Charles P. Sifton papers, 1968-2005

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Series I: Workfiles



Box 1 Preservation of Federal judges' papers



Box 2 Preservation of Federal judges' papers



Box 3 Preservation of Federal judges' papers



Box 4 Preservation of Federal judges' papers


Box 4 USA v. Joseph M. Margiotta - Docket #CR-80-00636 (Eastern District of NY)

Defendant, the Republican Party leader in Nassau County, NY and a powerful political boss, was tried and convicted in 1981 of mail fraud, and extortion in violation of the Hobbes Act.


Box 4 U.S.A. v. Gabriel Megahey, Andrew Duggan, Colm Meehan and Eamon Meehan - CR-82-00327 (EDNY)

Trial on charges of conspiracy to smuggle arms, explosives and equipment from the U.S. to the Provisional Irish Republican Army



Box 5 U.S.A. v. Gabriel Megahey, Andrew Duggan, Colm Meehan and Eamon Meehan - CR-82-00327 (EDNY)



Box 6 U.S.A. v. Patrick McParland - CR-82-00327 (EDNY)

Separate trial on same charges as those in USA v. Gabriel Megahey, et al, CR-82-00327


Box 6 U.S.A. v. Julio Rosado, Andres Rosado, Ricardo Romero, Steven Guerra and Maria Cueto - CR-83-00025

Trial on charge of criminal contempt for refusal to testify before a grand jury.


Box 6 In re Grand Jury subpooenas served on Michelle Miller and Sylvia Baraldini - CV-83-0833

Civil contempt proceedings for disobeying a lawful order directing the defendants to appear and give testimony before a grand jury investigating a series of bombings allegedly conducted by the FALN, a group advocating the independence of Puerto Rico


Box 6 U.S.A. v. Michelle Miller and Sylvia Baraldini - CR-83-00116 (EDNY)

Trial on charge of criminal contempt, for disobeying a lawful order directing the defendants to appear and give testimony before a grand jury investigating a series of bombings allegedly conducted by the FALN, a group advocating the independence of Puerto Rico.


Box 6 U.S.A. v. Southland Corp., Eugene DeFalco, Eugene Mastropieri, and S. Richmond Dole - CR-83-00198, etc.

Trial on charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States o



Box 7 U.S.A. v. Southland Corp., Eugene DeFalco, Eugene Mastropieri, and S. Richmond Dole - CR-83-00198, etc.


Box 7 U.S.A. v. Gurpartap Singh Birk - CR-85-00467 (EDNY)

Trial on charges of conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister Rajiv Ghandi of India, to violate the Neutrality Act, and to transport weapons and explosives in interstate commerce.


Box 7 U.S.A. v. Philip "Rusty" Rastelli, et al. - CR-85-00354 (EDNY)

Trial of the "boss " and other members of the Bonnano organized crime family, officers of Local 814 of the Int'l Brotherhood of Teamsters, and businessmen in the moving and storage business on charges of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), extortion, bid-rigging, unlawful payoffs, mail fraud, perjury, arson and obstruction of justice.


Box 7 U.S.A. v. Joseph Fama, et al. - CR-84-00298 (EDNY)

Trial of the Fama family (father, mother and four children) on charges of RICO conspiracy and distribution of heroin, cocaine and marijuana



Box 8 U.S.A. v. James Failla, Joseph Watts, et al. - CR-93-00294 (EDNY)

Racketeering conspiracy case involving members of the Gambino crime family and conspiracies , to murder the boss of the Gambino crime family, to murder witnesses, etc.


Box 8 U.S.A. v. John Brennan and U.S. Aviation Underwriters, Inc. - CR-95-420 (EDNY)

The defendants were a large aviation insurance underwriting company and its former president and CEO who were charged with mail fraud involving insurance claims for the crash of a Pacific Southwest Airlines commuter airliner in 1987 resulting from the murder of the entire flight crew by a terminated airline employee.


Box 8 U.S.A. v. Kevin McKeon - CR-94-0774 (EDNY)

The defendant, a criminal defense attorney, was charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotic and non-narcotic drugs in that he provided information about the location of drug "stash houses" to a "crew" that burglarized such houses.


Box 8 U.S.A. v. Morris J. Eisen, et al. - CR-90-00018 (EDNY)

Trial of attorneys and staff members of a leading personal injury law firm on charges of racketeering and fraud.


Box 8 Brenda Berkman v. City of New York, et al. - CV-79-1813 (EDNY)

A class action challenge by women to the physical exam given to applicants for NYC firefighter. Judge Sifton's decisions resulted in the appointment of the first women ever to serve as NYC firefighters.C27



Box 9 Brenda Berkman v. City of New York, et al. - CV-79-1813 (EDNY)



Box 10 Agudas Chasidei Chabad v. Gourary - CV-85-2909 (EDNY)

Bench trial - Judge Sifton found for the Lubavitch congregation in their suit against the grandson of the late Rebbe Joseph I. Schneersohn to recover a collection of books from the Rebbe's library.


Box 10 Pico v. Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District - 79-7690 (2nd Circuit) - 638 F.2nd 404 (2nd Cir. 1980), aff'd 457 U.S. 853 (1982)

Decision of the 2nd Circuit written by Judge Sifton, sitting by designation - the case involved a First Amendment challenge to the removal by the school board of certain books, including "Soul On Ice" by Eldridge Cleaver, , Slaughterhouse Five" by Kurt Vonnegut, and "Best Short Stories by Negro Writers", from a school library - the Circuit reversed a decision of District Judge George Pratt [later a judge of the 2nd Circuit] granting summary judgment to the school board. The Circuit found that there was a First Amendment issue and that summary judgment was therefore not appropriate.



Box 11 Pico v. Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District - 79-7690 (2nd Circuit) - 638 F.2nd 404 (2nd Cir. 1980), aff'd 457 U.S. 853 (1982)


Box 11 Leona Benten v. David Kessler, in his official capacity as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration -CV-92-3161

Test case challenging the ban on importation of RU-486, an abortion drug. Includes draft of unissued memorandum and order on cross motions for summary judgment.


Box 11 Civil cases 1990 -2005


Box 11 Criminal cases - 1990-2009



Box 12 Criminal cases - 1990-2009


Box 12 Bench book (looseleaf) for guilty pleas

Series II: Administrative Files


Box 12 A



Box 13 B-C



Box 14 C-D



Box 15 D-I



Box 16 J-P



Box 17 P-S



Box 18 T-Z

Series IIII: Models


Box 18 Model Preliminary Injunctions, Temporary Restraining Orders and Jury Verdict Forms


Box 18 Model Jury Charges



Box 19 Model Jury Charges



Box 20 Model Jury Charges



Box 21 Model Jury Charges

Series IV: Diaries

All subsequent diaries were electronic - Lotus Organizer or Lotus Notes



Box 22 1977 to 1983



Box 23 1984 to 1993



Box 24 1994 to 1998

Series V: Status Cards

Card boxes with index cards


Box 24 Criminal case status cards - 1972 to 1986



Box 25 Criminal case status cards - 1987 to 1990


Box 25 Criminal case status cards - 1991 to 1995 (Part 1)



Box 26 Criminal case status cards - 1995 (Part 2) to 2000 (Part 1)


Box 26 Criminal case status cards - 2000 (Part 2) to 2006



Box 27 Criminal case status cards - 2007 to End (2009)


Box 27 Civil case status cards - Special Types - MDL Cases, Asbestos cases, Attorney discipline cases


Box 27 Regular Civil Cases - Start (1968) to 1977


Box 27 Civil status cards - 1978 to 1980 (Part 1)



Box 28 Civil status cards - 1980 (Part 2) to 1981


Box 28 Civil status cards - 1982 to 1983 (Part 1)



Box 29 Civil status cards - 1983 (Part 2) to 1985 (Part 1)


Box 29 Civil status cards - 1985 (Part 2) to 1986 (Part 1)



Box 30 Civil status cards - 1986 (Part 2) to 1989


Box 30 Civil status cards - 1990 to 1992 (Part 1)



Box 31 Civil status cards - 1992 (Part 2) to 1994 (Part 1)


Box 31 Civil status cards - 1994 (Part 2) to 1997 (Part 1)



Box 32 Civil status cards - 1997 (Part 2) to 1998 (END)