Orders of Protection: Legal Directive or Just Paper?

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Judge Dale Fong-Frederick was appointed to the Criminal Court in October 2022. He received his bachelor’s degree from Queens College, CUNY, and his law degree from Hofstra University, School of Law. Judge Fong-Frederick began his legal career with The Legal Aid Society, Queens County Criminal Defense Division, before moving to New York County Defender Services. He was also a former solo practitioner, Principal Law Clerk, and, prior to his appointment to the bench, he served as a Court Attorney-Referee in Kings County Surrogate’s Court. He was appointed in October 2022 and reappointed in January 2023.

The Honorable Javier E. Vargas was nominated by Governor Kathy Hochul and confirmed by the Senate to the NYS Court of Claims on June 3, 2022. With that appointment, he became the first openly gay Latino LGBTQ+ judge in the Court of Claims. Previously, Judge Vargas served as a Family Court Judge in Kings County, appointed in 2015. Between 2013 and 2015, Judge Vargas began his judicial career as a Civil Court Judge in Bronx County, assigned to the Housing Part. Before that, Judge Vargas served with distinction in various capacities for the New York State Unified Court System since 1993, including Senior Court Attorney at the New York State Court of Appeals, Principal Law Clerk at Supreme Court and the Appellate Division, Second Department, and Chief Court Attorney for the NYS Supreme Court, Appellate Term, First Department. Judge Vargas received his undergraduate degree from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, his law degree from SUNY Buffalo School of Law, and a Master of Law degree from New York University School of Law in 1993.

Judicial Offices: Judge, Housing Court, Civil Court of the City of New York, served as appointed by Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks, 2018 to 2023. Supervising Judge, Housing Court, Civil Court of the City of New York, Queens County, served as appointed by Chief Administrative Judge A. Gail Prudenti, 2013 to 2018. Judge, Housing Court, Civil Court of the City of New York, New York County, appointed from 2003 to 2008, re-appointed from 2008 to 2013. Supervising Judge, Housing Court, Civil Court of the City of New York, Kings County, served from 2007 to 2013. Other Professional Experience: Court Attorney, Housing Court Judge Timmie Elsner, NY County. Associate Attorney, Penn, Proefriedt, Schwarzfeld & Schwartz. Associate Attorney, Horing, Welikson & Rosen P.C. Associate Attorney, Rosenberg & Estis P.C. Admission to the Bar: New York State, Appellate Division, Second Department, 1992. Education: J.D., St. John's University School of Law. B.A., Connecticut College. Professional & Civic Activities: Member, New York City Loft Board, 1995 to 2001. Member, Housing Court Public Services Committee, Association of the Bar of the City of New York.

Justice Karen Gopee made history twice by her election to the New York State Supreme Court in 2021 and her appointment to the New York State Criminal Court in 2015, as the first Indo-Caribbean jurist in New York State. Currently, she presides over hearings and trials in a busy Gun Part in Queens. Prior to her election, she served as the presiding Criminal Court judge over the Youth Part, Domestic Violence Part, and Specialty Felony Waiver Part.

The Honorable Sylvia Hinds-Radix (Ret.) joined JAMS in 2024 after a distinguished career as New York City’s 81st corporation counsel and as a jurist in New York state courts, most recently serving from 2012 to 2022 as an associate justice of the Appellate Division, Supreme Court of the State of New York, Second Judicial Department. Judge Hinds-Radix, the first Caribbean-born person and woman of color, and the second woman overall to serve as corporation counsel, oversaw the wide-ranging operations of the New York City Law Department. As the city’s chief legal officer, she led the department primarily responsible for providing legal representation to the city, its mayor and other elected officials, and its myriad agencies in civil litigation matters. She also oversaw the operations of the Family Court Division, the city’s prosecutorial arm in family law matters. As corporation counsel, she created new divisions for Ethics & Compliance and Risk Management, promoted residents' health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, and secured housing for thousands during the migrant crisis. She negotiated a landmark agreement with the Legal Aid Society in Callahan v. Carey, providing New York City with the flexibility to address migrants’ needs during this emergency. Under her guidance, the department promoted economic development and recovered tens of millions of dollars in affirmative lawsuits. Judge Hinds-Radix presided over and resolved numerous cases through pretrial rulings, bench and jury trials, judgments, and settlement conferences. She served as an associate justice of the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department, and in 2020, was designated a member of the New York State Constitutional Bench. She also served as the administrative judge for civil matters in the Second Judicial District, was elected and re-elected to the New York State Supreme Court, and served as a judge in New York City’s civil and criminal courts. As a seasoned jurist, she handled matters spanning various practice areas across many industries, including appellate, bankruptcy, complex business and commercial, employment and labor, family law, governmental/public agency, personal injury, professional liability, and real estate (including foreclosure and landlord-tenant). Judge Hinds-Radix began her legal career with District Council 37, one of the city’s largest public employee unions. Her roles within the union included chief counsel for the Immigration Program, which she founded; supervising attorney for the Landlord and Tenant Division; and senior attorney in the Consumer Litigation and Bankruptcy unit.