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By TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER tmorgan@leader.net
Thursday, January 27, 2000 Page: 1A
WILKES-BARRE – It was Nov. 4, 1992, and Luzerne County Court of Common
Pleas Judge Bernard C. Brominski was bursting with pride.
His grandson, a Wyoming Seminary soccer goalie, had just made a spectacular
save in a game against Lake-Lehman.
A 4-foot-wide photo of that moment hangs in Brominski’s chambers – a
testament, family and friends said, to his love for his family.
On Wednesday, the photo hung above an empty chair. The 77-year-old judge
died at his Swoyersville home early that morning of apparent heart failure.
His death brought to a close a 42-year career as a judge in Luzerne County,
a record that distinguished him as the longest-serving Court of Common Pleas
judge in state history, said his son-in-law, Dr. Louis Sieminski.
Brominski had been in ill health for many years, once undergoing quadruple
heart bypass surgery and later suffering a stroke, Sieminski said.
“He was fighting a battle no one could win,” Sieminski said. “What’s
wonderful about it is he went quietly in his sleep, in his own bed at home
with his wife of many years beside him. We are thankful for that.”
Brominski was appointed to the bench in 1958. He served as president judge
from 1968 to 1981. He retired in 1992, but he remained active in the
judiciary, hearing hundreds of cases as a part-time senior judge. He had heard
cases on Monday and Tuesday, and was scheduled to work Wednesday.
“He just enjoyed his work,” said Jane Boltz, Brominski’s secretary for 14
years. “He felt as long as he could contribute, he was helping the courts.
There was never a day during which he said he wished he wasn’t here today.”
Brominski’s black robe hung in a corner of his chambers as Boltz fielded
calls of condolences. The office is filled with photos of Brominski with
judges who have come and gone, but he was most proud of that soccer photo,
Boltz said.
“His grandson was his pride and joy,” Boltz said. “He was so proud of
him.”
In addition to his grandson, Jason Sieminski, Brominski is survived by his
wife, Dorothea, and daughter, Libby Sieminski.
Judge Michael Conahan said Brominski spoke about the soccer photo “all the
time.” Conahan first met Brominski in 1977 when the judge swore Conahan in as
a district justice.
“From that day forward, he was one of the best friends and advisers a
judge could have,” Conahan said. “This is not only a loss to the legal
profession but the community. This guy loved the law, he loved his work, he
loved his family.”
President Judge Joseph Augello suspended court operations for a brief
memorial service Wednesday morning. Dozens of attorneys and court employees
filled a courtroom as Augello read a statement praising Brominski as a man who
“made a difference in so many lives.”
“He always presided with diligence, dedication and integrity,” Augello
said. “He lived a life of service and left a legacy of wisdom.”
It was unclear Wednesday if Brominski’s place as a senior judge will be
filled. Augello left the courthouse to be with Brominski’s family after the
memorial service and could not be reached for comment.
Brominski handled multiple high-profile cases during his tenure. Perhaps
the most famous was his 1969 ruling forbidding the exhumation of Mary Jo
Kopechne, a Larksville woman who drowned in the waters off Chappaquiddick
Island in Massachusetts after a vehicle driven by Sen. Edward Kennedy veered
off a bridge.
Brominski was unphased by the media attention in that case, or any others,
his colleagues said.
“He was the type that it didn’t matter if it was the biggest case on the
calendar that week or the most insignificant case. He treated every case as if
it was the only case,” said Basil Russin, Luzerne County’s chief public
defender.
Other attorneys described Brominski as a fair-minded, dedicated judge who
had strong command of the law.
“I don’t think there is anyone who can say anything about Judge Brominski
other than he was incredibly fair,” said attorney Joseph Cosgrove. “Lawyers
want fairness, respect and consistency. You got that with Judge Brominski.”
But the judge was also demanding, Cosgrove said. Attorneys knew they better
be prepared when they entered his courtroom.
“He required the best of us. He made us do our job. I’m a far, far better
lawyer for having practiced in Luzerne County with Judge Brominski.”
Outside the courtroom, Brominski was an avid sports fan. The judge loved
football, and was an accomplished golfer.
Judge Hugh Mundy said he played golf with Brominski occasionally, and
Brominski did not play like a 77-year-old.
“He was pretty good. He loved beating me on a fairly regular basis,”
Mundy said.
Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. practiced before Brominski as an attorney.
He praised Brominski for his dedication to his job despite his health
problems.
“Every day he would regularly take long lists of guilty pleas,” Olszewski
said. “He was a man who literally worked right to the end.”
That dedication showed in another uncommon trait Brominski had as a judge –
punctuality.
“He’s the only judge I know who was always on time, if not early,” said
Assistant District Attorney Ingrid Cronin.
Cronin said she did not always agree with Brominski’s rulings, but she
respected his decisions.
“You could tell he did exactly what he felt was fair. He didn’t appear to
be motivated by politics in the least.”
Brominski’s dedication to the county was rewarded in September, when county
officials renamed the county’s orphan’s court building in his honor.
“Bricks and mortar will carry his name for decades, but Judge Brominski’s
true legacy will be the impact his 42 years of public service have left on
generations,” Luzerne County Commissioner Chairman Tom Makowski said in a
prepared statement.
Brominski’s son-in-law said the honor meant a great deal to the judge and
his family.
“It was a wonderful tribute that was very warming,” Dr. Louis Sieminski
said. “It was especially important for our family because it was done while
he was alive. We appreciated that.”
Call Morgan-Besecker at 829-7179.