Williams hired godchild's teen cousin for internship
6:30 PM Thu, Oct 22, 2009 | Permalink
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By Tracy Breton The teenager was paid $10.11 an hour to work at the Supreme Court during the summers after her sophomore, junior and senior years at Cranston High School West in 2006, 2007 and 2008, according to personnel records. Craig Berke, spokesman for the Rhode Island Judiciary, said that Alyssa Giudici was part of a Supreme Court internship program that used to employ about 20 high school and college students each summer for clerical and filing duties. Interns were all classified as administrative assistants, he said, and made about $3,500 based on a 35-hour work-week. It was "a word-of-mouth program," he said, and everyone got paid the same amount. "Pretty much the slots were filled on a first-come, first-served basis." Students filled out an application, and then the chief justice would decide who would be hired, Berke said. The program is now defunct because of state budget cuts. Williams' spokesman, Michael W. Doyle, of RDW Group, a public relations firm, said that the former chief justice acknowledges recommending Giudici for the internship because she is "an exceptional young woman." She is now a 19-year-old student and soccer player at the Community College of Rhode Island. "He stands by it," Doyle said. "It was an appropriate recommendation." He said that Williams called it "common practice" for chief justices to be involved in the hiring of summer interns. "He has also recommended many others whom he considered to be worthy candidates." Giudici is the niece of Williams' former driver, Deputy Sheriff Pamela DosReis, and the second relative of Mrs. DosReis whom Williams put on the state court payroll while he served as the state's top judge. Williams also hired Patricia Calise, 68, of Johnston, who is the grandmother of his godchild and mother of his former driver as a part-time cleaning woman at the courthouse. Mrs. Calise is still working, with health benefits, at the Licht Judicial Complex. Giudici began working at the court when she was 16. According to records provided by Anthony Bucci, state personnel administrator, she was employed from June 18 through Aug. 11, 2006, again from June 24 to Aug. 15, 2007 and most recently from June 8 to Aug. 29, 2008. She graduated from Cranston West in 2008. Berke said that the interns in the program worked in all state courts but that Giudici was always assigned to the Supreme Court, mostly in the court's employee relations' office. He said it was no secret among some court staff that she was DosReis' niece. When the intern program was downsized in 2008, Giudici was one of just three interns hired, Berke said. In 2006, there were 22 interns in the program and 23 in 2007. Berke said the program had existed since the mid-1970s. He added that it was "not uncommon" for the same students to be hired for multiple years. Williams' relationship with the DosReis family has been put under the spotlight in recent weeks because his former driver is embroiled in a divorce with her estranged husband, Frank J. DosReis, a longtime corrections officer. Frank DosReis testified in court that Williams' constant presence at his family home in Johnston was largely the cause for the demise of his marriage. Williams announced on Tuesday that he will no longer continue to hear cases on the Supreme Court as a retired justice because media accounts of the Family Court matter were causing "an unwarranted and unnecessary distraction for the court." Alyssa Giudici's mother, Joanne Giudici, is the godmother to the DosReises' daughter, who is at the center of a custody/visitation dispute that is part of the divorce proceedings. Williams is the girl's godfather and is currently under a court order, issued by Chief Family Court Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr., that bars him from having any contact with his goddaughter. Berke said yesterday that the current chief justice, Paul A. Suttell, didn't know that the Supreme Court internship program had existed.
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lynch where are you open your mouth.if you dont investigate williams what little shot you have at governor is gone.frankie williams vote on the bill irons case should be declared null and void.its obvious williams wanted to weaken the ethics comission.frankie had his own hidden agenda.projo are you going to sensor me again???
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So when is the Ethics Commission going to act?
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I guess "equal opportunity" for Frank meant that every crony he wanted to put on the State payroll had an equal opportunity to be pigs at the trough. And he will probably tell us that Abe Lincoln would have promoted the same kind of insider favoritism. I have no doubt that if the Journal keeps digging, they will find what many lawyers have suspected for years: that in cases that came before him, he tilted the scales of justice for his buddies. In the end, the stories of his scandalous conduct will make these kid stories literally look like child's play.
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You've got to wonder how many potential law students missed out on a good opportunity to advance their knowledge of the legal system so that this favoritism could play out. I'm sure that Alyssa is probably a fine young lady but she doesn't appear to be heading towards a career in law seeing as she is a soccer player at CCRI. I feel bad for any other more deserving student that was passed by so that Alyssa could have a job.
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When does the stories end with Williams??? I can see and read that a lot of people dislike him...BUT IMHO, him hiring these people doesn't make him any different than 95% of the people in this State in high places!! Not to mention why should these people be dragged through the "MUD" they are innocent I'm sure!!! We all know in RI it's who you know to get anywhere in this State, sad but very true. I just can't see the Journal or anybody else hurting other people for a story. It all started with Williams being involved in a messy divorce and now everyone that has had contact with him will pay the price as well sad! The Journal should focus more on important issue's in this State...we are in a MESS!!!
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So what else is new? The only way anyone has ever gotten a job in Rhode Island is by knowing someone. What's left is given to "newcomers" who are promptly stuck with doing what little work there is to be done, while the "real" New Englanders go shopping, balance their checkbooks, call in sick, collect TDI, complain about all the work they have to do. Don't worry . They'll keep paying the high taxes here because they couldn't function anywhere else.
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Did this con-man ever look at the average person, a person he didn't know and try to help them. I'm sure there will be more to come out about this weasel.
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I don't know anyone in this cast of characters,but,honestly,how many in a position to get a relative or friend a position have not done it.
I wish,when my family was in school, I had known someone to get them a nice job.
The positons that they took probably made them better and more caring people. Presently, they are all doing well.
In this economy,I hope they all continue to prosper.
Let's get over Williams,at least for the sake of the little child who is a big focus in this on going saga.
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honestly people... get a grip... jealous shes got a higher paying job than you?
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