Brooklyn Bar Association welcomes new judges at Annual Judiciary Night

April 15, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

From left to right: BBA President Joseph Rosato, Hon. Bernard Graham, Hon. Lawrence Knipel, Hon. Keshia Espinal, Hon. Matthew D’Emic, Hon. Kevin McClanahan, Hon. Amanda White, Hon. Dweynie Paul and Andrew Fallek. Brooklyn Eagle photos by Arthur DeGaeta

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The Brooklyn Bar Association celebrated its annual Judiciary Night on Tuesday, where members were introduced to the borough’s newly-appointed judges. Hosted by BBA President Joseph Rosato and Judiciary Committee Chair Andrew Fallek, the event provided a platform for current judges to discuss court operations and welcome new members of the judiciary.

In attendance were several notable figures, including Surrogate’s Court Judges Bernard Graham and Rosemarie Montalbano, as well as Hon. Wavny Toussaint, the presiding judge of the Appellate Term.

The event saw speeches from several administrative and supervising judges, including Hon. Lawrence Knipel of the Kings County Supreme Court, Civil Term; Hon. Keshia Espinal, supervising judge of the Brooklyn Criminal Court; Hon. Matthew D’Emic, administrative judge of the Kings County Supreme Court, Criminal Term; Hon. Kevin McClanahan, supervising judge of the Housing Court; Hon. Amanda White, supervising judge of the Family Court; and Hon. Dweynie Paul, supervising judge of the Brooklyn Civil Court.

President Rosato emphasized the significance of the event, noting that it fosters collaboration and camaraderie between the bench and the bar. It serves as more than just a networking opportunity; it is also a chance to make substantive improvements to the functioning of the courts.

Fallek highlighted the diversity among the new judges, noting, “We’ve got a lot of new faces, and these faces look a little bit more like the communities they were elected in.”

Addressing operational issues, Hon. Lawrence Knipel shared, “Our goal is to have motions decided faster and move more trials. Expect that this year, we’re going to have a substantially higher number of trials than we had last year, and your motions, God willing, will be decided much faster than before.”

The Hon. Keshia Espinal reported a significant caseload in the Kings County Criminal Court, with more than 8,000 misdemeanor cases pending, marking an 8% increase from the previous year. “We are busy in criminal court,” Espinal said. “And we do more with less because, at the start of 2020, we had 22 judges on our roster … Today, we have 16.”

The Hon. Amanda White of the Kings County Family Court and the Hon. Kevin McClanahan of the Kings County Housing Court also provided updates on their respective courts, highlighting the challenges and changes they face.

The event underscored the judiciary’s ongoing efforts to address caseload challenges and improve court operations across Brooklyn.