Two lesbian judges have
been appointed to the New York State appellate court, among
five total appointees announced by Gov. David Paterson on
Friday. Judge Roslyn Richter will fill a position in the
appellate division's first department, while Judge
Elizabeth Garry will go to the third department.
Richter has served on
the state supreme court since 2000, and currently presides over
matrimonial and guardianship cases (in New York, the supreme
court is subordinate to the appellate court). Before
the supreme court, Richter served on the bench at the Bronx
criminal court. She also teaches at the New York Law School,
and was the executive director of Lambda Legal from 1980 to
1983.
Garry was elected to
the state supreme court in 2006, and prior to that served as
town justice for New Berlin, N.Y., for five years. She was a
litigator in Sherburne, N.Y., and before that was a clerk for
Justice Irad Ingraham.
According to the Empire
State Pride Agenda, these are the highest judiciary
appointments ever for gay New Yorkers. A spokesperson for the
organization said, "[Justices Richter and Garry] are
trailblazers and have earned a permanent place in the story of
our community."
Also appointed today
were justices Leonard B. Austin, L. Priscilla Hall, and Plummer
E. Lott.