Judges Marty Lentz, Dale Fong-Frederick and Michael Ryan among 21 appointed, reappointed by mayor

February 6, 2023 Rob Abruzzese

A gavel. Image via Pexels

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Mayor Eric Adams announced the appointment and reappointment of 21 judges in New York City on Jan. 27 and that list included at least three judges familiar to Brooklyn attorneys.

A total of 21 judges were appointed or reappointed to the city’s trial courts including three new appointments to Family Court and one to Criminal Court. There were three Family Court judges reappointed, 10 Criminal Court judges reappointed, and four Civil Court judges.

“Helping our justice system operate more efficiently and effectively, and address some of the bottlenecks that resulted from the pandemic, is a critical component of our administration’s vision for a safer city,” said Mayor Adams. “These appointees are committed to carrying out that mission, and we are proud to have them serving our city to make it more just and equitable for all.”

Hon. Michael Ryan. Eagle file photo by Robert Abruzzese

Judges appointed to the Family Court include: Hon. Janet McFarland, Hon. Gigi Parris, and Hon. Stephanie Schwartz. Judges reappointed to the Family Court include Hon. Gregory Gliedman, Hon. Melody Glover, and Hon. Robert Hettleman.

Judge McFarland, a former Bronx County assistant district attorney, sits in Staten Island, but is active within the Columbian Lawyers Association of Brooklyn, the Bay Ridge Lawyers Association, and the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association and has given CLE lectures for all three organizations.

She was appointed interim Civil Court judge in March 2021 and has been presiding in Family Court. She also served with the Mental Hygiene Legal Service as principal attorney at Woodhull Medical Center, and as a court attorney referee in Richmond County Family Court.

Judges appointed to the Criminal Court include Hon. Marty Lentz. Judges reappointed to the Criminal Court include: Hon. Giyang An, Hon. Miriam Best, Hon. Dale Fong-Frederick, Hon. Eugene Guarino, Hon. Melissa Lewis, Hon. Sara Litman, Hon. Marisol Martinez Alonso, Hon. Gia Morris, Hon. Michael Ryan, and Hon. John Zoll.

Hon. Marty Lentz. Eagle file photo by Robert Abruzzese

Judge Marty Lentz, who is sitting in Criminal Court, was reappointed after first being appointed as an interim Civil Court judge in December 2021. She is the former law clerk in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and staff attorney with the Legal Aid Society for 18 years. Her assignments included the Brooklyn Criminal Defense Practice, Misdemeanor Brooklyn Treatment Court, and Red Hook Community Justice Center.

Judge Fong-Frederick is another former Legal Aid attorney in Queens, who also worked with the New York County Defender Services and was principal law clerk to a Criminal Court judge before he returned to Legal Aid. He was also a solo practitioner and a court attorney-referee in the Kings County Surrogate’s Court.

Judge Ryan, a fixture at Kings County Criminal Bar Association meetings, has been a Criminal Court judge since October 2022. Before that, he was a prosecutor with the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, where he held several titles including deputy bureau chief of the Early Case Assessment, Rackets and Criminal Court Bureaus, and as bureau chief of the Human Trafficking Bureau and Investigations Division. Before his appointment to the bench, Judge Ryan was chief of the Criminal Courts Unit.

Hon. Dale Fong-Frederick. Eagle file photo by Robert Abruzzese

Judges reappointed to the Civil Court include: Hon. Diego Freire, Hon. Anthony Battisti, Hon. Liberty Aldrich, and Hon. Cynthia Lopez.

Judge Lopez has worked in Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and Brooklyn during her career. She was first appointed as a Civil Court judge in June 2021, but has served in the Family Court since then. She previously worked with the New York City Administration for Children’s Services for 20 years, which is when she made her tour of NYC. Prior to being appointed as a judge, she was the borough chief of the Brooklyn Family Court Legal Services.