{"id":386426,"date":"2026-10-29T09:14:32","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T09:14:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/386426\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T09:14:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T09:14:32","slug":"how-do-you-decide-who-to-vote-for-judge-in-nyc-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/386426\/","title":{"rendered":"How do you decide who to vote for judge in NYC?"},"content":{"rendered":"

New Yorkers often don\u2019t know which judges they\u2019re voting for until they look at their ballot. (They may not even know judicial candidates are on the ballot!) The process of becoming a judge in New York City is a complicated<\/a> one, and it can be difficult for voters to decide between candidates.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But where there\u2019s little public information available, bar associations can help fill the void. Three boroughs have competitive judicial elections this November, and these trade groups for lawyers have taken a close look at the candidates and rated them, based on factors including impartiality, integrity, knowledge of the law and temperament.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For example, the New York City Bar Association rates candidates<\/a> as \u201capproved\u201d or \u201cnot approved\u201d based on<\/a> a questionnaire regarding their legal experience, references and interviews with the 50-member Judiciary Committee.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York rates candidates<\/a> as \u201chighly approved,\u201d \u201capproved\u201d, \u201cnot approved\u201d or \u201cfailed to appear\u201d following questionnaires and interviews. Candidates are approved when they demonstrate a commitment to the equality of rights for LGBT people, are unbiased and possess the intellect and experience to perform the role, according to the association. And the Queens County Bar Association rates candidates as \u201cwell qualified\u201d or \u201cqualified\u201d after in-person or zoom meetings, but also notes who did not appear before the committee.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what those bar associations are saying about judicial candidates ahead of the Nov. 3 election.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Brooklyn<\/p>\n

Justice of the Supreme Court \u2013 2nd Judicial District \u2013 Kings (4 seats)<\/p>\n

Democratic\/Republican\/Conservative: Betsey Jean Jacques<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

Democratic\/Republican: Hemalee J. Patel<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Not approved<\/p>\n

Conservative: William D. Spain Jr.\u00a0<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Not approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

Democratic\/Republican\/Conservative: Sherveal Mimes<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

Democratic\/Republican\/Conservative: Lola Waterman<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

Judge of the Civil Court \u2013 4th Municipal Court District \u2013 Kings (2 seats)<\/p>\n

Democratic: Xavier Carr<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Not approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

Democratic: Anthony W. Vaughn Jr.<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

Republican\/Conservative: Aaron Franklin<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Not approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

Judge of the Civil Court \u2013 8th Municipal Court District \u2013 Kings (1 seat)<\/p>\n

Democratic: Susan A. Liebman\u00a0<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Not approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

Republican: Etan C. Harris<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Not approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

Queens<\/p>\n

Justice of the Supreme Court – 11th Judicial District \u2013 Queens (3 seats)<\/p>\n

Democratic: Edwin I. Novillo<\/p>\n

Queens County Bar Association: Highly qualified<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

Republican: Gary Muraca<\/p>\n

Queens County Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Not approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

Democratic: Oma D. Phillips<\/p>\n

Queens County Bar Association: Qualified<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

Republican: David A. Bellon<\/p>\n

Queens County Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Not approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

Democratic: Gail A. Adams<\/p>\n

Queens County Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Not approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

Judge of the Civil Court – Queens (3 seats)<\/p>\n

Democratic: Edmond Wong<\/p>\n

Queens County Bar Association: Qualified<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Approved\u00a0<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

Republican\/Conservative: Thomas D. Barra<\/p>\n

Queens County Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Not approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

Democratic\/Republican: Julie M. Milner<\/p>\n

Queens County Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Not approved\u00a0<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

Democratic: Jasmine I. Valle-Bueno<\/p>\n

Queens County Bar Association: Qualified<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Highly approved<\/p>\n

Republican\/Conservative: Michael Mossa<\/p>\n

Queens County Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Not approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

Judge of the Civil Court \u2013 2nd Municipal Court District \u2013 Queens (1 seat)<\/p>\n

Democratic: Janet Ellen Keller\u00a0<\/p>\n

Queens County Bar Association: Qualified<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

Republican: Stephen C. Dachtera<\/p>\n

Queens County Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Not approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

Judge of the Civil Court \u2013 3rd Municipal Court District \u2013 Queens (1 seat)<\/p>\n

Democratic: Michael Ann McSweeney-Ortiz<\/p>\n

Queens County Bar Association: Qualified<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

Republican\/Conservative: William David Shanahan<\/p>\n

Queens County Bar Association: Qualified<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

Staten Island<\/p>\n

Justice of the Supreme Court – 13th Judicial District \u2013 Richmond County (1 seat)<\/p>\n

Democratic: Kelvin Richards<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

Republican: Michael J. Pinto<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

Judge of the Civil Court \u2013 Richmond (1 seat)<\/p>\n

Democratic: Tashanna Golden<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Highly approved<\/p>\n

Republican: Glenn A. Yost<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n

Judge of the Civil Court \u2013 1st Municipal Court District \u2013 Richmond (1 seat)<\/p>\n

Democratic: John A. Vitucci<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

Republican\/Conservative: Carrie Ann Low<\/p>\n

NYC Bar Association: Approved<\/p>\n

LGBT Bar Association: Failed to appear<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"New Yorkers often don\u2019t know which judges they\u2019re voting for until they look at their ballot. (They may…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":386427,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[1414,10054,9,24,56,63,65,64],"class_list":["post-386426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york-city","tag-campaigns-elections","tag-judiciary","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-ny","tag-nyc","tag-nyc-headlines","tag-nyc-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386426","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=386426"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386426\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/386427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=386426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=386426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=386426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}