New York City briefs

Lawsuit to stop NYC mosque dismissed

A judge dismissed a firefighter's lawsuit over New York City's decision to allow an Islamic cultural center and mosque to be built near the site of the Sept. 11 attacks, a ruling his lawyer has said would be appealed.

New York State Supreme Court Justice Paul Feinman on Friday granted the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission's motion to reject the suit by Timothy Brown, who survived the attacks nearly 10 years ago.

The judge rejected the firefighter's claim that he would be unable to properly commemorate 9/11 with the mosque nearby. "Mr. Brown's claim that his ability to commemorate will be injured, is not yet recognized under the law as a concrete injury that can establish standing," the judge wrote. "Such an injury, although palpable to Brown, is immeasurable by a court."

Virginia Waters, senior counsel in the Administrative Law Division of the city Law Department, said in a statement: "We share the Court's appreciation of the heroism of Mr. Brown and the other 9/11 first responders. However, we also agree that Mr. Brown's interest in these buildings is not a sufficient legal basis for him to challenge the Landmarks Preservation Commission's determination that they are not worthy of being designated as landmarks."

Letterman theater vandal 'was drunk'

The attorney for a man charged with smashing glass doors and breaking into the New York City theater where David Letterman tapes his television show said Monday the man was drunk and doesn't recall the incident.

James Whittemore, 22, was arraigned Monday on burglary and criminal-mischief charges. His lawyer said Whittemore "certainly didn't plan this" and doesn't even remember how he got to the Ed Sullivan Theater early Sunday.

A criminal court complaint says Whittemore used a metal stanchion to break several of the theater's glass doors. Authorities said he did about $5,000 worth of damage at the closed theater. The complaint says pictures, fans, phones, and printers were among other items damaged.

CBS and production company Worldwide Pants said the "Late Show" set wasn't harmed.

9/11 group wants review of fatal fire case

A 9/11 group wants a full review of all the evidence from a 2007 fire at a condemned Ground Zero skyscraper that claimed the lives of two New York City firefighters.

The Skyscraper Safety Campaign and 9/11 Parents and Families of Firefighters & WTC Victims said in a statement Monday it wants the U.S. attorney's office to reopen the case of the former Deutsche Bank building blaze.

Last week, asbestos abatement manager Mitchel Alvo of Freeport and his employer, the John Galt Corp. of the Bronx, were cleared of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.Two other midlevel managers in the demolition of the building were also cleared.

The 9/11 group said there's been no accountability for the firefighters' deaths. It said numerous violations were never reported. It's also calling for the addition of building code amendments.

Adoption boom seen for same-sex couples

Adoption lawyers and agencies in New York are preparing for a baby boom as same-sex couples take the next step and try to adopt children.

New York will allow same-sex marriages beginning July 24, becoming the most populous state to legalize such weddings. Thousands of couples are expected to tie the knot.

The state already permits unmarried couples, both gay and straight, to adopt children. But a wedding ring is an important milestone in a relationship -- and can bolster a couple's case as they try to impress social workers, adoption agencies and birth mothers during the often competitive adoption process, couples and adoption experts say.

Nationwide, about 19,000 gay couples had adopted children as of 2009, he said. That's up from 10,700 couples in 2000 -- the same year Vermont began offering civil unions and four years before Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage.

The prospect has alarmed conservative religious groups that consider same-sex relationships and parenting immoral. "Sanctioning such unions as 'marriages' only makes the violation worse; and adding children to the mix, worse still," said Avi Shafran, a spokesman for the Agudath Israel of America, an Orthodox Jewish group.

Presidential historian charged in heists

Two New York City men, including a presidential historian, have been charged with stealing millions of dollars in documents from the Maryland Historical Society.

Baltimore police charged author Barry Landau, 63, and Jason Savedoff, 24, on Saturday with theft of more than $100,000 and Monday they were ordered held. The FBI is involved in the investigation.

A society employee told responding officers that he believed Savedoff had been taking documents. Court documents state a search of a locker to which Savedoff had a key turned up 60 documents signed out by Landau, including documents signed by President Abraham Lincoln valued at $300,000, inaugural ball invitations and programs valued at $500,000 and a signed Statue of Liberty commemoration valued at $100,000.

On its website, publisher HarperCollins says Landau is a presidential historian and "one of the foremost collectors of presidential memorabilia and artifacts."

The publisher says Landau has "served eight presidents and worked with every White House since Lyndon Johnson's" in planning historic events.

Compiled with wire service reports