ALBANY -- The Republican-dominated faction claiming control of the New York Senate says a Democrat-appointed official doctored the original, official minutes of the session three weeks ago when they staged a coup to seize the majority.

They claim the alteration was criminal, making it appropriate for courts to intervene in the power struggle.

Democrats say the official journal is correct, that the vote for a new Senate president happened after the Senate adjourned, and journal corrections are routine.

State Supreme Court Justice Thomas McNamara is reviewing the claims. He has previously declined to rule on whether the contested leadership vote was legal, saying the court shouldn't intrude on the Senate's inner workings and urging senators to settle the dispute.