New York State trial courts in which cases originate. ... The Court of Appeals is New Yorks highest appellate court, created in 1847. ...
In 1992 he was arrested on an expressway while driving home and later plead guilty to harassing his former mistress Joy Silverman and her teenage daughter. He resigned his judgeship and was subsequently disbarred as a result of this incident. He also served time in a federal prison. As he is no longer permitted to practice law, Wachtler is currently involved with Alternate Dispute Resolution. Madame de Pompadour the mistress of King Louis XV of France. ... This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...
Since his prison time, Wachtler has written his own prison memoir, After the Madness (ISBN 0759245193), and a fiction book, Blood Brothers (ISBN 1590074211).
Wachtlers subsequent arrest, conviction and incarceration for harassing his longtime lover precipitated a media feeding frenzy, revealing to the world his struggles with romantic obsession, manic-depression and drug abuse.
With unflinching honesty, Wachtler draws upon his unique experience of living life on both sides of the bench to paint a chilling portrait of prison life interwoven with a no-holds-barred analysis of the shortcomings of the American legal justice system.
SolWachtler began his government career in 1963, when he was elected a councilman of the town of North Hempstead.
The achievements of Wachtler have been greatly overshadowed and forgotten due to his scandalous affair with socialite Joy Silverman, which led to the judge's subsequent arrest and imprisonment for harassment.
With Wachtler's full cooperation, Caher offers an objective look at the mind of the judge, exploring the psychology, closely examining and explaining -- without attempting to excuse -- the dark side that doomed Wachtler and toppled him from the mountain where he once reigned supreme.
Caher illustrates Wachtler's impact on the national scene, through his judicial and administrative decisions, his role in shaping the court, and influencing other judges to follow his lead in ground-breaking, and often controversial cases.