Former Nassau Surrogate Judge Margaret C. Reilly, who was removed from her post, wins 14-year-term to State Supreme Court

Margaret C. Reilly, the former Nassau County Surrogate Court judge who was removed from her post in September, was elected on Tuesday as a state Supreme Court justice to serve a 14-year-term.

She won the election for the seat with 125,763 votes after running unopposed. The Republican and Democratic parties both endorsed her candidacy.

Newsday reported in September that Reilly had been taken off the probate bench by administrators at the conclusion of an inspector general’s report regarding allegations of a hostile work environment.

The Office of Court Administration declined to comment on the matter at the time, and a public records request for information on the investigation into the jurist has been indefinitely delayed.

Reilly, whose father, Joseph Reilly, was a state assemblyman and a powerful figure in the county Republican party, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Attorney Timothy McNamara, who said he does occasional work with Reilly’s husband, had previously told Newsday that the judge was removed over petty grievances by her staff.

"She was in charge of 40 people," he said. "If you’re in charge of 40 people, don’t you think you’ll have a few who don’t like you?"

"It was an extreme measure," he said about her removal. "Someone was out to get her."

He said he believes the judge has put the issue behind her.

"She’ll do a great job," he said. "She’s a very experienced jurist."

Steve Schlesinger, a former attorney for the Nassau County Democratic Party who sparred with Reilly over her allegations that he had mishandled the administration of an $11 million family charity, said he believes the inspector general's report will continue to dog the judge in her new position.

"I believe she’s toast," he said.

Schlesinger was cleared of any wrongdoing by the state attorney general.

Reilly remained on the Democratic and Republican tickets after she stepped down from the surrogate bench.

Democratic Party county leader Jay Jacobs said he had no choice but to keep her on the party line.

"The removal came after the cross endorsement," Jacobs said. "Once the committee votes, that’s it. Look, we had a council candidate disappear, and we couldn’t get him off the ballot."

The party leader was referring to Petros Krommidas, 29, who went missing in April, a month after winning the Democratic nomination. The county Republican party won a lawsuit in September to keep Krommidas on the ballot.

Jacobs said the judge’s behavior is no longer a political issue.

"I’m sure if the reasons that she was removed reappear, the appropriate actions will be taken as was done before," he said. "I have great confidence in the judiciary to assess the behavior of the judges in the courtroom and with staff and do what they think is appropriate."

Reilly, who was elected to the surrogate court bench in 2015, was moved from the Nassau County Court building to the Nassau County Supreme Court building, where she will serve in her newly elected position, according to administrators.

Though she has been assigned there for about two months, an informal survey by Newsday of court clerks and court officers found that no one has seen the judge in the building since she was transferred.

 As of Thursday, Reilly has been assigned 62 civil cases.

The clerk who answered the telephone in her chambers said that the judge was out to lunch, but her bench had been "very busy." 

Supreme Court Justice Rhonda E. Fischer, who temporarily took over the surrogate court position after Reilly’s removal, will be replaced by Supreme Court Justice David P. Sullivan, who won the seat with 280,830 votes.