Brooklyn Dems name new Civil Court judges

The Brooklyn Democratic Party says its district leaders have nominated three Civil Court judges to fill newly-created seats.

Party Chair Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn told Caribbean Life on Wednesday that the nominees – Tawanna M. St. Louis, Mark Kagan and Abayomi Ajaiyeoba Whint – will now appear on the November Presidential Election ballot, “virtually guaranteeing their elections in deep-Blue Brooklyn. 

“The Brooklyn Democratic Party proudly continues to advance extremely-qualified, diverse, and culturally competent judicial nominees,” said Bichotte Hermelyn, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, who represents the 42nd Assembly District in Brooklyn. 

“We congratulate our three new Democratic nominees for Civil Court, and are confident that, after their November election victories, Brooklynites can count on these champions of justice to steadfastly deliver fairness and equity in the courtroom,” she added, stating that the nominees have “deep experience and diversity”, and that “their backgrounds match their deep experience.”  

Bichotte Hermelyn said Whint, who was born in Nigeria and migrated to Brooklyn at 6, has built a “15-year career immersed in confronting and eradicating injustice whenever it arises.” 

Whint currently serves as an FDNY Legal Enforcement Attorney, among her pro-bono work and community initiatives. 

Whint said she believes “wholeheartedly in social justice and making sure that, when people leave court, they feel confident that they have been given due process and a fair opportunity to be heard.” 

Bichotte Hermelyn said Kagan has served as Court Attorney for the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Brooklyn, since 1996, having drafted over 5,000 decisions (along with a novel), “demonstrating a deep commitment to justice.” 

St. Louis is currently the Principal Law Clerk to Hon. Cheryl J. Gonzales, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Kings County, and also serves as a Small Claims Arbitrator in Kings County Civil Court.

In her efforts to uplift the community, Bichotte Hermelyn said St. Louis “currently works with high school, college and inquiring Pre-Law students by answering questions they have related to the legal field, assisting students with essay writing and proofreading, as they begin their application process.”

Bichotte Hermelyn said all of Brooklyn’s 42 Assembly Districts were “represented by in-person or proxy votes from their district leaders for the nominations, in a transparent vote following party rules, with potential candidates vetted by the Party’s Judicial Screening Panel. 

“New to the process was a Community Forum, held Saturday, to further party efforts in transforming community transparency and knowledge in the judicial nomination process,” she said. 

Bichotte Hermelyn said Civil Court is “often Brooklynites’ first encounter with our legal system, when they are facing intimate, important legal issues, and we’re making sure voters are educated on who their candidates are, what they do, and how they understand their community.” 

She said the “town hall conversation” on Saturday featured 11 Civil Court contenders, “allowing attendees to take a deeper dive into the experience and temperament of the candidates.” 

Bichotte Hermelyn noted that the swift nominations came on the heels of Gov. Kathy Hochul signing a law in June expanding the number of judges appointed and elected statewide “to alleviate a big backlog still stemming from the pandemic.”

She said Hochul’s expansion added 28 judges in total, with three new Civil Court judge seats granted each to Brooklyn, The Bronx, Manhattan and Queens. 

“This legislation gives our courts the tools to tackle the case backlog and carry out the fair and efficient justice system New Yorkers deserve,” said Hochul in signing the bill, S.9839/A.10540. 

Bichotte Hermelyn said New York Civil Court Judges serve 10-year terms and hear cases involving monetary disputes of up to $50,000.  

“The turnaround time from the bill being signed, to organizing our leaders and staff to ensure this was completed by the deadline, speaks volumes of the unity they have and will continue to demonstrate,” said Brooklyn Democratic Party Executive Director Yamil Speight-Miller. 

Bichotte Hermelyn said the Brooklyn Democratic Party “deeply thanks our governor and our Democratic colleagues in the Legislature for expediting the delivery of justice for many of the most critical legal matters affecting our communities.”