Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced the appointments and re-appointments of five judges to Family Court, eighteen to Criminal Court, and three to Civil Court. These judges span a wide spectrum of experiences, and are uniquely qualified to serve New Yorkers.

“The seasoned, committed and impartial judges appointed today are what New Yorkers deserve in court,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I look forward to working with these new and re-appointed judges, who have the diverse experience, both personally and professionally, to represent the best interest of all who call this great city home.”

I. APPOINTMENTS

The Mayor appointed the following judges:

FAMILY COURT

Judge Alison Hamanjian
Judge Alison Hamanjian was first appointed as an Interim Civil Court Judge in February 2017 and briefly served in Criminal Court before serving in Family Court. Prior to her appointment, Judge Hamanjian worked for the New York State Unified Court System for twelve years, first as Principal Law Clerk in Supreme Court, New York County, Youth Part, then as an Assistant Deputy Counsel in the Office of Policy and Planning. She was also a Court Attorney-Referee in Family Court, Richmond County. Judge Hamanjian is a graduate of Hunter College and received her law degree from New York Law School.

Judge Elenor Reid
Judge Elenor Reid was first appointed as an Interim Civil Court Judge in June 2017 and has been serving in Family Court. Prior to her appointment, Judge Reid worked in the New York City Law Department including the Family Court Division. She was also a Court Attorney and Principal Law Clerk for 16 years and has been a member of the Juvenile Justice Committee of the New York City Bar. Judge Reid is a graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice and received her law degree from New York Law School.

CRIMINAL COURT

Judge Mary Bejarano
Judge Mary Bejarano was first appointed as an Interim Civil Court Judge in May 2017 and has been serving in Criminal Court. She began her legal career with the Queens County District Attorney’s Office before becoming a criminal defense attorney in private practice. Prior to her appointment, Judge Bejarano returned to public service as a prosecutor with the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. She is a graduate of St. John’s University and received her J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law.

Judge Tara Collins
Judge Tara Collins was first appointed as an Interim Civil Court Judge in May 2017 and has been serving in Criminal Court. Prior to her appointment, Judge Collins served with the Legal Aid Society's Criminal Defense Practice for 18 years as a Staff Attorney and as a Mental Health Attorney. She is a graduate of SUNY Geneseo and received her J.D. from the Jacob D. Fuchsberg Touro Law Center.

Judge Scott Dunn
Judge Scott Dunn was first appointed as an Interim Civil Court Judge in May 2017 and has been serving in Criminal Court. Prior to his appointment, Judge Dunn started his career with the Immigration and Naturalization Service as Assistant General Counsel for 10 years. He subsequently served for 23 years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York as the Chief of Immigration Litigation. Judge Dunn is a graduate of Cornell University and received his law degree from Fordham University School of Law.

Judge David Frey
Judge David Frey was first appointed as an Interim Civil Court Judge in January 2017 and has been serving in Criminal Court. Prior to his appointment, Judge Frey served for 19 years with the Richmond County District Attorney's Office, where he last served as Bureau Chief of Investigations. He is also a long standing member of the Staten Island Community Band. Judge Frey is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and received his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.

Judge Jerry Iannece
Judge Jerry Iannece was first appointed as an Interim Civil Court Judge in May 2017 and has been serving in Criminal Court. Prior to his appointment, Judge Iannece began his legal career as a prosecutor with the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office and subsequently went into private practice, maintaining a general practice partnership, including criminal defense work, for 29 years. He is a graduate of New York University and received his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law.

Judge Joseph McCormack
Judge Joseph McCormack was first appointed as an Interim Civil Court Judge in May 2017 and has been serving in Criminal Court. Prior to his appointment, Judge McCormack served for 31 years with the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office, where he last served as Chief of the Trial Division/Vehicular Crimes Bureau. Judge McCormack has taught with the Prosecution Clinic of St. John’s University School of Law and with the Orangetown Youth Court. He is a graduate of SUNY Albany and received his J.D. from St. John’s School of Law.

Judge Christopher Robles
Judge Christopher Robles was first appointed as an Interim Civil Court Judge in June 2017 and has been serving in Criminal Court. He was in private practice for nearly 18 years with litigation experience in family law, civil practice, and appellate practice. Judge Robles is a graduate of St. John’s University and received his J.D. at CUNY School of Law.

Judge Frances Wang
Judge Frances Wang was first appointed as an Interim Civil Court Judge in January 2017 and has been serving in Criminal Court. Prior to her appointment Judge Wang served with the New York State Unified Court System for six years as a Principal Court Attorney in Supreme Court, Criminal Term, Bronx County. Prior to that, she served with the Bronx County District Attorney's Office. Judge Wang is a graduate of St. John's University and received her J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law.

II. REAPPOINTMENTS

The Mayor reappointed the following judges:

FAMILY COURT

Judge Emily Olshansky
Judge Emily Olshansky was first appointed to the Family Court in August 2004. Her legal career began in private practice specializing in matrimonial law. She then ran her own civil litigation practice with a focus on family law and held various positions at the New York State Supreme Court's Appellate Division, First Department, including as Law Guardian Director. Judge Olshansky received her undergraduate degree from Sarah Lawrence College and received her law degree from Cardozo Law School.

Judge Erik Pitchal
Judge Erik Pitchal was first appointed as an Interim Civil Court Judge in January 2013 and as a Family Court Judge in January 2015. Prior to his appointment, he served with the Legal Aid Society in the Juvenile Rights Division. Judge Pitchal has extensive experience in the field of children’s welfare and advocacy, and previously worked at Suffolk University Law School as Director of the Child Advocacy Clinic and as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Law. Judge Pitchal presently also serves as the Director of the National Association of Counsel for Children. Judge Pitchal graduated from Brown University and received his law degree from Yale Law School.

Judge Monica Shulman
Judge Monica Shulman was first appointed to the Family Court in August 2016. Prior to her appointment, Judge Shulman was an active Family Court practitioner for nearly 18 years and served as a Court Attorney Referee in New York County Family Court for six years. She also served with the New York City Administration for Children's Services for 12 years in the Bronx, New York and Kings counties. Judge Shulman also currently serves as the Chair for of the Children and the Law Committee of the New York Women’s Bar Association. Judge Shulman graduated from Indiana University and received her law degree from Touro College, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center.

CRIMINAL COURT

Judge Frederick Arriaga
Judge Frederick Arriaga was elected to the Civil Court bench in November 2007 and has been serving in Criminal Court. He became an Acting Supreme Court Justice in January 2013. He previously served as Counsel to former Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and worked for South Brooklyn Legal Services. He graduated from the University of Florida and Brooklyn Law School.

Judge Claudia Daniels-DePeyster
Judge Claudia Daniels-DePeyster was appointed to the Criminal Court in April 2015. Prior to her appointment, Judge Daniels-DePeyster was a solo practitioner with a concentration in criminal and civil law, an attorney with the Bureau of Investigations and Trials of the New York City Fire Department, and last served with the New York City Police Department as an Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Trials for 11 years. She graduated from SUNY at Buffalo and received her law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Law.

Judge Ralph Fabrizio
Judge Ralph Fabrizio, currently serving as an Acting Supreme Court Justice, was first appointed to the Criminal Court in December 2001. He served with the New York County District Attorney's Office for 17 years where he held various positions including Deputy Chief of a Trial Bureau. He received his bachelor's degree from Fairfield University, master's degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and law degree from St. John's University School of Law.

Judge John Hecht
Judge John Hecht, an Acting Supreme Court Justice, has been serving in Criminal Court since January 2011. Prior to his appointment, he served as a Principal Court Attorney in Supreme Court, was a Supervising Attorney for the Legal Aid Society, a litigation associate for private firms, and clerked for a federal judge. He received his undergraduate degree from Yale College and his J.D. from Boston University School of Law.

Judge Melissa Jackson
Judge Melissa Jackson, an Acting Supreme Court Justice, was first appointed to the Criminal Court in June 2003. She served as the Supervising Judge of New York County Criminal Court from 2008 to 2012 and as the Administrative Judge of New York City Criminal Court from 2014 to 2017. Prior to her appointment, she was with the Kings County District Attorney's Office for nearly 22 years where she rose to become Deputy District Attorney of the Major Frauds/Rackets Bureau. Judge Jackson graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and received her law degree from Fordham University School of Law.

Judge Robert Mandelbaum
Judge Robert Mandelbaum, an Acting Supreme Court Justice, has been serving in Criminal Court since November 2006. He formerly served as Chief Judge Judith Kaye's law clerk, was with the New York County Defenders Services, the Legal Aid Society's Criminal Defense Division as a criminal defense attorney and Acting Director of Training. Judge Mandelbaum was also previously with New York University's School of Law as an Acting Assistant Professor of Clinical Law and as a Research Instructor in their Lawyering Program. Judge Mandelbaum received his undergraduate degree from Brown University and his law degree from New York University School of Law.

Judge Margaret Martin
Judge Margaret Martin was appointed to the Criminal Court in January 2017. Prior to her appointment, Judge Martin was an Assistant Deputy Counsel in the Office of Court Administration's Office of Policy and Planning. She also served with the Legal Aid Society for over 21 years, including as Senior Staff Attorney in the Capital Division. Judge Martin is a graduate of Boston University and received her J.D. from the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law.

Judge Mario Mattei
Judge Mario Mattei, an Acting Supreme Court Justice, was appointed as a Criminal Court Judge in January 2010. He served with the Richmond County District Attorney's Office for nearly 25 years, having last served as Chief of the Investigations Bureau. He received his undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Cortland and his law degree from New York Law School.

Judge Herbert Moses
Judge Herbert Moses was appointed to the Criminal Court in January 2017. Judge Moses served with the Kings County District Attorney's Office for five years. Subsequently, he became a solo practitioner specializing in criminal defense for 20 years. He is a graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice and received his law degree from CUNY School of Law.

Judge Raymond Rodriguez
Judge Raymond Rodriguez has been serving in Criminal Court since January 2013. Prior to his appointment, he served with the Richmond County District Attorney's Office and was a solo practitioner for almost nine years specializing in criminal defense, family law, and civil litigation. Judge Rodriguez received his undergraduate degree from St. John's University and his law degree from Widener University School of Law.

CIVIL COURT

Judge Angela Badamo
Judge Angela Badamo was appointed as an Interim Civil Court Judge in May 2017 and is serving in Criminal Court. Judge Badamo previously served with the Legal Aid Society's Criminal Appeals Bureau and subsequently became a Law Clerk in Criminal and Civil Courts before serving as Assistant Deputy Counsel in the Office of the Chief Administrative Judge. She graduated from SUNY Binghamton and from Washington & Lee University School of Law.

Judge Beth Beller
Judge Beth Beller was appointed as an Interim Civil Court Judge in January 2017 and is serving in Criminal Court. Prior to her appointment, Judge Beller served for 11 years as a Principal Court Attorney in Supreme Court, Criminal Division, Bronx County. She also served with the New York County District Attorney's Office for 17 years. She graduated from New York University and from St. John’s University School of Law.

Judge Jeffrey Rosenblueth
Judge Jeffrey Rosenblueth was appointed as an Interim Civil Court Judge in May 2017 and is serving in Criminal Court. Prior to his appointment, Judge Rosenblueth was with the Queen County District Attorney’s Office before becoming a criminal defense attorney in private practice. He has also served as a Principal Law Clerk in Supreme Court, Criminal Term, Queens County. Judge Rosenblueth is a graduate of New York University and received his J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.