Authorities say a former Long Island town justice and her husband took advantage of a woman’s ailing memory to steal more than $1 million from her. Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota says Katherine and Wayne Pope allegedly stole the money between 2005 and April 2009. Ms. Pope was the Shelter Island town justice from 1998 to 2002. The couple pleaded not guilty to grand larceny charges at their arraignment last week in Suffolk County Court. Mr. Spota says the couple purchased a house in Vermont after liquidating the victim’s stocks. He says Mr. Pope occasionally worked as a handyman for the victim, who died in July at 89.
Children’s Counsel Hold National Meeting in Brooklyn
More than 600 lawyers, judges, and other professionals from across the country turned out last week for the 32nd National Juvenile and Family Law Conference. Held at the New York Marriott in Brooklyn, the four-day gathering was sponsored by the National Association of Counsel for Children and co-sponsored by the Legal Aid Society. It featured a variety of programs on topics ranging from using parenting coordinators in custody cases to maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
