BishopAccountability.org
	Capital Region Attorney Sanctioned by Judge WNYT August 21, 2008 http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S550047.shtml?cat=300 [with video] Whatch video A well known Capital Region attorney is defending himself and the cases he takes, after a judge stands by his decision to sanction him. The high profile attorney is John Aretakis. He's made a name for himself in clergy sex abuse cases against the Albany Catholic Diocese. The case that got him sanctioned by the court involved the church as well, but not sex abuse. It revolved around a relocated Hurricane Katrina victim. Earlier this week, a federal judge re-affirmed his decision to sanction Aretakis, saying the lawsuit was frivolous and baseless. The decision, 46 pages in all, contains harsh words directed at capital region attorney John Aretakis. "I kind of wear some of the criticism like a badge of honor. I'm infuriating a lot of people," Aretakis said. But this sanction could be a costly badge of honor. He's ordered to pay more than $12 thousand in attorney fees and court costs. In standing by his earlier ruling U-S District Judge Gary Sharp writes Aretakis' allegations in this one case were irrelevant and that he brought them forward only to embarrass the Catholic Church for unrelated sexual abuse matters. Sharp scolds the lawyer, saying "not only is aretakis' recusal motion baseless, but it also reflects a repetitive tactic employed by him, namely challenging the integrity of judges who have called him to task regarding his unprofessional behavior in litigation involving the church." "That's a judge who I believe who's lips were dripping with the blood of injustice to quote Martin Luther King. That judge despises me," Aretakis said. But he's not the first judge to sanction Aretakis. The north greenbush attorney has a law office in New York City. In February of last year, a downstate federal judge sanctioned Aretakis and ordered him to pay $8,000. Aretakis claims judges are singling him out for his work against the church. He says he won't stop or change his ways. "Someone has to do this work. All the victims I've represented are legit, all the claims are legit and I'm not going away," Aretakis said. Aretakis also said he is appealing this latest sanction.
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