By: Christine Simmons
On February 22, 2016, Cohen Seglias partner Carol Sigmond was quoted in the New York Law Journal,“Appellate Division Appointments Bring Relief to Courts.” The full article is available on the New York Law Journal website.
Court officials and practitioners expressed relief over Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s appointment of 10 judges to the state’s Appellate Division, with some noting that years-long appellate vacancies have triggered case backlogs and caused tremendous strain on other judges.
Attorneys reached by the New York Law Journal applauded the diversity of the appointments, which include seven women, four of whom are black. Supreme Court Justice Sharon A.M. Aarons will be the first black female justice on the Third Department bench, while Supreme Court Justice Shirley Troutman will be the second black female justice to have served on the Fourth Department bench.
However, six vacancies remain throughout the state’s Appellate Division, and the First Department still lacks a permanent presiding justice. There are three vacancies left in the First Department and one each in the Second, Third and Fourth Departments.