Senate Will Consider Move On Monserrate

By Joseph Orovic

The case of the People v. Hiram Monserrate has long been over, but the State Senate has yet to decide on what to do with the embattled Corona legislator.

Majority Leader John Sampson (D-Brooklyn) will introduce a resolution next week regarding Monserrate (D-Corona), though he did not specify what measure will exactly be proposed.

The news came after former Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Nassau County) threatened to take matters into his own hands with a resolution if Democrats couldn't produce one by Monday.

Days earlier, Monserrate enlisted the help of noted civil rights attorney and former Public Advocate candidate Norman Siegel to fight against any possible censure or expulsion motion the Senate might undertake.

Monserrate's fate has been up in the air since the release of a Senate special committee's report two weeks ago. The nine-member group detailed available information about a Dec. 19 altercation between the Senator and girlfriend Karla Giraldo.

It concluded the Senate should vote to censure or expel Monserrate from the legislature, following a misdemeanor assault conviction last fall.

Reach Reporter Joseph Orovic at jorovic@queenstribune.com, or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127.