Have you had personal experience with disability? If so, please describe.

I have family members with disabilities, including a cousin with Muscular Distrophy, and my father suffered from Parkinson’s Disease.
 

Is the courthouse in which you work accessible to people with all kinds of disabilities?

Yes, although it wasn’t that way a few years ago. But over the past few years, accommodations have been made for wheelchair access, including bathrooms.
 

Has a person with a disability appeared before your court as a juror or litigant? If so, please indicate what, if any, problems arose? And how were they handled?

I had a juror who was hard of hearing; I changed his jury seat so that he would be closer to the witness stand, and I constantly reminded everyone to keep their voices up. I have always made sure that sign language interpreters have been available for litigants. On another occasion, I moved a case to another courtroom because the "well" area could not accommodate a wheelchair.
 

Do you believe that a deaf or a blind person can serve as a juror?

The issue has not come before me in the 12 and a half years I’ve been on the bench. In general, it is important that jurors—as fact finders—be able to evaluate the testimony of witnesses without intermediaries (i.e., interpreters). While the court is required to make reasonable accommodation, in my view a litigant’s right to a fair trial must take precedence. I think this would have to be decided on a case by case basis, and the attorney’s involved in the case would have to be heard from.
 

Have you sought any rulings that directly touch upon disability rulings?

Yes. I worked with a number of families with various disabilities, including hearing and vision impairments, wile presiding in Family Court. I always sought to ensure that appropriate services were provided by the City, with the goal of family preservation. I have a close personal friend for many years who is one of the nation’s experts in working with deaf-blind persons, and the contact with his clients and friends over the years has heightened my sensitivities to the problems faced on a daily basis by persons with vision and hearing disabilities.
 

Are (should) mentally ill defendants treated differently from others? If so, how?

They must be treated differently, as the Court is responsible for ascertaining whether the person understands the process and is able to adequately assist in his or her own case.
 

Are you willing to hire on a job share/full time basis a qualified law clerk/secretary with a disability?

Yes.
 

How will you work within the court structure to assure the accessibility of all facilities of the courts? Or will you participate in the Committee for People with Disabilities and/or training?

As Surrogate, I will certainly ensure that people with disabilities will be accommodated and will be treated in a fair and courteous manner. I would certainly be willing to meet with any group to ensure that people with disabilities are treated fairly.
 

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