Contact: Colleen Roche/Matthew Higgins (212) 788-2958
In a City Hall ceremony today, Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani reappointed twenty Criminal Court judges, seven Civil Court judges, and two Family Court judges, whose current terms expire on December 31, 1998.
"These 29 dedicated public servants have dispensed justice with integrity, fairness, and compassion, proving themselves deserving of reappointment," the Mayor said. "While their professional backgrounds and experiences are diverse, they share in common a desire to preserve the rule of law and to ensure that no New Yorker is denied justice. I am confident they will continue to uphold the trust the public has vested in them in their next terms, as they have done throughout their years of service on the bench. Today, I am proud to administer the oath of office to this distinguished group of judges."
Criminal Court Reappointments
The Mayor reappointed the following twenty Criminal Court judges:
Herbert J. Adlerberg was first appointed Criminal Court Judge assigned to New York County in 1983 and has been Supervising Judge of New York City Arraignment Parts since 1988. He is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School.
Herbert I. Altman was first appointed Criminal Court Judge in 1978. Since 1980, he has been designated Acting Supreme Court Justice assigned to New York County Criminal Term. He is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School.
Steven Lloyd Barrett was appointed to the Criminal Court assigned to Bronx County in 1983 and has served in the Supreme Court Criminal Term, Bronx County since 1986. From 1977 to 1983, he worked for the Federal Defender Appeals Bureau for the 2nd Circuit. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School.
A. Kirke Bartley, Jr. was appointed Criminal Court Judge in 1997 assigned to New York County. Previously he had worked as Chief of the Supreme Court Trial Bureau of the Queens County District Attorney's Office. He is a graduate of St. John's University Law School.
Ira F. Beal was appointed Criminal Court Judge sitting in New York County in 1982. Since 1986, he has been designated Acting Supreme Court Justice assigned to New York County. He previously had worked as General Counsel to New York City Off-Track Betting. He is a graduate of New York Law School.
Carol Berkman was appointed Criminal Court Judge in 1979 and was assigned to New York County. Since 1982, she has been designated Acting Supreme Court Justice assigned to New York County, Criminal Term. She had previously worked at the Legal Aid Society as Assistant Attorney-in-Charge of the Criminal Appeals Bureau. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School.
Joel E. Blumenfeld was first appointed Criminal Court Judge in 1987 and assigned to Queens County. Since 1991, he has been designated Supreme Court Justice assigned to Queens County, Criminal Term. He had previously worked for the Legal Aid Society in New York, Queens and Bronx Counties. He is a graduate of George Washington Law School.
John J. Byrne was first appointed as a Criminal Court Judge in 1978. In 1981, he was designated Acting Supreme Court Justice assigned to Bronx County, Criminal Branch and since 1989 he has been assigned to the Arraignment Part. He is a graduate of New York Law School.
Fernando M. Camacho was appointed Criminal Court Judge in 1997 and is sitting in Kings County. Previously, he was a Senior Trial Attorney for the Homicide Investigation Unit of the New York County District Attorney's Office. He is a graduate of Fordham University Law School.
John Cataldo was appointed a Criminal Court Judge in 1989 and has been sitting in New York County. Since January, 1998, he has been designated Acting Supreme Court Justice and Deputy Supervising Judge of the Criminal Court in New York City. Previously, he was a supervising attorney for the Criminal Defense Division of the Legal Aid Society. He is a graduate of St. John's University Law School.
Robert L. Cohen was first appointed Criminal Court Judge in 1982 and was assigned to Bronx County. Since 1986, he has been designated Acting Supreme Court Justice in Bronx County and since 1987 has been Supervising Judge of Bronx County Grand Juries. He is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School.
Arlene D. Goldberg was first appointed Criminal Court Judge in 1991 and has been assigned to General All Purpose Parts, Arraignment and Trial Parts in New York County. She previously had been an Attorney with the Legal Aid Society and a Court Attorney to Acting Supreme Court Justice Carol Berkman. She is a graduate of Loyola Law School.
Sheldon Greenberg was first appointed Criminal Court Judge in 1981 and was assigned to Kings County. Since 1984, he has been designated Acting Supreme Court Justice assigned to Kings County Criminal Term. He previously had been First Assistant District Attorney in Kings County. He is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School.
Deborah Stevens Modica was appointed Criminal Court Judge and has been sitting in Queens County since 1997. She had previously held senior positions in both the Queens and Kings County District Attorney's Offices. She is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law.
Sheryl L. Parker was first appointed Criminal Court Judge in 1989 and was assigned to Queens County. In 1997, she was designated Acting Supreme Court Justice assigned to Queens County and in 1998 was assigned to Kings County. Previously, she was Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation. She is a graduate of St. John's University Law School.
Charles A. Posner was first appointed as a Civil Court Judge in 1995 and in 1996 was appointed Criminal Court Judge assigned to Queens County. Since 1997, he has been assigned to Kings County. He previously had held senior positions in the Kings County District Attorney's Office. He is a graduate of New York Law School.
Seymour Rotker was first appointed Criminal Court Judge in 1978 and reappointed in 1979 and 1989. He currently sits as Acting Supreme Court Justice in Queens County. He had previously served as Chief Assistant District Attorney in Bronx County from 1971-1978. He is a graduate of New York University School of Law.
Arlene R. Silverman was first appointed Criminal Court Judge in 1984 and reappointed in 1989. She currently sits as Acting Supreme Court Justice in New York County. She had previously served as Assistant Attorney General, New York State Department of Law from 1967-1971 and 1972-1984. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School.
Brenda S. Soloff was first appointed Criminal Court Judge in 1978 and reappointed in 1979 and 1989. She currently sits as Acting Supreme Court Justice in New York County. She had previously served as Assistant Attorney General, New York State Department of Law from 1964-1974 and as an associate professor of law at Hofstra University from 1974-1978. She is a graduate of Columbia University School of Law.
John Patrick Walsh was first appointed Criminal Court Judge in 1989. He currently sits as Supervising Judge of the New York City Arraignment Parts. He had previously served in the New York Police Department from 1963-1989. He is a graduate of New York Law School.
Civil Court Reappointments
The Mayor reappointed the following seven Civil Court judges, who have been sitting by designation in Criminal Court:
Ellen M. Coin was first appointed Civil Court Judge in May 1998 and is currently assigned to Criminal Court in New York County. She had previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in Kings County and Special Attorney for the Organized Crime Strike Force in the Eastern District of New York. She is a graduate of New York University Law School.
Jerome M. Kay was appointed Civil Court Judge in 1996 and served in Kings County. He was first appointed a Criminal Court Judge in 1974 and has served the court in various judicial positions since then. He is a graduate of Columbia University Law School.
Jeffrey D. Lebowitz has been a Civil Court Judge sitting in both Bronx and Queens Counties since 1993. He is currently assigned to the Queens Criminal Court. He is a graduate of Hofstra University School of Law.
Suzanne M. Mondo was appointed a Civil Court Judge in May 1998 and is assigned to the New York County Criminal Court. She previously served as Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District and as an Assistant District Attorney in Kings County. She is a graduate of Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School.
Ann T. Pfau was appointed Civil Court Judge in May 1998 and is assigned to the Criminal Court in New York County. She also serves as the Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for management of the New York State Court System. She is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School.
Neil E. Ross was appointed a Civil Court Judge in May 1998 and is assigned to the Criminal Court in New York County. He had previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District and as Assistant District Attorney for Kings County. He is a graduate of Syracuse University Law School.
Robert M. Stolz was appointed Civil Court Judge in 1995 and has been assigned to the New York County Criminal Court since then. He was previously an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District. He is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law.
Family Court Reappointments
The Mayor reappointed the following two Family Court judges:
George L. Jurow was first appointed as a Family Court Judge in 1982 and reappointed in 1989. He had previously served as First Deputy Commissioner at the New York City Department of Mental Health from 1975-1979. He is a graduate of Yale Law School.
Joseph M. Lauria was appointed Family Court Judge in 1989 and now serves as the Administrative Judge for the Family Court in Kings County. He previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in both Kings County and Queens County. He is a graduate of New York Law School.