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New & Newsworthy:Black History MonthThe UCS has many celebrations going on during the month of February, throughout the state, and we have included a sampling of upcoming events here. For more information on Black History Month programs in your local region or court, contact your District Office and/or Equal Justice in the Courts (EJIC) Committee. Feb 15: “Black Resistance”Presented by: UCS Committee to Celebrate Black History Month, The Tribune Society, Inc. of the Courts of the State of New York and The Judicial Friends Association. 
Feb 23: “Resisting Injustice in the Courts: Celebrating our Local Court Officers”Presented by: The Sixth Judicial District. 
Feb 28: “A Conversation with Descendants of Plessy v. Ferguson”Presented by: Hon. Kevin M. Carter, Administrative Judge, 8th Judicial District, The 8th Judicial District Diversity Steering Committee, the UCS Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and the Historical Society of the New York Courts. 
7th Judicial District Black History Month Calendar of Events
Kings County Black History Month Calendar of Events
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3rd Judicial District Poster Tour: Celebrating Local Legal HistoryA new poster exhibit, featuring five prominent historical figures with ties to the local courts and legal community, has taken flight in the Third Judicial District! Under the umbrella of the Third Judicial District’s Equal Justice in the Courts initiatives, and in honor of Black History Month, the posters highlighting these pioneering individuals and their contributions to furthering justice, will be on display throughout the Spring and Summer in various local courts. In addition to the poster series, a recorded webinar presentation panel is planned (during February) to showcase the work of these groundbreakers, and the long-lasting impact of their life’s work. Albany County: James Campbell MatthewsThe original poster that kicked-off this series details the life and career of James Campbell Matthews, the first African American elected Judge in New York State. The research and design for the poster was spearheaded by Omana Akarume (Assistant Court Analyst, 3rd Judicial District Office) and Luke Diamond (Operations Intern, SUNY Albany ’22), with the intention of spotlighting the accomplishments of this local trailblazer. The poster is on display at the Albany Supreme and County Courthouse, where visitors can read about Matthews’ career, first as a clerk and bookkeeper, then his graduation from Albany Law School in 1870, and his election in 1895 as Judge of Albany’s “Recorder’s Court” (which handled petitions by insolvent debtors to assign properties to trustees in order to pay off creditors). Following the creation of this initial poster, and the positive response to the concept, the project quickly grew to encompass three additional counties in the Third JD. 
Greene County: Joyce A. HeathIn Greene County, Joyce A. Heath is spotlighted on a poster for her tireless and dedicated efforts in the legal field, and her significant positive contributions as a pillar of the community, during her life and career. Joyce was a legal secretary and office manager of a local law practice when she moved to a position in the New York State Office of the Attorney General, and was later appointed as the Confidential Executive Secretary to Hon. John J. Fromer and Hon. Daniel K. Lalor at the Greene County Office of Court Administration. In 1992 (on Law Day), Heath was awarded a prestigious merit award, presented to her by former Governor Mario Cuomo. Posthumously, in 1997, she was honored by Chief Judge Judith Kaye for outstanding performance in the workplace and in 2022, was recognized as a Wall of Honor Inductee by the Coxsackie-Athens Foundation for Education, for her professional contributions to the community. Rensselaer County: Frederick A. Chew & Samuel GibsonThe stories of two historical figures in the Troy area have been researched and presented on posters with the help of Hon. Christopher Maier, Supervising Judge of the City Court for the Third Judicial District. In the 1880s, Frederick A. Chew and Samuel Gibson were the first African American lawyers admitted to the bar in Rensselaer County. Samuel Gibson received his legal education at Union College Law School in Albany and later was an active member of local civic organizations including, the United Colored Republican Club, serving at one point as the club’s Vice President. Frederick A. Chew, also a member of the same club (and serving for a period as its Chairman), traveled in the same legal circles as Gibson. Chew was reported to have been active in the “Underground Railroad” and aided many enslaved individuals in their escape to freedom. His commitment to social justice is evidenced by some of his cases and other civic activities. In one well-known case, Mr. Chew assisted then-District Attorney Abbott Jones in successfully prosecuting Proctor’s Theater in Troy for violating the Civil Rights Law by forcing an African American woman to sit in the balcony section rather than a seat of her choosing. Mr. Chew also gave testimony before the New York State Assembly in opposition to a bill that prohibited marriages between whites and African Americans. 
Ulster County: Sojourner TruthThe historic courthouse in Kingston is the site of a landmark case in which Sojourner Truth became the first Black woman to successfully sue for custody of her young son, Peter, who was still enslaved. At the time, even though New York State had legislated the abolition of slavery, Peter had been illegally sold to a slaveowner in a Southern state to circumvent the New York State emancipation process. These proceedings took place over 200 years ago, and only recently (in 2022) were the newly-discovered court papers found in the State Archives. These papers are now permanently on display in the Ulster County Surrogate’s Court, where they were unveiled publicly for the first time as part of a Juneteenth celebration. Truth later went on to become an outspoken abolitionist, women’s rights activist and powerful public figure, traveling the nation and speaking publicly about these issues. As she describes her work, “Truth is powerful and it prevails.” A large four-panel poster that memorializes the life and legacy of Sojourner Truth is now on display in Ulster County Courts, with plans for it to tour the state. 
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Franklin H. Williams CommissionCourt User Expectations and Responsibilities (CUER)The Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission is committed to ensuring fair and respectful treatment for all who enter or serve in our courts, and to eliminating barriers to equity. In furtherance of its mission and the Court’s overall mission that court users and those who work in the courts “are treated with respect, dignity and professionalism,” the Williams Commission has created the new “Court User Expectations and Responsibilities” (CUER) signage, which is now displayed in every courthouse. The CUER is displayed on electronic monitors in courts that have such monitors, and the information is available on paper at various high-traffic locations within the courts such as lobbies, elevator lobbies and clerk’s offices. The CUER provides court users with a list of what they should expect when they come to court (including, for example, courteous and respectful treatment, free court interpreters upon request, and clear and understandable information), as well as their responsibilities. 
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Richard C. Failla LGBTQ CommissionOn November 10, 2022, the Richard C. Failla LGBTQ Commission of the New York Courts held its first post-pandemic, in-person conference, How Deeply Rooted Are LGBTQ Rights?: Where We Stand Post-Dobbs. The event featured panels on the current landscape around LGBTQ rights, a discussion of the life and legacy of the late Urvashi Vaid, and religious liberty jurisprudence. The day also included a luncheon honoring New York Law School professor emeritus and founder of the LGBT Bar of Greater New York (LeGaL), Arthur Leonard, during which the Arthur Leonard Scholarship for Excellence in Support of the LGBTQIA+ Community was announced. 
L to R: Hon. Rosalyn Richter, Susan Sommer, Thomas Burrows, Hon. Joanne Winslow, Prof. Arthur Leonard, Hon. Angela Mazzarelli, Ronald Pawelczak, Hon. Javier Vargas, Hon. Michael Sonberg, Matthew Skinner.
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Justice starts at jury. Jury starts with YOU.As part of its work on the Equal Justice in the Courts (EJIC) initiatives, and with the goal of increasing responses to jury questionnaires and summonses -- which will also increase representation in the jury pool among populations who have been underrepresented -- the OCA Jury Support Office (JSO) has formed the Statewide Juror Response Improvement Project. In mid-2022, as part of this project, a Response Improvement Committee was created to address these issues. The Committee includes personnel from around the state, who will work on a multi-year and multi-layered approach that includes:
The Response Improvement Committee began implementing some of their work last November, with a "Jury Week" release of social media posts. Each day, on UCS-hosted social media platforms, posts were made about jury service, juror pay, volunteering, and showcased the new slogan (created by the Committee): Justice starts at jury. Jury starts with YOU.
The social media posts are an initial step to highlight and promote the importance of jury service and the importance of a diverse jury, that reflects the communities that we serve. It is hoped that the “Justice Starts at Jury, Jury Starts with YOU” campaign will be expanded, as a way to raise awareness and encourage more people to respond when they are contacted for jury duty. In addition, just this month, the JSO went live with dashboard reports (for Jury Commissioners in each county) that summarize the percentages and counts of jurors who failed to respond to questionnaires and summonses, as well as mail-pieces that were undeliverable at both levels. These dashboards display the data by ZIP code within each county, allowing the Commissioner to prioritize engagement efforts in the areas where the highest percentage of nonresponse and undeliverable mail items overlap. The Response Improvement Committee is working on many more outreach and technology initiatives, continuing its efforts to increase the response rates for jury service statewide. For more information contact: jurysupportoffice@nycourts.gov. |
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