NYS Black Judges Ensure Equal Justice for All

Our message 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 AppealsAppellate 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 DepartmentNYS 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, NYSSupreme 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 CountyCOURT 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 CountyCOUNTY 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 CourtFAMILY and SURROGATE 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 JudgeNYC 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. Naita A. Semaj, NYC Civil Court Judge, Bronx 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 CountyCITY 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 JudgeTOWN 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