Williamsburg

Judicial Candidates Contend For Nomination In Brooklyn Dems’ Community Forum

District Leaders Judicial Committee Holds Unprecedented Education, Community Engagement Forum

February 15, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
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WILLIAMSBURG — At the Wythe Hotel this week, eight candidates vying for five seats on Brooklyn benches (four for Civil Court and one for Surrogate Court) engaged directly with the community, answering questions that covered a broad spectrum of subjects, from youth gun violence prevention, the impact of cultural diversity in this diverse borough and basic common sense approaches to criminal justice.

The debate was hosted by the Brooklyn Democratic Party’s new Judiciary Committee, consisting of five District Leaders, and moderating the Forum was the Judiciary Committee’s Chair, Dana Rachlin (District Leader, AD 50 and co-founder of We Build the Block).

Dana Rachlin, Ad-Hoc Judiciary Committee Chair setting up to moderate the event (for both in-person and virtual attendees). Photo: Brooklyn Democratic Party. Photo: Brooklyn Democratic Party.

The eight candidates participating were: (for Civil Court) Kenneth Gayle, Betsey Jean-Jacques, Monique Holman, Linda Wilson, Marva Brown, Turquoise Haskin, Chevone Sanon, and Bernard Graham (for Surrogate Court). (Brooklyn Civil Court Judges serve ten-year terms and Surrogate Judges serve fourteen-year terms).

Photo: Brooklyn Democratic Party.

Kenneth E. Gayle III, Esq. 

Attorney at Law

The Law Offices of Kenneth Gayle P.C.

Photo: Brooklyn Democratic Party.

Turquoise Haskin, Esq.

Principal Law Clerk 

to Hon. Carolyn E. Wade 

Kings County Supreme Court

(Civil Term)

Photo: Brooklyn Democratic Party.

Betsy Jean Jacques, Esq.

Principal Law Clerk 

to Hon. Francois A. Rivera

Kings County Supreme Court

(Civil Term)

Photo: Brooklyn Democratic Party.

Monique Holaman, Esq.

Court Attorney

Unified Court System

Photo: Brooklyn Democratic Party.

Justice Bernard J. Graham

Acting Surrogate Court Judge

Kings County

Photo: Brooklyn Democratic Party.

Chevone Sanon, Esq.

Senior Administrative Law Judge

New York State DMV

Photo: Brooklyn Democratic Party.

Marva Brown, Esq.

Staff Attorney

The Legal Aid Society

Photo: Brooklyn Democratic Party.

Linda Wilson

Principal Law Clerk to Justice Janice A. Taylor

Kings County Supreme Court (Appellate Division)

 

Candidates Engaging Community Concerns for a Better Brooklyn

The town-hall style forum was a “historic new step forward to ensure every Brooklyn Democrat is more engaged, and knowledgeable and provides the most input possible for the Party’s nomination of judges that have a lasting impact on our lives,” said Party Chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, who made a virtual video appearance (as she was in Albany for a legislative session as NYS Assembly Majority Whip).

Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair and Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn appeared on a big screen as she was serving in Albany at the time of the forum. Photo: Brooklyn Democratic Party.

The stakeholders present (both virtually and in-person) represented a diverse constituency, from “youth and victims of crime to housing activists to law enforcement and substance use disorder peers,” Rachlin said.

Judicial candidates addressing community questions. Photo: Brooklyn Democratic Party.

Each candidate answered questions town hall style — here are some of the highlights:

 

Addressing Crime and Bettering the Community

Frank Teah, Program Director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, asked the candidates what judges can do to work with the community and law enforcement to curb gun violence and better Brooklyn.

Judicial candidates addressing community questions. Photo: Brooklyn Democratic Party.

Candidate Bernard Graham pointed towards lobbying and advocating with lawmakers to end the flow of “Ghost Guns” into our communities (which are causing a major uptick in murders), with candidate Kenneth E. Gayle adding that we should “resist sensationalism and stick to the facts. Stick to the prescribed sentencing guidelines prescribed by the legislature and stick to the bench.”

Other candidates demurred more towards community involvement beyond the bench as a solution to curb crime. “There’s part of being a judge that isn’t on the bench,” Betsy Jean Jacques said. “It’s talking with young people, meeting and explaining how the law works, and empowering people to be able to advocate for their communities.”

 

Nurturing and Involving the Youth

The BK Dems Judiciary Committee also proudly involved young Brooklynites in the forum, and one student from The Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice student posed a similar question about the “crime crisis.”

Candidate Turquoise Haskin emphasized the need to “have programs that nurture the youth and identify their traumas” to stop the “discord” by identifying youth issues in a holistic sense, pointing to DL Dana Rachlin’s We Build the Block foundation as an example.

Other candidates echoed the stance of being impartial and following the law, but also vowing to utilize judgeships’ “opportunities to have a commitment to the community,” as candidate Monique Holiman said, like having students coming into the courtroom to speak with judges and having courtroom collaboration programs to “enable a better sense of the community.”

Judicial candidate Turquoise Haskin engaging with Forum attendees. Photo: Brooklyn Democratic Party.

The Dire Importance of these Elections

“If you didn’t know how important judges are within this system, you got a very clear lesson with the overturning of Roe v Wade and gun laws,” said BK Dems’ Vice Chair and District Leader (AD 56) Henry Butler, admitting that even he wasn’t clear on who some judicial candidates were in prior races.

Henry Butler addressing the Community Forum. Photo: Brooklyn Democratic Party.
Judiciary Committee Members Michael Boomer (District Leader – AD 57) and Sarana Purcell (District Leader – AD 43). Photo: Brooklyn Democratic Party.

“The Brooklyn Democratic Party wants to make sure you know who you are voting for and why you are voting for them…this year and moving forward we’re making sure you know who the candidates are and why you’d vote for them,” Butler added.

And the District Leaders and this Committee certainly play a pivotal role: The Brooklyn Democratic Party nominates judicial candidates in the primary elections (who are essentially guaranteed a win in the heavily blue borough) and endorses them.

The vetting process for nominee hopefuls is done through the Party’s existing Judicial Screening Committee, composed of experts from the legal community. The Party only considers candidates greenlit by this Screening Committee for placement on the ballot. The Judiciary Committee acts as a vital community liaison, recommending to the Party if a candidate is worthy of endorsement.

(Left to right): Michael Boomer (Judiciary Committee Member and District Leader – AD 57) Aaron Ouyang (District Leader – AD 52), Jacqui Painter (Judiciary Committee Member and District Leader – AD 51), Kenesha Traynham Cooper (Judiciary Committee Member and District Leader – AD 56), Mark Hannah (District Leader – AD 64), and Henry Butler (Party Vice Chair and District Leader – AD 56). Photo: Brooklyn Democratic Party.

 Moving Forward with More Engagement and Transparency

“It was a pleasure working with my fellow judiciary committee members to organize a Judicial Candidate Community Forum that was informative, educational, and rooted in transparency,” said Judiciary Committee Member Sarana Purcell (District Leader – AD 56).

Speaking on further efforts, Party Chair Bichotte Hermelyn concluded: “Each judicial candidate here is extremely qualified and has been thoroughly vetted by our Judicial Screening Committee.

But qualifications aren’t enough–we want to make sure each and every judge on the bench has a keen understanding of the diverse needs and issues of our all corners of our borough and is culturally competent.”

Brooklyn Democratic Party Executive Committee Members, District Leaders, and Judicial Candidates. Photo: Brooklyn Democratic Party.

“We want your voice to be heard as much as possible in this process,” Bichotte Heremlyn continued. “So we encourage you to ask questions, listen in, and talk to your district leaders about your input. And stay tuned for more forums, chances to observe judges on the bench, and much more.”

The entire recorded Forum is viewable here on the Brooklyn Democratic Party’s Youtube channel.

 

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