Our messsage to the community:
As judges of color who preside over criminal and civil matters within the community, we feel compelled, in light of events that have been and are
unfolding before us all across the country, to take a moment to convey our thoughts, as to our responsibility and commitment as jurists.
W.E.B. Du Bois, the first African American to receive a Ph.D from Harvard University, wrote over a century ago in 1903, in his book titled “The Souls of
Black Folk”, that:
“Daily the person of color is coming more and more to look upon law and justice, not as protecting safeguards, but as sources of
humiliation and oppression.”
Sadly, for too many, such sentiments are as raw today as they were in 1903, as evidenced by worldwide protests in the aftermath of the death of George
Floyd.
Each day we seek to dispel any narrative or belief that looks upon courts as instruments of injustice, by treating each person fairly and impartially while
upholding our oaths to the constitutions of the State of New York and the United States. However, there is much work to be done, and we like all judges
must be mindful of the impact of systemic racism or bias in fulfilling the court’s responsibility to ensure equal justice to all under the law.
We reaffirm our commitment to make a positive difference within our respective courts each day and to ensure that those appearing before us are
treated equally, with the respect and dignity that both the law and humanity require.
Sincerely,
Court of Appeals
Hon. Jenny Rivera, Associate
Judge of the Court of Appeals
Hon. Rowan D. Wilson,
Associate Judge of the Court
of Appeals
Appellate Division and Appellate
Terms of the NYS Supreme Court
Hon. Betsy Barros, Associate
Justice, Appellate Division,
Second Department
Hon. Sylvia Hinds-Radix,
Associate Justice, Appellate
Division, Second Department
Hon. Lizbeth González,
Associate Justice, Appellate
Division, First Department
Hon. Doris Ling-Cohan,
Associate Justice, Appellate Term,
First Department,
NYS Supreme Court
Hon. Sallie Manzanet-Daniels,
Associate Justice, Appellate
Division, First Department
Hon. L. Priscilla Hall (Ret.),
Associate Justice, Appellate
Division, Second Department
Hon. Dianne T. Renwick,
Associate Justice, Appellate
Division, First Department
Hon. Wavny Toussaint, NYS
Supreme Court Kings County and
Associate Justice of the Appellate
Term, Second Department
NYS Supreme Court
Hon. John Carter,
NYS Supreme Court Justice,
Criminal Term, Bronx County
Hon. Margaret Chan, ASCJ,
NYS Supreme Court Justice,
New York County
Hon. Lizette Colon, Acting
NYS Supreme Court Justice
Hon. Gordon Cuffy, Acting
NYS Supreme Court Justice
Hon. Kathie Davidson, NYS
Supreme Court Justice,
Westchester County, Administrative
Judge, 9th Judicial District
Hon. Tandra L. Dawson, Acting
Supreme Court Justice, New
York County, Integrated Domestic
Violence Court Hon. Althea E.M.
Drysdale, Acting Supreme Court
Justice, New York County
Hon. Erika Edwards, NYS
Supreme Court Justice, Criminal
Term, New York County
Hon. Genine D. Edwards, NYS
Supreme Court Justice, Civil Term,
Kings County
Hon. William G. Ford, NYS
Supreme Court Justice,
Suffolk County
Hon. Sharon Gianelli, NYS
Supreme Court Justice,
Nassau County
Hon. Wyatt N. Gibbons, NYS
Supreme Court Justice, Civil Term,
Queens County
Hon. Wilma Guzman, NYS
Supreme Court Justice,
Bronx County
Hon. Kenneth C. Holder, NYS
Supreme Court Justice,
Queens County
Hon. Phillip Hom, NYS Supreme
Court Justice, Queens County
Hon. Sharen Hudson, Acting NYS
Supreme Court Justice, Criminal
Term, Kings County
Hon. Debra A. James, NYS
Supreme Court Justice,
New York County
Hon. Tanya R. Kennedy, NYS
Supreme Court Justice, Civil Term,
New York County
Hon. Janet C. Malone, NYS
Supreme Court Justice,
Westchester County
Hon. Larry D. Martin, NYS
Supreme Court Justice,
Commercial Division, Kings County
Hon. La Tia W. Martin, NYS
Supreme Court Justice, Civil Term,
Bronx County
Hon. Manuel J. Mendez, NYS
Supreme Court Justice,
New York County
Hon. Marsha D. Michael, NYS
Supreme Court Justice, Criminal
Term, Bronx County
Hon. Donald A. Miles, NYS
Supreme Court Justice,
Bronx County
Hon. Guy H. Mitchell, Acting
NYS Supreme Court Justice,
Criminal Term, Bronx County
Hon. E. Jeannette Ogden, NYS
Supreme Court Justice,
8th Judicial District
Hon. Bahaati E. Pitt, NYS
Supreme Court Justice,
Criminal Term, Bronx County
Hon. Joanne D. Quinones,
Acting NYS Supreme Court Justice,
Criminal Term, Kings County
Hon. Leticia Maria Ramirez,
Acting NYS Supreme Court Justice,
New York County
Hon. Richard Rivera, Acting NYS
Supreme Court Justice, Albany
County Family Court Judge
Hon. Llinét M. Rosado, NYS
Supreme Court Justice, Civil Term,
Bronx County
Hon. Verna Saunders, NYS
Supreme Court Justice
Hon. Toko Serita, Acting NYS
Supreme Court Justice,
Criminal Term, Queens County
Hon. Ruth Shillingford, Acting
NYS Supreme Court Justice,
Criminal Term, Kings County
Hon. J. Machelle Sweeting,
Acting NYS Supreme Court Justice,
Harlem Community Justice Center,
Presiding Justice
Hon. Delores J. Thomas, NYS
Supreme Court Justice,
Kings County
Hon. Kenneth L. Thompson, Jr.,
NYS Supreme Court Justice,
Bronx County
Hon. Alison Y. Tuitt, NYS
Supreme Court Justice, Civil Term,
Bronx County
Hon. George R. Villegas, NYS
Supreme Court Justice, Criminal
Term, Bronx County
Hon. Laura Visitacion-Lewis
(Ret.), NYS Supreme Court Justice,
Criminal and Civil Terms,
New York County
Hon. Craig Walker, Acting NYS
Supreme Court Justice,
Criminal Term, Kings County
Hon. Sam D. Walker, NYS
Supreme Court Justice,
9th Judicial District
Hon. Alvin Yearwood, Acting
NYS Supreme Court Justice,
Criminal Term, Bronx County
Court of Claims
Hon. Edwina G. Richardson-
Mendelson, NYS Court of Claims
Judge, Deputy Chief Administrative
Judge for Justice Initiatives
Hon. Juan M. Merchan, NYS
Court of Claims Judge Acting NYS
Supreme Court Justice, Criminal
Term, New York County
Hon. Walter Rivera, NYS Court
of Claims Judge
Hon. Michele S. Rodney, NYS
Court of Claims Judge, Acting NYS
Supreme Court Justice, Criminal
Term, New York County
Hon. Lillian Wan, NYS Court of
Claims Judge, Acting NYS Supreme
Court Justice, Kings County
County Court
Hon. Helen M. Blackwood,
Westchester County Court Judge
Hon. William A. Carter, Albany
County Court Judge
Hon. Maija C. Dixon, Acting
Monroe County Court Judge,
Rochester City Court Judge
Hon. Derrick J. Robinson,
Acting County Court Judge,
Suffolk County District Court
Family and Surrogates Court
Hon. Sherri Brooks-Morton,
Albany County Family Court Judge
Hon. Kevin M. Carter,
Supervising Judge of Family Courts,
8th Judicial District
Hon. Karen M.C. Cortes, Bronx
County Family Court Judge
Hon. Dean Kusakabe, Queens
County Family Court Judge
Hon. Connie Gonzalez, Queens
County Family Court Judge
Hon. Arlene Gordon-Oliver,
Westchester County Family Court
Judge
Hon. Patsy Gouldborne, AJSC,
Matrimonial Court Judge,
Bronx County
Hon. Mildred Negron, Queens
County Family Court Judge
Hon. Gayle P. Roberts, Bronx
County Family Court Judge
Hon. Jonathan H. Shim, New York
County Family Court Judge
Hon. Aija Tingling, Acting Bronx
County Family Court Judge
Hon. Margarita Lopez Torres,
Kings County Surrogates Court
Judge
Hon. Javier Vargas, Kings County
Family Court Judge
NYC Civil and Criminal Courts
Hon. Deepa Ambekar, NYC
Criminal Court Judge, Kings County
Hon. Karina E. Alomar, NYC Civil
Court Judge, Queens County
Hon. Shahabuddeen A. Ally,
NYC Criminal Court Judge,
Bronx County
Hon. Sharon A. Bourne-Clarke,
NYC Civil Court Judge,
Richmond County
Hon. Phyllis Chu, NYC Criminal
Court Judge, New York County
Hon. Patria Frias-Colón, NYC
Civil Court Judge, Kings County
Hon. Abena Darkeh, NYC
Criminal Court Judge, Kings County
Hon. Christel F. Garland, NYC
Housing Court Judge,
Bronx County
Hon. Cheryl Gonzales, NYC
Housing Court Judge, Kings County
Hon. Karen Gopee, NYC Criminal
Court Judge, Queens County
Hon. Jeffrey Gershuny, NYC
Criminal Court Judge,
Queens County
Hon. Lisa S. Headley, NYC Civil
Court Judge, New York County
Hon. John A. Howard-Algarin,
NYC Criminal Court Judge,
New York County
Hon. Shorab Ibrahim, NYC
Housing Court Judge,
Bronx County
Hon. Michelle A. Johnson,
Supervising Judge, NYC Criminal
Court, Queens County
Hon. John Lansden, NYC Housing
Court Judge, Queens County
Hon. Consuelo Mallafré
Meléndez, NYC Civil Court Judge,
Kings County
Hon. Claudia Daniels-
DePeyster, NYC Criminal Court
Judge, Kings County
Hon. Connie Morales, NYC Civil
Court Judge, assigned Criminal
Court, Bronx County
Hon. Dweynie E. Paul, NYC Civil
Court Judge, Kings County
Hon. Bianka Perez, NYC Civil
Court Judge, Bronx County
Hon. Enedina Pilar Sanchez,
NYC Housing Court Judge,
Queens County
Hon. Dakota D. Ramseur, NYC
Civil Court Judge, New York County
Hon. Archana Rao, NYC Criminal
Court Judge, Kings County
Hon. Sandra E. Roper, NYC Civil
Court Judge, Kings County
Hon. Marissa Soto, NYC Civil
Court Judge, Bronx County
Hon. Bryant Tovar, NYC Housing
Court Judge, Bronx County
Hon. Kim Adair Wilson, NYC Civil
Court Judge, Bronx County
City and District Courts
Outside NYC
Hon. Adrian Armstrong, Mount
Vernon City Court Judge
Hon. Vanessa Bogan, Syracuse
City Court Judge, Youth Part Judge
Hon. Betty Calvo-Torres, Buffalo
City Court Judge
Hon. Lissette G. Fernandez,
Peekskill City Court Judge
Hon. Tricia Ferrell, District Court,
Nassau County
Hon. Lenora B. Foote-Beavers,
Buffalo City Court Judge, Domestic
Violence Part
Hon. Teneka E. Frost,
Schenectady City Court Judge
Hon. Darlene Harris, District Court,
Nassau County
Hon. Helena Heath, Albany City
Court Judge
Hon. Nichelle A. Johnson, Mount
Vernon City Court Judge
Hon. Reginald J. Johnson,
Peekskill City Court Judge
Hon. Michael C. Lopez,
Rochester City Court Judge
Hon. Jared R. Rice, New Rochelle
City Court Judge
Hon. Robert Russell, Buffalo City
Court Judge
Hon. Derrek Thomas, Syracuse
City Court Judge
Hon. Elena Goldberg Velazquez,
Yonkers City Court Judge
Town and Village Courts
Hon. Joaquin F. Alemany,
Scarsdale Village Court Justice
Hon. Delores Scott Brathwaite,
Greenburgh Town Court Justice
Hon. Maritza Fugaro-Norton,
Cortlandt Town Court Justice
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