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Thursday, July 23, 2026
GreenThumb - Gardeners, enter our Harvest Fair Competition by the end of July!
Enforcer for Brooklyn-Based “Bully Gang” Sentenced to 52 Years in Prison
Franklin Gillespie Was a High-Ranking Member of the Gang, Responsible for Murders, Robberies, and Drug Trafficking
Franklin Gillespie was sentenced by United States District Judge Brian M. Cogan to 52 years’ imprisonment for multiple crimes related to his high-ranking membership of the Bully Gang, a violent street gang based in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Among other serious crimes, Gillespie committed two murders, including the murder of a potential witness, as well as two armed robberies, while on supervised release for multiple federal firearms convictions.
Gillespie was one of four Bully Gang leaders and managers who were convicted after a 13-week trial in 2024, in a case that resulted in the arrest and conviction of 53 defendants. Gillespie’s co-defendants at trial—Moeleek Harrell, Derrick Ayers, and Anthony Kennedy—were sentenced to 60 years’ imprisonment in April 2026, 59 years’ imprisonment in June 2026, and 41 years’ imprisonment in May 2026, respectively. The trial defendants were convicted variously of racketeering, murder conspiracies, assaults, firearms offenses, drug trafficking offenses, and money laundering conspiracies. In connection with the racketeering conviction, a jury found several racketeering acts proven, including murder, murder conspiracy, robbery, bribery, drug trafficking conspiracy, and money laundering.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Division (ATF); Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD); and Nadia I. Shihata, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), announced the sentence.
“Franklin Gillespie was one of the most violent members of an extraordinarily violent street gang and our Brooklyn community is rid of him thanks to this sentence,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “This important prosecution demonstrates our Office’s commitment to seeking justice for Gillespie’s many victims and their families, and ensures that our communities will be protected in the future from the leaders of this violent criminal organization.”
Mr. Nocella thanked the United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Maine and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency for their assistance during this investigation and prosecution.
“This sentence holds accountable a senior gang member whose actions brought violence, fear, and tragedy to our communities. From orchestrating violent criminal activity to committing multiple murders, armed robberies, the defendant demonstrated a complete disregard for human life and the rule of law. ATF/ NYPD Joint Firearms Task Force remains committed to working alongside the NYPD, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, and our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and dismantle violent criminal organizations, ensuring those who terrorize our neighborhoods are brought to justice,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge DiGirolamo.
“For years, the Bully Gang waged a campaign of violence and terror in Brooklyn, committing murders, shootings, armed robberies, and drug trafficking,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “Thanks to the tireless work of NYPD investigators and our law enforcement partners, Franklin Gillespie and the other top members of this ruthless gang will never walk free on our streets again. This case is yet another example of the NYPD’s precision policing strategy at work – going after the gangs and the guns to make our communities safer.”
“This sprawling investigation and today’s outcome have made the people of Brooklyn and beyond safer. With this sentence, Franklin Gillespie, one of four high-ranking gang leaders responsible for terrorizing neighborhoods by instilling fear, trafficking drugs, and committing murder, has been held accountable for his devastating conduct,” stated DOI Commissioner Shihata. “While this sentence cannot bring his victims back to their loved ones or undo the devastation his crimes have caused—it sends a clear message that those who endanger our communities will be brought to justice. I thank the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, the ATF’s New York Division and the NYPD for their partnership on this significant investigation.”
As proven during trial and set forth in court documents, the Bully Gang was a violent criminal organization whose members committed murders, including the murder of a potential law enforcement witness; regularly shot at gang rivals in public streets; burned down a home with people inside; committed armed robberies with an arsenal of weapons trafficked from out of state; and engaged in multiple sprawling narcotics trafficking schemes. Gillespie was the gang’s violent enforcer who targeted the gang’s enemies and committed multiple murders. Gillespie’s three co-defendants at trial also played critical roles in the gang: Harrell was a founder and leader who directed the gang’s crimes; Ayers ran the gang’s extensive Maine drug trafficking organization and committed numerous violent crimes for the gang, including murder; and Kennedy was a trusted member of the gang who participated in the murders carried out by Gillespie and the gang’s drug trafficking.
Crimes of Violence
Gillespie committed numerous acts of violence on behalf of the Bully Gang. Over four days in April 2020, Gillespie, with the assistance of Kennedy, murdered two people. First, Gillespie murdered Paul Hoilett in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Before the murder, Gillespie surveilled and followed Hoilett as Hoilett walked down the sidewalk. Gillespie then shot Hoilett in the back of the head at point-blank range. On the day of the murder, Kennedy drove Gillespie from New Jersey to Brooklyn, where Gillespie met Mike Hawley. Hawley then drove Gillespie directly to the murder.
Four days later, Gillespie and Kennedy murdered Hawley in Far Rockaway, Queens. After Gillespie and Kennedy came to believe that law enforcement was looking for Hawley, they targeted Hawley to prevent him from speaking to law enforcement authorities about Hoilett’s murder. Kennedy drove Gillespie to and from Queens to commit this murder, while Gillespie arranged a meeting with Hawley in Queens under false pretenses. As with the murder of Hoilett, Gillespie shot Hawley multiple times, also at point-blank range. Gillespie and Kennedy took many steps to hide their involvement in this murder from law enforcement authorities, including removing the license plate and inspection sticker from the getaway car used in the murder.
In addition to these two murders, Gillespie committed many other violent crimes. In August 2020, Gillespie and other Bully Gang members and associates committed two gunpoint robberies on consecutive days in Manhattan. After the robberies, Gillespie and his co-conspirators made social media posts flaunting the proceeds of the robberies and bragging about their crimes. One week later, Gillespie was found with three guns, including the two guns used in these robberies.
Gillespie’s violence was part of a larger pattern of violence among members of the Bully Gang. For example, in a shooting on October 1, 2017, Harrell, Ayers, and other gang members targeted a victim who the gang believed was responsible for the death of one of the Bully Gang’s founders. During this shooting, their intended target and an innocent bystander were shot. Separately, Harrell, Ayers, and other gang members targeted their rival “Stukes Crew” in numerous acts of violence over several years. These acts of violence included Ayers’s murder of Jonathan Jackson, a Stukes Crew associate, in March 2018. Harrell, Ayers, and other Bully Gang members also planned and participated in three additional shootings in Crown Heights targeting the Stukes Crew. One of these shootings resulted in a car crash that injured multiple people.
Notably, Gillespie is not alleged to have committed these 2017 and 2018 shootings because, from March 2016 through August 2019, he was in federal prison in connection with his second federal gun conviction. At the time of the murders and other conduct of which he was convicted in this case, Gillespie was on federal supervised release in connection with the federal firearms convictions.
Drug Trafficking
While still on federal supervised release, Gillespie also played an important role in the Bully Gang’s drug trafficking operation in Maine. As part of this scheme, the Bully Gang and its associates transported large quantities of drugs, including cocaine base, heroin, and fentanyl, from New York and New Jersey to Maine, where they sold the drugs out of stash houses throughout the state. For months, Gillespie recruited and directed subordinates who sold and transported drugs, managed the gang’s stash houses, traveled to Maine in connection with the scheme, and collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit from the drug sales. All of Gillespie’s co-defendants at trial were also involved in the Maine drug trafficking scheme, including Ayers, who ran the day-to-day operations of the scheme for many years.
Other members and associates of the gang, including Harrell and Kennedy, ran a separate drug smuggling scheme at jail facilities on Rikers Island. In connection with this scheme, Harrell, Kennedy, and their co-conspirators arranged for comic books and other papers soaked in synthetic cannabinoids, also known as “K2,” to be delivered to Rikers where the drugs were sold to inmates at a substantial profit.
Partnerships for Parks - Branding and Networking Workshops, City of Forest Day, and More
Building your Brand: Visibility for Groups Dedicated to Parks
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Building your Network: Making Connections to Activate Parks
Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, 6-7:30 p.m.
Queens Public Library
37-44 21st St., Long Island City, NY 11101
Event Host Registration for City of Forest Day is Live!
Join us for City of Forest Day on Saturday, October 3, to celebrate New York City’s living infrastructure by hosting an official City of Forest Day event! You’ll receive a welcome kit and promotion on the Forest For All NYC coalition’s website.
Put Your Group on the Map
Mayor Mamdani Appoints Veteran City Leader Anthony Shorris as President and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation
As First Deputy Mayor, Shorris served as chief operating officer with a $100 billion budget and delivered paid parental and sick leave to millions of workers
Shorris spent more than 40 years leading nation's largest public and non-profit organizations
Shorris helped architect Mayor Koch's historic housing plan, dedicating more than $4 billion to build and rehabilitate nearly 200,000 affordable homes
Administration names former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan as Chair of the EDC Board of Directors
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani appointed Anthony Shorris as President and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC). Shorris brings more than 40 years of experience leading many of the largest public sector and non-profit organizations in the country, having managed multibillion-dollar budgets, tens of thousands of employees and the strategic direction of city and state agencies across government, transportation, housing, healthcare and education.
Shorris takes the helm of EDC as the Mamdani administration works to make New York more affordable and to ensure that economic development reaches the working people who keep the city running. Under Shorris’ leadership, EDC will use city-owned land, financing and investment to build affordable housing, create good jobs, support small businesses and deliver public goods in every borough.
As First Deputy Mayor under Mayor Bill de Blasio, Shorris served as chief operating officer of a city government of roughly 350,000 employees, a $100 billion annual budget and more than three dozen agencies. Earlier, as a senior budget official under Mayor Edward I. Koch, Shorris helped architect the Ten-Year Housing Plan, the largest municipal housing initiative in the country at the time, dedicating more than $4 billion in city capital to the construction and rehabilitation of nearly 200,000 units of affordable housing in neighborhoods that had been devastated by disinvestment and arson. As Finance Commissioner, he led the fourth-largest tax agency in the nation, cracked down on tax fraud in some of the largest investigations in city history and created the city's first Taxpayer Bill of Rights.
Over his career, Shorris also served as Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Deputy Chancellor for Operations at the Department of Education
The administration also announced that former Chair of the Federal Trade Commission Lina Khan will serve as Chair of the EDC Board of Directors. She will bring that experience to her new role, partnering with Shorris to help EDC deliver reliably for working New Yorkers in every borough.
“To achieve real economic justice in our city, we need to continue to grow our economy, attract new businesses to the five boroughs and create more job opportunities so New Yorkers can stay New Yorkers. Tony is a proven leader with decades of experience proving that economic development can and must include the working class. Building a fairer, more resilient economy has always been at the heart of his work and I look forward to working closely with him to advance that mission at EDC,” said Mayor Mamdani. “Lina Khan has fought exploitation and dishonesty in courtrooms and classrooms across the country, and given us the blueprint for a government that delivers for working people. As Chair of the EDC Board of Directors, I know that Lina will not only steer our administration’s economic development efforts toward a new era of opportunity, but ensure justice is the driving principle behind all of our work.”
“Tony Shorris brings a rare depth of experience to this work — decades spent showing how thoughtful public leadership can deliver results for New Yorkers. And in Lina Khan, we have a chair who has spent her career ensuring our economy works fairly for consumers and small businesses alike,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su. “Together, they’ll help EDC use every tool at its disposal to build a city that’s more affordable and more just for the people who call it home.”
“I’m honored to take on this role at a moment when New York is asking bigger questions about who its economy is for,” said Anthony Shorris. “I look forward to working with businesses, labor and communities to grow an economy that all New Yorkers can share in.”
“EDC has a vital role to play in ensuring that New York’s economy is growing in ways that make our city more affordable, efficient and resilient,” said EDC Board Chair Lina Khan. “I look forward to working with the administration to advance this vision and make life materially better for New Yorkers.”
About Anthony Shorris
Anthony Shorris was born in New York City. He has spent 25 years in public service, including serving as Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Commissioner of Finance, Deputy Chancellor of the Department of Education, Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and, most recently, as the City’s First Deputy Mayor for the first term of Mayor Bill de Blasio. During his 15 years in non-profit and academic work, he has served as Executive Vice President of Healthfirst, Vice Dean and Chief of Staff of NYU Langone Health, Director of the Rudin Center for Transportation Policy at NYU, and Director of the Policy Research Institute for the Region at Princeton University. Today, he is a Partner at McKinsey & Company and teaches in the graduate program at the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. He is Vice Chair of the Regional Plan Association and a member of the Board of the United Hospital Fund. Shorris is a graduate of Harvard College and Princeton University. He lives in New York City with his wife.
About Lina Khan
Lina Khan is an associate professor of law at Columbia Law School, where she directs the Center for Law and the Economy. From June 2021 through January 2025 Khan served as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission, where she managed a $425 million budget and enforced the nation’s antitrust and consumer protection laws. Her major initiatives included tackling noncompete clauses that harm workers and entrepreneurs, challenging monopolistic practices that squeeze start-ups and small businesses, and ensuring that honest businesses can compete on a level playing field. Previously Khan served as counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law. She is a graduate of Williams College and Yale Law School.
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Two Street Gang Members Found Guilty of Murdering Victim Outside His Home During Mexican Mafia-Ordered Armed Robbery
Two members of a Southern California street gang operating under a branch of the Mexican Mafia prison gang were found guilty by a jury today of murdering a man outside his home while trying to rob him.
Ysrael Jacob Cordova, 41, also known as “Trips,” and “Tripper,” of Placentia, California, and Ricardo Valenzuela, 44, also known as “Solo,” of Buena Park, California, each were found guilty of one count of murder in aid of racketeering activity (VICAR murder).
“Gang members directing crimes from behind bars cannot be tolerated.” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case charged both the shooters and the perpetrator who ordered the robbery. Acts of violence like these have no place in our communities, and the Criminal Division will continue to work to keep our citizens safe.”
“We will never tolerate senseless acts of gang violence on the streets, especially those ordered by convicted felons behind bars,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “We will vigorously prosecute gang violence to keep our community safe and to provide justice for the victims.”
“These convictions help ensure that those engaging in harm as part of gang-related activity will be brought to justice,” said Acting Assistant Director John R. Dozier Jr. of the FBI’s Criminal Division. “The FBI, showcased today through our efforts on the Homeland Security Task Force, remains committed to pursuing and disrupting individuals bringing violence to our communities.”
The Mexican Mafia, also known as “La Eme,” is a U.S.-based prison gang that has immense control over Hispanic street gangs in Southern California, directing illegal activities from prisons and collecting a portion of the proceeds from drug trafficking, illegal gambling, and other crimes committed on the streets.
According to evidence presented at a weeklong trial, the robbery was ordered by a Mexican Mafia member in charge of criminal activities in Orange County (O.C.), who was imprisoned at the Orange County jail at the time of the murder. He communicated the order to rob the victim to a Mexican Mafia member incarcerated in a different California prison, who in turn communicated the order to Cordova and Valenzuela.
That same day, Cordova and Valenzuela were driven to the victim’s neighborhood in Placentia to rob him. Both Cordova and Valenzuela brandished long guns. Cordova shot and killed the victim. The robbery and murder were captured on a surveillance video recording which was introduced by the government as evidence during the trial.
Below are screenshots from that video:
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 22 at which time Cordova and Valenzuela will face mandatory penalties of life in prison. They have been in federal custody since the spring of 2022.
Federal prosecutors have secured 15 convictions in this criminal investigation targeting the O.C. Mexican Mafia. Of the eight remaining defendants, one is scheduled to go to trial in July 2027 on VICAR and firearms charges and seven are scheduled for trial in August 2027 on charges that include racketeering conspiracy, VICAR, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses.
The FBI, the Santa Ana Police Department, the Anaheim Police Department, the Fullerton Police Department, the Placentia Police Department, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation investigated this matter.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.
Speaker Julie Menin, Council Member Phil Wong, FDNY and Phelan Family Unveil New Red Memorial Street Sign Honoring 9/11 Hero Lt. Kenneth J. Phelan Sr.
Unveiling launches citywide effort to replace approximately 326 green signs honoring FDNY and NYPD members who died on September 11 with distinctive red and blue signs
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Council Member Phil Wong today joined Council Members Joann Ariola and Shaun Abreu, FDNY First Deputy Commissioner Daniel Flynn, FDNY officials, community members, and the family of Lieutenant Kenneth J. Phelan Sr. to unveil a new red memorial street sign at the corner of 69th Lane and Eliot Avenue in Maspeth.
Lieutenant Phelan, a lifelong Maspeth resident, was killed in the line of duty on September 11, 2001. He joined the NYPD in 1981, transferred to the FDNY in 1989 and was promoted to lieutenant in 2000. At the time of his death, he was assigned to Engine Company 217 in Brooklyn.
The ceremony marked the beginning of a citywide initiative funded through a $90,000 allocation secured by Speaker Menin in conjunction with Council Members Wong, Ariola, Abreu and Oswald Feliz. Approximately 326 existing green street co-naming signs honoring FDNY and NYPD personnel who died on September 11 will be replaced with red FDNY or blue NYPD signs before the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
“As we approach the 25th anniversary of September 11th, it is more important than ever to honor the New Yorkers who gave their lives protecting our city,” said Speaker Julie Menin. “The Council secured funding in this year’s budget to display the names of these first responders in colors representing their agencies—a lasting tribute to their service and sacrifice. Lieutenant Kenneth Phelan embodied that spirit of selflessness. On September 11th, he answered the call to serve at a neighboring firehouse that was short a member, giving his life after 14 years of dedicated service to the FDNY. I was honored to join his family for this unveiling and I am grateful to Council Member Wong for hosting the first of many ceremonies that will take place over the coming weeks. We owe it to these heroes and their families to ensure their courage and sacrifice are never forgotten.”
The ceremony was attended by members of Lieutenant Phelan’s family, including his widowed wife, Patricia Phelan, his son, Firefighter Kenneth Phelan Jr., and his younger brother, Battalion Chief Lenny Phelan, and other family members who have continued the family’s tradition of service in the FDNY.
Lieutenant Phelan was born and raised in Maspeth and attended Our Lady of Hope Catholic Academy and Grover Cleveland High School. He remained active in his community throughout his life, including coaching generations of children in CYO basketball at Our Lady of Hope.
The remaining signs included in the initiative will be replaced throughout the five boroughs ahead of September 11, 2026.
Arizona Man Sentenced to Over 21 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring with Others to Distribute Fentanyl in Western South Dakota
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that United States District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced an Arizona man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on July 20, 2026.
John Parrado, 38, was sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Parrado was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in September 2025. He pleaded guilty on January 5, 2026.
In 2025, Parrado conspired with other people to obtain fentanyl and distribute it in South Dakota. He received much of his supply from out of state through the U.S. mail. Ultimately, Parrado was personally involved in the distribution of 400 grams of the drug in the state.
“This is another step forward in eliminating these deadly substances from our state,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “My deepest thanks go out to the strong detective work of the Rapid City Police, the DEA, ATF, and Postal Inspection Service, working together to reel in this fentanyl dealer and put him away.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Rapid City Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Peterson prosecuted the case.
Parrado was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.
Mayor Mamdani Announces Full Slate of Committee Appointees for Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary
The eighteen appointees include law professors and three former New York State judges
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today announced the full slate of members appointed to the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary (MACJ), which evaluates candidates for judicial appointments and recommends qualified candidates to the Mayor. The newly revitalized committee will work to make the judicial selection process more transparent, more accessible and truly reflective of New York City.
In January, Mayor Mamdani signed an executive order directing the Committee to engage the full breadth of the legal community in the judicial selection process, including public defenders, attorneys who represent parents and children in Family Court and those working in indigent legal services. The executive order also directs the Committee to regularly publish demographic data about the judicial applicant pool and create a searchable public database through which New Yorkers can monitor upcoming appointments, ensuring transparency in the process.
“I am proud to announce our full slate of appointments to the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary,” said Mayor Mamdani. “The Committee will help ensure that our judicial system reflects the city it serves, applies the rule of law universally and does so without favor. These members bring a diverse range of legal expertise, and I am confident they will carry out this important responsibility with fairness, independence and integrity.”
“The members announced today offer a truly representative cross-section of the legal profession in New York City, bringing a wide range of professional experience from all five boroughs to the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary,” said Ramzi Kassem, Chief Counsel to the Mayor and City Hall, who supervises the activities of the Committee. “Under Mayor Mamdani’s leadership, MACJ will reach across the legal community to build a broad and highly qualified pool of judicial applicants. An independent and impartial judiciary composed of jurists who have served their fellow New Yorkers in a range of legal circumstances is essential to a healthy democracy, and these appointments reflect our administration’s commitment to a fair, inclusive and transparent judicial selection process.”
“I am honored to Chair this group of leading legal practitioners and scholars,” said Ali Najmi, Chair of the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary, appointed by Mayor Mamdani in January. “The Mayor has made transparency in judicial selection a priority and today’s appointments are just the beginning of that work. I look forward to leading this talented committee and helping to deliver a more just city.”
“The formation of the full committee marks an important step toward ensuring that judicial vacancies are filled through a fair, rigorous and accessible process,” said Rowan D. Wilson, Chief Judge of the State of New York and the New York Court of Appeals. “I look forward to continued collaboration to support a judiciary that serves all New Yorkers with integrity.”
“These appointments reflect the breadth of talent, experience and commitment to justice that New Yorkers deserve. The nominees bring diverse perspectives and deep expertise from across the legal profession — from public defense, including former Legal Aid attorneys, and civil rights advocacy to academia, private practice and public service,” said Twyla Carter, Attorney-in-Chief and Chief Executive Officer of The Legal Aid Society. “A judicial selection process that draws on this range of experience strengthens both our courts and the public’s confidence in them. I commend the Mayor, the Chief Judge, the Presiding Justices and all those involved in these appointments for their commitment to this important process.”
“A well-staffed judiciary is critical to the fairness and effectiveness of our criminal justice system, and I look forward to the appointment of additional qualified judges,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
The Committee’s duties include evaluating and appointing judges to the City’s Family and Criminal Courts, as well as interim judges to its Civil Courts. The Committee reviews judges to evaluate temperament, fairness and judgment before making recommendations to the Mayor. The Committee includes members that have been reappointed, and nominees from local law schools and judges.
The Committee expects to issue its first set of recommendations to the Mayor by the beginning of October, with a public hearing to follow that month.
About Members of the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary:
Dianisbeth Acquie is a native Brooklynite. She began her legal career as a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and previously clerked for Chief Judge Margo K. Brodie in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. She currently serves as the Assistant Dean of the Office of Judicial Careers at Columbia Law School and as Vice President of the High School Division for the Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program. She graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College with a degree in English and earned her Juris Doctor cum laude from Harvard Law School, where she was a student attorney and Vice President of Membership for the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. (Mayoral nominee)
Jill Soffiyah Elijah is the founder and former Executive Director of the Alliance of Families for Justice (“AFJ”). Prior to founding AFJ, Ms. Elijah was the Executive Director of the Correctional Association of NY. Prior to leading the Correctional Association, Ms. Elijah served as Deputy Director and Clinical Instructor at the Criminal Justice Institute at Harvard Law School. Before moving to Harvard, she was the Director and Supervising Attorney of the Defender Clinic at the City University of New York School of Law. Earlier in her career, Ms. Elijah also worked as a Supervising Attorney at the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, a Staff Attorney at the Juvenile Rights Division of the Legal Aid Society and in private practice. Throughout her career she has trained thousands of lawyers and continues to do so as a consultant. An accomplished advocate, attorney, scholar and educator, Ms. Elijah has practiced criminal and family law for more than 40 years. (Mayoral nominee)
Julia Hernandez is an Associate Professor of Law at the CUNY School of Law where she co-founded and co-directs the Family Defense Practicum and Clinic. Together with her students, Julia challenges government surveillance and the separation of families of color and advocates for policies that support family well-being. Before joining CUNY’s faculty, Julia was an attorney with Brooklyn Defender Services’ Family Defense Practice and Catholic Migration Services. Julia graduated from CUNY School of Law and received her BA in Anthropology and Latin American Studies from SUNY New Paltz. (Mayoral nominee)
Everett Hopkins is the managing attorney of Hopkins Law Group, LLC. He received his undergraduate degree from the City University of New York at Hunter College and earned his law degree at the University of Buffalo. During his career, he served with distinction for eight years as general counsel and director of administration for the New York City Criminal Justice Agency. Prior to this position, he held key positions with the New York City Housing Preservation and Development and Fraud Enforcement with the Internal Revenue Service. Over the last 20 years, he has been an adjunct professor at several New York City area colleges. (Mayoral nominee)
Martin LaFalce serves as Associate Professor of Clinical Law at St. John’s University School of Law. Prior, he spent 14 years as a public defender at the Legal Aid Society, 10 years as a trial attorney in Manhattan and a policy attorney in Legal Aid’s Criminal Defense Practice. He began his career representing clients at Rikers Island charged with violating the conditions of their parole. He received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and undergraduate degree from Georgetown University. (Mayoral nominee)
Juan Luciano is a divorce lawyer. He began his career in Westchester and Queens working for immigrant families seeking to adjust their status in the United States. In 2013, he joined the assigned counsel panel for the Appellate Division First Department, serving in the Bronx and Manhattan Family Court. He worked with indigent families, adults and children. Since then, Mr. Luciano has dedicated his practice to family law and domestic relations, representing his clients with their best interests and those of their families in mind. He received his JD from the University at Buffalo School of Law. (Mayoral nominee)
Mina Malik is the CEO & Executive Partner of The Cochran Firm – New York and on the teaching faculty at Harvard Law School. She is a distinguished civil rights attorney and trial lawyer, former prosecutor and thought leader with over 25 years’ experience in criminal and civil litigation. Mina has served and held leadership positions in the Queens and Brooklyn District Attorney’s Offices, the Civilian Complaint Review Board, the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia and the D.C. Public Defender Service. Throughout her career, she has been at the forefront of advancing justice, strengthening public trust in government and protecting the constitutional rights of individuals through principled leadership, public service and advocacy. Mina received her JD from The American University Washington College of Law and her BA from Bates College. (Mayoral nominee)
Sherbune Paul is an attorney with 10 years of experience and serves as a Senior Associate at Russo & Gould LLP. Her previous roles include serving as a Managing Attorney at Bailey Law Firm LLP, Associate in the Transportation Practice Group at Windels Marx and Supervising Attorney at the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. Sherbune holds a JD from New York Law School and earned her BA in Sociology from Stony Brook University. (Mayoral nominee)
Amber Baylor is the founding director of the Criminal Defense Clinic and Clinical Professor of Law at Columbia Law School. She was previously the founder and director of the Criminal Defense Clinic at Texas A&M School of Law. Prior to teaching, Baylor was a staff attorney with Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem and a trial attorney for Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc. She received her LL.M from Georgetown University Law Center, holds a JD from New York University School of Law and earned her BA from Columbia University. (Chief Judge nominee)
Judge Kristen Booth Glen brings a wealth of relevant experience as a judge, a legal educator, a practicing lawyer and an advocate for diversity in the profession and the court system. Judge Glen was elected to the Civil Court of the City of New York in 1980; during her term she also sat in Criminal Court, and as a Sitting Supreme Court Justice in both Civil and Criminal terms. In 1986 she was elected to Supreme Court where she sat in the Matrimonial and Malpractice Parts and chaired the Committee on Diversity. In 1992 she was appointed to the Appellate Term, hearing appeals from the Criminal and Civil Courts. She left the bench in 1995 to become the third Dean of CUNY School of Law, and after a decade of service there, was elected Surrogate, New York County where she significantly increased the diversity of that Court’s staff. Judge Glen is an Honors graduate of Stanford University and Columbia Law School. (Chief Judge nominee)
A. Camila Popin is the principal attorney at Popin Law, P.C. After law school, she worked for a firm where she concentrated in the areas of Divorce and Family Law. In 2004, she opened her own law practice in Queens County concentrating in Family Law and Divorces and representing clients throughout the City of New York, Long Island and Westchester. She received her law degree from Brooklyn Law School and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from St. Francis College. (Chief Judge nominee)
Judge Milton Tingling was the first African-American County Clerk of New York County. He clerked for Harlem-based judges Justice Milton H. Richardson, Justice Wilford O’Connor and Justice Dennis Edwards, Jr, and ran a solo practice on West 125th Street. In 1986, he became the first Black person to ever be elected to a judgeship from the 7th Municipal Court District. He serves on numerous boards and community organizations, including the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce. He is the founder of The Initiative, a volunteer project that educates, facilitates and assi
Joseph Drayton is a partner at Proskauer Rose LLP and is a first-chair trial lawyer with over two decades of experience representing compan
Danielle Jones is the Assistant Managing Attorney at Proskauer Rose LLP and Lecturer in Law at Columbia Law School. Previously, she was Deputy Managing Attorney of the Criminal Defense Practice of Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (“NDS”). Danielle worked in the New York State Court System as a Principal Court Attorney in Kings County Supreme Court, Criminal Term and as an Assistant Law Clerk in New York County Supreme Court-Civil Term. She began her legal career as a Staff Attorney in the Criminal Defense Practice of The Legal Aid Society and has appeared as a legal commentator on the Law & Crime Network. She received her JD from Howard University School of Law and earned her BA in Communication from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. (Presiding Justice, Appellate Division, First Judicial Department nominee)
Judge William Mastro was elected to the New York State Supreme Court in November 1992. He was appointed to the Appellate Division, Second Department, in June of 2002 and served as a justice of that court until December 2021. During his tenure with the court, Mastro twice served periods as acting presiding justice. In May 2013, Mastro had the honor of being selected to hear and determine a case as a member of the New York State Court of Appeals. He presently serves as a member of the Governor’s Appellate Division Second Department Screening Committee. He graduated from Villanova University and New York Law School. (Presiding Justice, Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department nominee)
Thomas Principe has been a partner at Kramer, Dillof, Livingston & Moore in Manhattan, representing injure
Dennis Fan is the Founder and Director of Columbia Law School’s Appellate Litigation Clinic. He previously served as a senior assistant solicitor general in the New York Attorney General’s Office, where he handled major business fraud and consumer protection appeals, and before that worked in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Division on high-profile cases involving national security, presidential powers and federal administrative law. At the start of the Biden Administration, he served as counsel to the assistant attorney general, helping coordinate regulatory reforms to DACA and implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act. A 2015 Columbia Law graduate, Fan clerked for Judge Denny Chin and Judge James E. Boasberg, served as editor-in-chief of the Columbia Law Review and received multiple academic and clinical honors. Dennis received his JD from Columbia Law School and earned his BA from Swarthmore College. (Law school nominee)
Jared M. Trujillo is an Associate Professor of Law at CUNY School of Law, where he teaches Constitutional Law, Legislative Drafting, Critical Race Theory and courses focused on the criminal legal system. Before joining the faculty, he served as Senior Policy Counsel at the New York Civil Liberties Union. He previously served as President of the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys, UAW Local 2325 and worked as a juvenile defense and criminal defense attorney at The Legal Aid Society in New York City. Jared is a co-chair of the LGBTQ+ Rights Committee of the New York City Bar Association, a co-chair of the American Constitution Society New York Lawyer Chapter and Law and Policy Counsel at Equality New York. (Law school nominee)