Congratulations FHW Commissioners

Congratulations to our former Williams Commissioner Sandra Rivera who was recently appointed as Senior Advisor for Legislative Affairs in Governor Kathy Hochul’s Administration. See link to press release: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-new-administration-appointments

Congratulations to Williams Commissioner L. Austin D’Souza who is now the President of the South Asian Bar Association of New York.

L. Austin D’Souza, Esq., newly-installed President of the South Asian Bar Association of New York (center), and members of the Association. Hon. Shahabuddeen A. Ally, Supervising Judge of the New York County Civil Court and FHW Commissioner (front row, third from left).

Congratulations to our Commissioner, Dr. Betty Campbell, who was re-appointed Commissioner of Jurors for Westchester County for another four-year term at the Special Session of the Westchester County Jury Board.

Congratulations to our Commissioner Paula Johnson, who is a Syracuse Law Professor and co-director of Syracuse Law’s Cold Case Justice Initiative and a Race and Justice in Central New York project. The New York State Bar Association Committee for Bar Leaders of New York State has announced that the Bond, Schoeneck & King Series on Race and Justice in Central New York is the 2021 winner of the NYSBA Innovation Award for medium-sized associations. The series—launched in fall 2020—is a collaboration among Syracuse University College of Law, Onondaga County Bar Association, Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC, and other community partners and CNY law firms. Please see the link below (and attachment) to the article from Syracuse University News: https://news.syr.edu/blog/2021/12/02/college-of-law-community-partners-win-innovation-award-for-race-and-justice-in-central-new-york/.

FHW Commission, Hon. Doris Ling-Cohan was named to the NYS Bar Association Task Force on Racism, Social Equality and the Law

Recent Judicial Supervisory Appointments

Hon. Shirley Troutman – appointed to the NYS Court of Appeals

Hon. Kathie E. Davidson Named Dean of the NYS Judicial Institute

Hon. Hector D. LaSalle – Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, Second Department

Hon. Norman St. George – Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for the Courts Outside of NYC

Hon. Kevin Carter – Administrative Judge of the Eighth Judicial District

Hon. Carolyn Walker-Diallo – Administrative Judge of the NYC Civil Court

Hon. Eddie McShan – Appointed to the Appellate Division, Third Department

Hon. Richard Rivera – appointed Supervising Judge of Family Court for the Third Judicial District

Hon. Anne-Marie Jolly – Administrative Judge of the NYC Family Court

Hon. Alvin Yearwood -- Administrative Judge for Criminal Matters in the Twelfth Judicial District

FEDERAL

Hon. Eunice C. Lee – appointed to the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Trini Ross – US Attorney for the Western District of New York (PHOTO CREDIT – University of Buffalo)

Breon Peace – US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York (Photo credit - Cleary Gottlieb)

Damian Williams – US Attorney for the Southern District of New York
(photo credit – U.S. Attorney’s Office)

Recent Appointments:

Hon. Valentina Morales has been appointed by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to serve as a Criminal Court Judge.

Recent Elections: NEW YORK COUNTY Civil Court, New York County

Hon. Kim M. Parker – New York County City Civil Court

Supreme Court, 1st Judicial District Margaret A. Pui Yee Chan – Approved (re-elected)

Hon. Christopher Chin, New York City Civil Court, 2nd Municipal Court

Hon. Betty Lugo, New York City Civil Court Judge, 2nd Municipal Court

Civil Court, 5th Municipal Court

Hon. Hasa A. Kingo – New York City Civil Court, 5th Municipal Court

BRONX COUNTY Supreme Court,
12th Municipal District

Hon. Patsy D. Gouldbourne, New York State Supreme Court, 12th Judicial District

Hon. Naita A. Semaj, New York State Supreme Court, 12th Judicial District

Hon. Marissa Soto, New York State Supreme Court, 12th Judicial District

Hon. George R. Villegas, New York State Supreme Court, 12th Judicial District

Bronx - Civil Court, 2nd Municipal District

Hon. Jessica Flores, NYC Civil Court, 2nd Municipal District (Bronx)

Hon. Verena C. Powell, NYC Civil Court, 2nd Municipal District (Bronx)

KINGS COUNTY Supreme Court, 2nd Judicial District

Hon. Lillian Wan was appointed to the Appellate Division, Second Department in May 2022. Judge Wan is currently a justice of the Kings County Supreme Court since January 2022. Judge Wan is also a former mentee of the commission's Judicial Mentoring Program.

Carolyn Walker-Diallo – re-elected

Hon. Dena E. Douglas – Supreme Court, 2nd Judicial District

Hon. Consuelo Mallafre Melendez – Supreme Court, 2nd Judicial District

Civil Court, Countywide

Sharen D. Hudson – re-elected

Hon. Inga M. O’Neale –NYC Civil Court – Kings County. Judge O'neale is a former mentee of the Commission’s Judicial Mentoring Program.

Hon. Lisa Lewis –NYC Civil Court – 2nd Municipal District (Kings County). Judge Lewis was a former mentee of the Commission’s Judicial Mentoring Program.

Keisha M. Alleyne, New York Civil Court (7th Municipal District – Kings County)

QUEENS COUNTY Civil Court, Countywide

Hon. Andrea S. Ogle, New York City Civil Court Judge (Queens County)

Hon. Soma S. Syed, New York City Civil Court Judge (Queens County)

Supreme Court, 11th Municipal District

Hon. Kenneth C. Holder re-elected judge of the New York Supreme Court 11th Judicial District

Hon. Karen Gopee re-elected for judge of the New York Supreme Court 11th Judicial District.

Hon. Michele R. Titus elected for judge of the New York Supreme Court 11th Judicial District.

Hon. Laurentina S. McKetney Butler elected judge of the New York Supreme Court 11th Judicial District.

Civil Court, 4th Municipal District

Hon. Cassandra Aimée Johnson –NYC Civil Court – Queens (4th Municipal District)

Upstate – Westchester County

Hon. Thomas Quiñones, New York State Supreme Court, Westchester County

Rockland County

Hon. Djinsad Desir, Judge, Town of Ramapo

Hon. Christopher J. Exias, Village Justice of the Village of Spring

BUFFALO CITY COURT (ERIE COUNTY)

Hon. Phillip Dabney, Jr.,elected Buffalo City Court. Judge Dabney was a former mentee of the Commission’s Judicial Mentoring Program.

Hon. JaHarr S. Pridgen, appointed Chief Judge of Buffalo City Court and is the court’s first female chief judge.

Samuel P. Davis, appointed by Mayor Byron Brown to the Buffalo City Court bench.

Gary A. Wilson, appointed by Mayor Byron Brown to the Buffalo City Court bench.

MONROE COUNTY (ROCHESTER)

Hon. Caroline E. Morrison, elected Monroe County Court

Town of Haverstraw

Hon. Ivonne S. Santos (re-elected) Town Judge – Town of Haverstraw

The NYC Mayor appointed the following judge to Family Court:

Judge Jonathan H. Shim

The NYC Mayor appointed the following judges to Criminal Court:

Judge Giyang An
Judge An is a former mentee of the Commission’s Judicial Mentoring Program.

Judge Biju J. Koshy

Judge Melissa T. Lewis

The NYC Mayor appointed the following judges to Civil Court:

Judge Diego A. Freire

Judge Simiyon S. Haniff has been assigned to NYC Criminal Court, Kings County.

Judge Vidya Pappachan has been assigned to NYC Criminal Court, Bronx County. Judge Pappachan is a former mentee of the Commission’s Judicial Mentoring Program.

Patria Frias-Colón was just appointed Supervising Judge of Civil Court, Queens County.

Suffolk County Family Court

Hon. Mary Porter
Suffolk County Family Court (elected)

Yonkers City Court

Hon. Ada Medina was appointed to Yonkers City Court as City Court Judge.

Congratulations

On June 9, 2022, David Santiago was promoted to Chief Court Officer for the Suffolk County Courts. Chief Santiago is Suffolk County’s first Latino Chief Court Officer.

On June 23, 2022, David Joseph was promoted to Chief and assumed the role of New York State Court Security Liaison assigned to the Office of the Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Courts Outside New York City.

In November 2021, Kevin Bryant was elected as Supreme Court Justice in the Third Judicial District.

Congratulations to our FHW Commissioner, Hon. Joanne D. Quiñones on her appointment to the Court of Claims. Judge Quiñones has also been elected as the Presiding Member of the Judicial Section of the New York State Bar Association. She is the first Latina to hold this position since the Section was organized in 1924.

Congratulations to our FHW Commissioner, Hon. Craig D. Hannah on his appointment by Governor Hochul to the New York State Supreme Court, Erie County.

Congratulations to our FHW Commissioner, Lauren A. Jones, Esq., who is the recipient of the President’s Award from the Metropolitan Black Bar Association. Commissioner Jones was honored for her work in the recruitment and training of diverse neutrals in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Hon. Helen Voutsinas was appointed to the Appellate Division, Second Department in May 2022. Judge Voutsinas is currently a justice of the Appellate Term, 9th and 10th Judicial District and of the Supreme Court, Nassau County.

Congratulations to the newest appointees to the New York State Court of Claims
Michael Siragusa, Williamsville, Erie County
Hon. Betty Calvo-Torres, Buffalo
Stephanie Saunders, Buffalo
Hon. Stephen Thomas Miller, Rochester
Zainab Chaudhry, Albany County
Anthony Brindisi, Utica, Oneida County
Anar Patel, Westchester
Hon. Joanne Quinones, Kings County
Javier Enrique Vargas, New York
Sarika Kapoor, Nassau County
Maureen Heitner, Queens County
Tim Lewis, Westchester County

Congratulations to Janet Edwards Tucker, who has been appointed to Chief Clerk of Queens Surrogate’s Court, and is the first African American to serve in such a position.

Congratulations to Hon. Cheree Buggs, who has been appointed Associate Justice of the Appellate Term, Second Department.

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