The New York Supreme Court, Appellate Term, for the 2nd, 11th, and 13th Judicial Districts made history last month when an all-female bench sat for the first time on Wednesday, Jan. 25. Pictured from left: Hon. Cheree Buggs, Hon. Lisa Ottley, Hon. Wavny Toussaint, Hon. Lourdes Ventura, and Hon. Marina Mundy.
Exclusive Brooklyn Eagle photos by Robert Abruzzese.
DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — The New York Supreme Court’s Appellate Term, Second Department, made history with a bench comprising all women and with the appointment of Trinidadian-born Hon. Wavny Toussaint, the first woman and person of color to serve as presiding justice.
The Appellate Term, Second Department, is responsible for hearing appeals from the New York City Civil Court, including its Housing and Small Claims Parts, as well as the New York City Criminal Court.
Upon entering the courtroom and bringing the court to order, Toussaint shared with those appearing before the panel of Justices the historic moment of the court and a brief background about herself and her family migrating to the United States. Justice Toussaint was elected to the New York Supreme Court in 2014 and appointed to the Appellate Term in 2020.
She thanked the Appellate Term’s non-judicial staff and acknowledged the support the justices receive from the “well-versed legal department” in the areas of law that come before the court.
The other members of the bench included Justices Marina Mundy, Lisa S. Ottley, Lourdes Ventura and Cheree Buggs.
Justice Ottley was the first Black Woman to supervise the Civil Court in Kings County, Justice Ventura was the first Latina to be appointed to this Appellate Term, Justice Mundy was the first woman jurist on the New York Supreme Court, Criminal Term, in Richmond County;
Last May, three Black women justices in New York also created history by hearing cases together from…
Read the full article here