Statement from Mayor de Blasio on Swearing in of Chief Judge Janey DiFiore

February 8, 2016

"I want to congratulate the Honorable Janet DiFiore, who was sworn in today as the Chief Judge of the State of New York. Chief Judge DiFiore has committed to improving fairness and the quality of justice in our state's courts. Her new 'Excellence Initiative,' announced today, marks an important and commendable step towards reducing case backlogs across New York State. Cutting criminal case delay remains a critical and urgent priority for my administration. I applaud Judge DiFiore for her immediate focus on this issue, and look forward to working in close partnership with her to continue shortening case processing times, and advancing fairness and justice in the courts that serve the City of New York."