Queens gets two new supervising judges
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Queens Civil Court is receiving a new supervising judge. Eagle file photo by Walter Karling
By Noah Powelson
The Office of Court Administration on Monday kicked off the year with a leadership shake up.
Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas and First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Norman St. George this week elevated six members of the bench to supervising judge appointments in New York City’s Criminal, Civil and Housing Courts, including two in Queens.
Hon. Edwin Novillo, was appointed to serve as supervising judge of Queens County Criminal Court, where he has been sitting as a judge since 2021. Also, Hon. Ira Greenberg took the helm as supervising judge of Civil Term for Queens County, where he has worked since 2018. Four other judges were elevated to courts in Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx.
“These six eminently qualified jurists have distinguished themselves as energetic, forward-thinking leaders, earning a reputation for their sound judgment, fairness, integrity, innovative spirit, and commitment to public service, community outreach, and civic engagement,” Zayas said. “They bring vast knowledge and experience to their respective roles, along with a penchant for team-building and collaboration.”
St. George echoed Zayas’ comments.
“Today’s appointees are widely regarded for their legal acumen, work ethic, passion for justice and their holistic, collegial—and adaptive—management style,” St. George said. “In addition to their deep and broad experience, they are recognized as problem solvers who tackle challenges head-on, resorting to out-of-the-box thinking whenever needed.”
“I am fully confident in the leadership ability of each of these outstanding candidates to press forward as we continually strive to more efficiently and effectively serve New Yorkers’ ever-growing and changing justice needs,” he added.
Novillo was already a trailblazer in his own right before Monday’s appointment, being the first appointed judge of Ecuadorian descent. He was appointed to serve as an interim Civil Court judge by former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2018, eventually being reappointed to a permanent judgeship in 2019.
Hon. Edwin Novillo was appointed supervising judge of the Queens Criminal. Photo courtesy of New York Unified Court System
He transferred to the Queens County Criminal Court in 2021, where has overseen thousands of cases including the majority of the unindicted felonies in Queens County, according to the Latino Judges Association, which Novillo is a board member of.
“It is both a profound privilege and a great honor to accept the appointment as supervising judge in the borough where I was raised,” Novillo said. “Queens, a borough renowned for its vibrant cultural diversity, has instilled in me a deep understanding of the vital importance of ensuring that justice is administered with fairness, integrity, and empathy. I am firmly committed to assuring that every individual, regardless of background, can experience a system of justice that treats them with dignity and respect.”
Before his judicial appointment, Novillo began his career working for the Legal Aid Society, first as a senior staff attorney for their Queens County Criminal Defense Practice.
Novillo succeeds Hon. Joanne Watters, who served in the position since 2021.
Queens Civil Court is also getting an update as longtime Civil Court judge Ira Greenberg takes up the supervising judge role. Elected to the Civil Court in 2018, the Bronx-born and Queens-raised judge ran his own general practice and worked for former State Assembly Member Catherine Nolan as a legislative director.
Greenberg primarily made his career around issues of elder law, guardianship and civil litigation. Formerly a part of the firm Leavitt & Kerson, Esqs, Greenberg had over 16 years of attorney work before his judicial appointment.
“I am honored and humbled by the trust that Chief Judge Wilson and Justices Zayas, St. George, Richardson, Murphy, Silvera, and Ally have placed in me with this appointment. I am excited about leading Queens Civil Court,” said Greenberg. “Our dedicated judicial and non-judicial staff have created a collaborative environment and established high standards. I greatly value their work and support…I look forward to working with Judge Ally, our judges, and staff, and I am optimistic about our future as a problem-solving court.”
Greenberg also sits on the New York City Civil Court’s Equal Justice in the Courts Committee and Alternate Dispute Resolution Committee and is a former Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce chair.
Hon. Ira Greenberg was appointed supervising judge of the Queens Civil Courts, respectively. Photo courtesy of New York Unified Court System
Judge Greenberg replaces Hon. Alan J. Schiff.
Both Schiff and Watter, the now former Queens Supervising judges, now serve as members of the State’s Supreme Court bench.
Also appointed on Monday were Hon. Taisha L. Chambers as supervising judge of Bronx County Civil Court; Hon. Carmen A. Pacheco as supervising judge of Kings County Civil Court; Hon. L. Austin D’Souza as supervising judge of New York County Civil Court; and Hon. Frances Ortiz as supervising judge of New York County Housing Court.
The six new judicial appointments across the city come just a few weeks after Zayas announced a slew of court changes.
At the tail end of 2024, Queens Family Court also received a new Supervising Judge when former Brooklyn judge Judge Alicea Elloras-Ally was tapped for the role. Elloras-Ally replaced Judge Gilbert Taylor, who was moved to Kings County.
Monday’s six appointments are effective immediately.
