Jaime Rios
Encyclopedia
Jaime Rios is a judge
on the New York Supreme Court
for Queens County
. Prior to sitting on the Supreme Court, Judge Rios served on the New York City Civil Court
and the Housing Court. Judge Rios holds a B.S.
degree from City College of New York
, a M.A.
degree from New York University
, and a law
degree from Fordham University School of Law
. Following law school, Judge Rios was a prosecutor
in King's County
and later an attorney for the New York City Police Department
. He also teaches landlord/tenant law
at Fordham as an adjunct professor. He is also a co-chair of Fordham's Minority Mentorship Program for law students.
sought to overturn this second conviction. In support of the motion to vacate the conviction, Kuby took the unorthodox step of calling Judge Rios as a witness to address the allegation, but Rios denied any misconduct. A side issue in the case is Memblatt's further allegation of a sexual affair between former prosecutor Meryl Lutsky and the married Rios which, in Memblatt's words, made him "unfit" to be a judge. The affair, and Memblatt's subsequent firing, prompted the tabloid New York Post
to call Rios the "Love Judge." Memblatt has gone on to become a blog
ger highly critical of the New York state judiciary as a whole. In October 2006, Judge Matthew D'Emic denied Johnson's motion to overturn the conviction, finding no misconduct on Rios' part.
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
on the New York Supreme Court
New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...
for Queens County
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
. Prior to sitting on the Supreme Court, Judge Rios served on the New York City Civil Court
New York City Civil Court
The New York City Civil Court is a court hearing civil cases within New York City. By volume, it is the largest civil jurisdiction court in the United States, and handles about 25% of the total filings of the entire New York state court system.-Jurisdiction:...
and the Housing Court. Judge Rios holds a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree from City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
, a M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, and a law
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from Fordham University School of Law
Fordham University School of Law
Fordham University School of Law is a part of Fordham University in the United States. The School is located in the Borough of Manhattan in New York City, and is one of eight ABA-approved law schools in that city.-Overview:According to the U.S. News & World Report, 1,516 J.D. students attend...
. Following law school, Judge Rios was a prosecutor
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
in King's County
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
and later an attorney for the New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
. He also teaches landlord/tenant law
Leasehold estate
A leasehold estate is an ownership of a temporary right to land or property in which a lessee or a tenant holds rights of real property by some form of title from a lessor or landlord....
at Fordham as an adjunct professor. He is also a co-chair of Fordham's Minority Mentorship Program for law students.
Tyrone Johnson case
In 2005, Judge Rios' conduct in the second murder trial of Tyrone Johnson came under scrutiny. Johnson's first conviction for the murder of nightclub owner Leroy Vann was overturned by Judge Rios when it was revealed that a prosecutor lied about the whereabouts of a defense witness. Judith Memblatt, the judge's former law clerk, accused him of improperly coaching the prosecutor in the second trial, Eugene Riebstein. Based on Memblatt's allegations, Johnson's defense attorney Ron KubyRon Kuby
Ronald L. Kuby is a criminal defense and civil rights lawyer, radio talk show host and TV commentator. He has hosted radio programs on WABC Radio in New York and Air America Radio.-Beginnings:...
sought to overturn this second conviction. In support of the motion to vacate the conviction, Kuby took the unorthodox step of calling Judge Rios as a witness to address the allegation, but Rios denied any misconduct. A side issue in the case is Memblatt's further allegation of a sexual affair between former prosecutor Meryl Lutsky and the married Rios which, in Memblatt's words, made him "unfit" to be a judge. The affair, and Memblatt's subsequent firing, prompted the tabloid New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
to call Rios the "Love Judge." Memblatt has gone on to become a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger highly critical of the New York state judiciary as a whole. In October 2006, Judge Matthew D'Emic denied Johnson's motion to overturn the conviction, finding no misconduct on Rios' part.
External links
- Hon. Jaime Rios, New York State Unified Court System