{"id":253826,"date":"2026-06-03T15:30:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T15:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/253826\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T15:30:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T15:30:42","slug":"from-bronx-dreamer-to-peekskill-judge-april-mckenzie-takes-the-bench-peekskill-herald","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/253826\/","title":{"rendered":"From Bronx Dreamer to Peekskill Judge: April McKenzie Takes the Bench \u2013 Peekskill Herald"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"April McKenzie dons her new judge robes as her mother looks on proudly. (Eric Harvey<\/a>)<\/p>\n

When April McKenzie stood before the Peekskill Common Council on March 24 to be sworn in as new part-time assistant city court judge, the moment represented far more than a professional achievement.<\/p>\n

Just before she slipped on her judicial robes for the first time, her mother jumped up in celebration. Family members, friends, sorority sisters, judicial colleagues and supporters filled the room with applause.<\/p>\n

For McKenzie, the appointment marked the culmination of a journey that began decades earlier in the Bronx, where a talkative young girl with a love of books, history and debate slowly discovered a calling in law.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing appointed as part-time city court judge for the City of Peekskill is not just a professional milestone, but it is a profound responsibility that I accept with both humility and resolve,\u201d McKenzie said during her swearing-in ceremony. Her term began March 26, 2026, and runs through Dec. 31, 2031.<\/p>\n

Today, she presides over criminal, civil, landlord-tenant, traffic and code violation cases in the same courthouse where she once appeared as a young public defender and later worked as a court attorney. But McKenzie says becoming a judge was never something she imagined for herself as a child.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you told eight-year-old April that she\u2019d be a judge one day, she would laugh and say no,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

A childhood shaped by education and tenacity<\/p>\n

McKenzie grew up in the Wakefield section of the Bronx as the youngest of six children in a Jamaican-American family. She describes herself as a first-generation American whose parents emphasized hard work, education and perseverance.<\/p>\n

Her father, a Con Edison employee who never attended college, developed a creative system to motivate his children academically. Report card grades translated into spending money at Toys\u201cR\u201dUs. An A earned $20. A B earned $10. A C earned $5.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was like, this is how life works,\u201d McKenzie recalled. \u201cIf you work hard, you earn better opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her mother, who raised six children while working multiple jobs, became another source of inspiration. After raising her family, she returned to school and earned her certification as a licensed practical nurse.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember being so proud,\u201d McKenzie said. \u201cThis woman who was working two jobs to support us was still going back to get her education and move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKenzie earned a scholarship to attend Aquinas High School in the Bronx, where a history teacher helped shape her future. Originally torn between becoming a museum curator or a lawyer, she found herself drawn to both history and legal studies.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe told me the most important thing was to study something you\u2019re passionate about,\u201d she said. \u201cThe law can intersect with so many different fields.\u201d<\/p>\n

Discovering the power of advocacy\u00a0<\/p>\n

Long before law school, McKenzie had already developed a personal understanding of how lawyers can impact lives.<\/p>\n

Growing up, she watched attorneys represent family members and neighbors navigating legal troubles. One experience in particular left a lasting impression.<\/p>\n

Her brother was represented by an attorney who, McKenzie said, fought relentlessly on his behalf.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way that she advocated for my brother made me see her in a new light,\u201d McKenzie said. \u201cShe made us feel like there was someone who believed in him and therefore believed in us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The experience stayed with her. She knew then \u2014 \u201cthat was the kind of lawyer I would want to be if I became a lawyer.\u201d<\/p>\n

During high school, she participated in the Bronx District Attorney\u2019s Office Youth Trial Advocacy Program. There, a mentor taught her a lesson she still carries today. \u201cThe five Ps: Prior preparation prevents poor performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

The phrase became a guiding principle throughout her education and legal career.<\/p>\n

Building a legal career<\/p>\n

McKenzie attended Pace Law School after earning dual bachelor\u2019s degrees in history and legal studies from Quinnipiac University in 2014.<\/p>\n

There, she became involved in the Black Law Students Association, found mentors who remain close friends, and gravitated toward criminal defense work through internships and clinical experiences.<\/p>\n

\"\"April McKenzie is currently serving a five-year term on the bench in Peekskill. (Jeffrey Merchan<\/a>)<\/p>\n

By her final year, she qualified as a Pro Bono Scholar, allowing her to take the New York Bar Exam before graduating in 2017.<\/p>\n

After law school, McKenzie joined the Legal Aid Society of Westchester, where she would spend the next eight and a half years.<\/p>\n

Starting as a criminal defense attorney, she handled everything from misdemeanors to homicide cases, eventually rising to senior counsel and region chief. Her first misdemeanor trial happened in Peekskill.<\/p>\n

At Legal Aid, she represented clients who could not afford private attorneys. She says she often met people during the worst moments of their lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey felt like the world was against them,\u201d McKenzie said. \u201cI enjoyed being the person who could say, \u2018Hey, I got you. We\u2019re going to figure this out.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The work changed her perspective on justice. \u201cI learned the human side of law,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Representing people facing criminal charges taught her to look beyond case captions and criminal allegations. \u201cThis isn\u2019t just John Doe versus Jane Smith,\u201d she said. \u201cThese are real people with families, histories and life experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

That perspective remains central to how she approaches her new role on the bench. \u201cI don\u2019t think it makes me soft or biased,\u201d she said of her defense background. \u201cI think it makes me thorough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Falling in love with Peekskill<\/p>\n

Although she grew up in the Bronx and later lived in Yorktown, McKenzie says her connection to Peekskill developed gradually.<\/p>\n

When she joined Legal Aid, she was assigned to the Peekskill region. Alongside her supervisor, McKenzie frequently visited local coffee shops and restaurants between court appearances.<\/p>\n

Soon, McKenzie found herself spending most of her days in the city, even making the Peekskill Coffee House her unofficial office. \u201cI started to fall in love with this place,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Even after later assignments moved her to Mount Vernon and White Plains, she kept returning to Peekskill whenever she could.<\/p>\n

When the position of associate court attorney became available in 2024, colleagues encouraged her to apply. The job brought her back to the city she had grown to love.<\/p>\n

Less than a year later, she and her fianc\u00e9 moved to Peekskill permanently. \u201cWe\u2019re really happy here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

From court attorney to judge
\n\"\"McKenzie spent nearly a year as an associate court attorney in Peekskill before being appointed assistant city court judge. (Eric Harvey<\/a>)<\/p>\n

McKenzie spent nearly a year as associate court attorney in Peekskill City Court, working alongside Judges Sophia Trott and Lissette Fernandez.<\/p>\n

The position immersed her in legal research, judicial decision-making and court administration. She drafted legal memoranda, analyzed emerging case law, conducted conferences and helped judges navigate complex legal issues.<\/p>\n

The experience, she says, prepared her well for judicial service. \u201cI learned a lot about what it takes to run a court,\u201d she said. \u201cI learned a lot about the difficult decisions judges have to make day in and day out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, she serves primarily on Thursdays, Fridays and one Wednesday each month, hearing dozens of cases daily.<\/p>\n

On some Fridays, she handles approximately 100 traffic matters in addition to landlord-tenant cases. Criminal calendars can include as many as 60 to 70 matters.<\/p>\n

Her goal, she says, is simple. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to make sure everybody gets their day in court as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Respect, dignity and opportunity\u00a0<\/p>\n

During her swearing-in ceremony, McKenzie pledged to treat every person entering her courtroom with respect and dignity.<\/p>\n

Those words were not simply a part of the ceremony. They reflect a philosophy shaped by years spent representing clients, listening to victims and witnessing the consequences of legal decisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think part of that is really taking time to listen to both sides,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"\"McKenzie gives a speech during her swearing-in ceremony in March 2026. (Eric Harvey<\/a>)<\/p>\n

That means ensuring people understand court procedures, have access to interpreters and legal resources, and feel heard regardless of the outcome.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one wants to be in court,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople come in upset. They come in stressed\u2026. Sometimes they just need to be heard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, McKenzie hopes to leave a lasting impact on both the court system and the community.<\/p>\n

One of her major goals is developing programming for emerging adults \u2014 young people roughly between the ages of 17 and 25 who are navigating adulthood while still developing emotionally and neurologically.<\/p>\n

She points to programs in New Rochelle and Mount Vernon that connect young offenders with services and support aimed at reducing future involvement in the justice system.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would love to see something like that here in Peekskill,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Most of all, she hopes her story serves as an example for young people who may not see themselves reflected in positions of leadership. \u201cI hope to inspire,\u201d she said. \u201cI hope to encourage the younger generation. I hope to make a positive impact on the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the young girl from the Bronx who once dreamed of museums, history and helping people, the path ultimately led to a courtroom in Peekskill.<\/p>\n

And as she continues her first year on the bench, McKenzie says she remains guided by the same principle that has shaped her journey from the beginning: Prior preparation prevents poor performance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"April McKenzie dons her new judge robes as her mother looks on proudly. (Eric Harvey) When April McKenzie…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":253827,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[128,9,24,63,129,131,130],"class_list":["post-253826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-the-bronx","tag-bronx","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-the-bronx","tag-the-bronx-headlines","tag-the-bronx-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253826"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253826\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/253827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}