Suffolk's top judge appoints panel to help fight bias in courts

Suffolk’s top judge announced this week that he has created a 16-member committee charged with enacting reforms recommended by the state to eliminate bias and promote equality in the county’s court system.

The Committee on Equal Justice in the Courts will implement recommendations to eliminate bias, according to Suffolk District Administrative Judge Andrew A. Crecca, made in October by a task force led former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson. Johnson and his group conducted a four-month study of institutional racism in the judicial system last year at the request of New York Chief Judge Janet DiFiore.

"We want to do make sure our courts are treating everybody with equal dignity and equal respect," Crecca said.

Nassau District Administrative Judge Norman St. George said he is in the process of appointing a panel to implement the Johnson’s recommendations on eliminating bias.

"His recommendations are wide-ranging and in-depth," St. George said.

DiFiore requested the review of institutional racism in the courts in June following the nationwide protests sparked by the death of George Floyd while in custody of Minneapolis police.

"It gave us an opportunity to ask, ‘How can we do better?’" Crecca said.

Crecca appointed Suffolk Judge Cheryl A. Joseph as the chairwoman of his panel, which will also include other judges, court employees, lawyers, and law professors. St. George said his panel will also include judges and court employees as well as representatives from Nassau County District Attorney and County Attorney offices and the Nassau County Bar Association.

"I’ve asked them to come back in 60 to 90 days to tell us how to implement Secretary Johnson’s recommendations in Nassau County," St. George said.

Johnson’s 100-page report recommended that courts embrace a zero-tolerance policy for racial bias, expand implicit bias training for judges and court personnel, and address bias in the jury selection process.

Johnson’s report also said courts should promote diversity in the hiring of court personnel, continue progress on language translation services and improve how complaints about bias are investigated. Johnson suggested courts hire "greeters" who will welcome courthouse visitors, answer basic questions and help them find where they need to go.

Johnson’s report said the use of racial slurs by white court officers is common and often goes unpunished, noting that a Brooklyn criminal court officer posted an image on Facebook last year depicting the lynching of a black man who looked like former President Barack Obama. That officer was fired in December.

St. George said Nassau courts have not experienced that kind of explicit racism but implicit bias is a concern. He’s heard anecdotes from minority attorneys who said court officers and other employees confused them clients.

"They show up in court and were told to step back and wait for their attorneys to show up," St. George said. "Everybody has bias."

Crecca, too, said he is not aware of glaring racism in Suffolk courts -- but that doesn’t mean Suffolk courts are as fair as they could be.

"It would be crazy to say we don’t have bias, we don’t have inequality, or we can’t do this better," Crecca said.