KINGSTON – State Supreme Court Justice Kevin Bryant, sitting in Kingston, late Thursday found the County of Sullivan and its county manager in criminal contempt of court for violating the terms of an injunction he issued on September 16, and reaffirmed on September 21, that prevented the transfer of residents from the county’s Adult Care Center in Liberty.
Ater hearing testimony from eight witnesses, seven called by petitioners, represented by attorney Michael Sussman of Goshen, the court issued its ruling. The witnesses outlined a series of interactions with county officials which demonstrated that after the court entered the injunction, the county continued to transfer residents from the Care Center, emptying the facility of 27 residents between September 17 and October 8.
During the same time period, the facility reduced by about half its number of employees though the court had also stayed staff layoffs. Three county officials confirmed their conduct, identifying a new form the facility administrator developed which transparently attempted to shift responsibility for transfers from the county to the residents or their families.
The court found that rather than advise residents of the court ordered stay, the county continued to pressure residents to leave and thereby deprived them of the opportunity to remain at the facility. This behavior was contemptuous of its orders, the court reasoned and done knowingly to deprive these residents of the rights provided by the injunction – to remain at the facility.
“The rule of law protects all of us and its erosion harms each of us. A party which objects to a court’s ruling can appeal, but it cannot snub its nose at the court order without seriously compromising the rule of law,” attorney Sussman said. “When government so behaves, it doubly corrodes our legal system. I want to thank the county employees who courageously came forward and presented the court with evidence of how the county conducted itself. I also want to thank other witnesses who stood up for residents and were then disallowed from interacting with them by county officials. Without their efforts, the rule of law would disappear. Our rights are not self-enforcing.”
The court scheduled further sentencing proceedings for November 24, 2026 in Kingston.
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