Surprise: Morris Keeps Marcus Law Firm

by Marcia Chambers | June 2, 2006 11:53 PM | | Comments (3)

Despite efforts by her party to remove him, Cheryl Morris announced today that she would keep Ed Marcus and his law firm as Branford’s town attorneys. But she said the firm would no longer be involved “with any political issues or any other issues that may be perceived as political in nature” during the firm’s employment.

Mrs. Morris did not explain how she would monitor this concept, particularly since Marcus, the former state Democratic chairman, has politics in his bones. It remains to be seen how this practice will be carried out.
As she outlined the future role of the firm, she said Ed Marcus would continue to work on “litigation and other important administrative matters on a limited basis.” Shelley Marcus, his daughter, will attend all town board and commission meetings “along with other attorneys as needed from the firm,” she said in a press release.
Mrs. Morris, who has come under attack from her own party, decided against implementing a resolution of the Democratic Town Committee that sought to fire Marcus because he abused the power of the First Selectman’s office in pressing the police to investigate a political rival, Anthony “Unk” Da Ros.
Mrs. Morris explained that Ed Marcus “made a mistake in judgment” when he involved the police “in an investigation of the Stony Creek Quarry,” an inquiry that also centered on DaRos. “After speaking to Ed Marcus,” she said “I believe that he thought that he was providing the police department with information that would permit them to check the records of the quarry….”
The police reports make no mention of “checking the records of the quarry.” This is the first time this idea has been put forward as reason why Marcus called in the police to investigate a contract dispute.
Mrs. Morris praised Ed Marcus’s performance as counsel, saying the firm “has been efficient, timely” and acted in “accordance with the highest stardards of the legal profession.”







Comments

Posted by: The People [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 6, 2006 8:13 AM

Why are the townspeople of Branford paying for attorneys from the Marcus Law Firm to attend all of the town's commissions and boards? This is unprecedented in the town's history. The people are getting soaked, and the Marcus law firm is getting rich off of our hard labors. Does Ms. Morris feel she needs spies at all of the meetings she doesn't attend? The harassment of Unk DaRos through the illegal use of the police by Ed Marcus is also unprecedented. This Morris (Marcus) administration has to go.

Posted by: Sandra Browne | June 6, 2006 12:12 PM

Keep up the good work! I'm forwarding Marcia's articles to all my Branford colleagues, encouraging them to subscribe to the Branford Eagle.

Posted by: Eliza Cleveland | June 7, 2006 2:45 PM

So, let me get this straight…There are 62 boards and commissions in Branford which meet on the average, once a month. If each meeting is 1.5 hours long (a conservative estimate), and Shelly Marcus is attending all of them at $200/hr. (a conservative estimate), then the residents of Branford are paying at the minimum a whopping $18,600/month for Shelly’s “services� at these meetings. This figure does not even include any attendance by the “other attorneys as needed from the firm.� Thus the total cost to Branford taxpayers is at least $223,000/year. Why are town residents paying for an attorney to attend board and commission meetings? Exactly why is the town attorney involved in the political day-to-day business of the town? Shouldn’t the town attorney only be paid to take care of the town’s legal business??? How much in addition to the $223,000 are town residents paying for the town's "real" legal needs? Branford residents want to know…!

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