(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
There are some very fine state judges in this world. There are also some state judges very in over their heads in this world. Charles Harder has made a career out of finding the latter — as the demise of Gawker shows — and he may have found another winner!
Judge Hal Greenwald of Dutchess County, New York just granted Harder the order he tried to get in New York City: a prior restraint blocking the publication of Mary Trump’s new book, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.” (affiliate link). At least temporarily.
Harder, representing presidential brother Robert Trump in a failed effort to keep Donald’s tiny hands clean in this drama, secured a temporary restraining order barring Mary Trump and Simon & Schuster from publishing the book and ordering them to appear to show cause that he shouldn’t convert this into a preliminary injunction.
That sounds like a procedural mouthful because it requires a good deal of gymnastics to pretend this isn’t a flatly unconstitutional prior restraint, but Judge Greenwald is going for the gold in this order. At least he can see his name printed next to Ted Boutros for a couple weeks.
But seriously, how does anyone with a passing grasp of their law school studies authorize a prior restraint? According to some ratings from people who’ve appeared before him, folks don’t exactly laud Judge Greenwald’s acumen:
This guy is lost. Refuses to transfer the matter when he can because he want to play “local hero” however, he makes no effort to learn or understand the law. Apparently the CPLR is lost on him as well as he does not even understand the level of review in an Article 78.
Zero would be the best rating
Oof. Robing Room ratings are like legal Yelp so your mileage may vary as to the accuracy, but when there’s a string of one-star reviews it’s safe to consider that a trend.
Judge Greenwald should never be able to sit behind a bench, when confronted with his own words he runs and hides. Hes scared of confrontation and being told he’s wrong. He should never rule in any matter where a childs life is at stake. GET HIM OFF THE BENCH!
Perhaps Lawyers.com will offer a better acquittal of his skills:
Mr Greenwald is a terrible judge. Biased against females, and moms who didn’t lose custody of her children. Don’t worry, complaint coming soon!
Ooooookay.
couldn’t make it as an attorney and was hearing parking ticket offenses before getting elevated (inappropriately professionally but very much still needed heigh-wise and IQ-wise, to family court clown. makes his own rules and went to a too bit law school….and his behavior on the bench/potty, is sheer insight into his lowly level education, less-than-mediocre training and lack of scruples. LOL little “hal”
That’s pretty harsh. Sorry you had to read that Pace Law.
Look, take everything with a grain of salt. Family law cases engender uniquely hard feelings. But there’s also the possibility that Harder has found another judge he can really work with.
Full order on the next page.
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.