July 25, 2013
By Diane Cohen
New York, NY — In another legal win for the Long Island College Hospital community, an appellate court judge late yesterday upheld the Temporary Restraining Order secured by Public Advocate Bill de Blasio to keep L.I.C.H. open. According to this latest decision, SUNY must “maintain the level of services at Long Island College Hospital being provided…as of 4:00 pm on July 19, 2013.”
With the TRO now affirmed by both State Supreme Court Justice Johnny Lee Baynes and Appellate Division Associate Justice Robert Miller, de Blasio will move forward in court this Thursday to seek a further injunction to keep L.I.C.H. open, and to seek sanctions against SUNY for attempting to improperly shutter the facility.
“Not once, but twice a judge has sided with this community. SUNY is not above the law. If it succeeds in shuttering this hospital, this part of Brooklyn may never get this kind of local healthcare back. We’re going to hold SUNY to account and ensure Brooklynites are protected,” said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.
SUNY has been in open violation of the TRO since it was issued on Friday.
