An advocacy group is urging top New York elected officials to deny the reappointment of a judge for “frequently volatile, vindictive and erratic” behavior on the bench.
The New York-based Center for Community Alternatives sent two letters on Wednesday to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul insisting that Judge Ralph Fabrizio not be reappointed as an acting justice in Bronx County Supreme Court or be potentially nominated to state Supreme Court.
“The appellate record, court transcripts, press coverage, and accounts from attorneys who have appeared before Judge Fabrizio demonstrate that he is frequently volatile, vindictive, and erratic on the bench, in egregious violation of New York’s rules of judicial conduct,” the group’s 18-page letter to Mamdani reads. “Prosecutors and defense attorneys have lodged more than a dozen complaints against Judge Fabrizio, alleging threats, berating, and derogatory treatment.”
In one instance, Fabrizio reversed himself twice in a case by vacating a wrongful conviction, then reinstating it—only to vacate his decision once again after a media outlet started investigating, according to Center for Community Alternatives.
“In recent years, we have urged all officials with judicial appointment power to take advantage of the great wealth of information that judges’ records provide and only reappoint judges whose records demonstrate sound judgment, exceptional integrity, and steadfast commitment to fairness and equal justice for all,” the group’s letter to Mamdani continued.
Mamdani and other city officials have made statements suggesting New York’s current mayor is “committed to a judiciary that is fair and respectful and that serves all New Yorkers,” the advocacy group told Mamdani.
Fabrizio, who was most recently reappointed in January 2018, has been serving on New York City Criminal Court since 2001. He worked in various positions for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for 17 years, including deputy chief of a trial bureau. He received his law degree from St. John’s University School of Law, according to city officials.
In its letter to Hochul, the Center for Community Alternatives reminded the governor of her State of the Judiciary speech in 2024 when she told New Yorkers that courts were “more important than ever” since, she said, the U.S. Supreme Court started abandoning its responsibility as the primary defender of constitutional rights.
“We wholeheartedly agree, and that is why we urge you not to nominate Judge Ralph Fabrizio to an interim position on the Supreme Court,” the letter reads.
Both lengthy letters contain a summary of Fabrizio’s 25-year career as a judge after initially being appointed by Mayor Rudy Giuliani in December 2001. He was reappointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in January 2008 and
Mayor Bill de Blasio a decade later. His current term expires this year and the 69-year-old will reach mandatory retirement when he turns 70 in June, according to public records viewed by Newsweek.
But Fabrizio would be eligible to serve as many as six additional years on the bench if he’s nominated by Hochul to the state Supreme Court, according to Gothamist, which revealed the letters early Thursday.
“What we tried to document here is all the records of Judge Fabrizio being volatile, vindictive, erratic and other things that are in violation of New York’s rules of judicial conduct,” Peter Martin, director of the Center for Community Alternatives’ Judicial Accountability Project, told the outlet.
Newsweek reached out to the offices of Mamdani and Hochul for comment on Thursday. Fabrizio did not respond to multiple calls on whether he plans to seek reappointment to the bench, Gothamist reported.
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