DIY Star Award Recipient March 2012

DIY Star Award

Star  Queens County Civil Court Clerk's Office Staff


Congratulations to the Queens County Civil Court, DIY Stars!

(L-R) Nicholas Psaros, William Johnson, Penina Katz, Natalia Kachkarov, Nicole Mustello, Debra Kaiser, Karen Polito, Deborah Tuminello, Monica Dingle, Jacqueline Robinson, Joann Messina, Hon. Fern Fisher, Kathy Kudla, Joann Alberti, Hon. Charles Lopresto, Sheila Walker, John S. Barry, Hon. Jeremy Weinstein, Joseph Traynor, and Gary Lane

 

The Queens County Civil Court Civil Clerk’s Office staff won the New York State Courts Access to Justice Program’s DIY Star Award, making them the second distinguished staff of the New York City Civil Court to receive this honor. A lovely ceremony was held at the Queens County Civil Court on March 22, 2012. At the ceremony, NYS Courts Access to Justice Program Director Judge Fern A. Fisher, and her Chief Counsel Rochelle Klempner, spoke about the staff’s successful promotion and implementation of the Affidavit to Vacate a Default Judgment DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Form Program.

Judge Charles Lopresto, Judge Fern Fisher and Judge Jeremy Weinstein

Supervising Judge Charles S. Lopresto, NYS Courts Access to Justice Program Director Judge Fern A. Fisher, and Administrative Judge Jeremy Weinstein

Administrative Judge Jeremy Weinstein, Supervising Judge Charles S. Lopresto, Chief Clerk Carol Alt, and Clerk of the County Joseph Traynor, all had high praise for the staff’s efforts to assist unrepresented litigants facing consumer debt issues. Judge Fisher said, “in these times of economic crisis, unrepresented litigants come to the Civil Court looking for help in obtaining justice. The Queens’ staff has offered a helping hand by insuring that our DIY programs, which assist in closing the justice gap, are effectively utilized. Bravo to the staff in Queens who understand what justice is all about.”

The Clerk’s Office is spearheaded by Assistant Deputy Chief Clerk Monica Dingle, who accepted the award on behalf of the staff. The rest of the Queens County DIY Stars include: Supervisors Barry Shapiro, Gary Lane, and Natalia Kachkarov and staff members JoAnn Alberti, Gene Carter, Susan Goldstein, Angela Hughes, Debra Kaiser, Penina Katz, Kathy Kudla, Joann Messina, Nicole Mustello, Andreas Pehr, Karen Polito, Nicholas Psaros, Jacqueline Robinson, Deborah Tuminello, and Sheila Walker. ADCC Dingle said that the staff’s distinction is due to a true group effort – “everyone works the DIY terminals on a daily rotating schedule and supervisors cover the assignment when the DIY person is needed at the filing window.”

Monica Dingle and Joseph Traynor

Assistant Deputy Chief Clerk Monica Dingle and Clerk of the County Joseph Traynor

Indeed, the Queens Civil Court Clerk’s Office staff was singled out amongst all the DIY courts throughout the state to receive this award due to the clear concerted team effort evidenced in the DIY User Survey comments returned by appreciative litigants. A sampling of what litigants had to say about their DIY experience is below.

 
 

View the photo gallery of the awards presentation.

 
 

Read a sampling of what litigants had to say about their DIY experience in the Queens County Civil Clerk's Office

"The clerk was very helpful. Thank you." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, March 8, 2012.

"Angela was fantastic!" - NYC Consumer Debt Program, March 8, 2012.

"The court clerk was very helpful, guided me through the entire process. Tax dollars well spent." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, March 7, 2012.

"Good assistance from staff was very helpful." - NYC Consumer Derbt Program, March 5, 2012.

"Thank you very much Kathy." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, February 29, 2012.

"Thank you for your patience and help, especially Kathy." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, February 29, 2012.

"You guys need to keep the court employees. They were very helpful and I wouldn't have known to even complete this paper work online without them." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, February 24, 2012.

"Service was wonderful and people of court were kind and helpful." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, February 22, 2012.

"Your clerk was the most helpful and guide me through the who process, she was very pleasant." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, February 17, 2012

"Great service with court staff employee very helpful. Thanks." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, January 27, 2012.

"I was very pleased with the court clerk that helped me." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, January 26, 2012.

"un clark dela corte me ayudo, mucha gracias (The clerk of the court helped me, thank you very much)." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, January 20, 2012.

"Everyone was very helpful and the "DIY" works." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, January 11, 2012.

"Joann is a great woman, she is good help, thank you for her." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, December 27, 2011.

"Joann Messina was very helpful, couldn't have done it myself." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, December 23, 2011.

"Clerks were extremely helpful and polite." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, December 20, 2011.

"The lady was a blessing from God. She helped me all the way." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, December 12, 2011.

"The clerk was very helpful, very nice." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 29, 2011.

"The lady at the counter has been very helpful." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 22, 2011.

"The assistance I received from Ms. Tuminello was a tremendous help. She was an excellent guider through the entire program." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 22, 2011.

"Karen was very great and kind in assisting me." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 21, 2011.

"Clerk Jackie was very helpful to me." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 18, 2011.

"The process was great. I received super help from court staff. It went much better than I expected." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 18, 2011.

"Ms. Robinson was very helpful to me." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 18, 2011.

"Ms. Robinson assisted me in the program and she was very patient and very well experienced. I wish that she would continue to help others as well as she helped me." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 18, 2011.

"The program is clear and easily understood. For question that needed further explanation the clerk was helpful and readily available." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 16, 2011.

"Court clerk was very helpful." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 9, 2011.

"The employee was very helpful." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 7, 2011.

"I truly enjoyed and learned more about the system through this program and the court clerk was very helpful." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 7, 2011.

"I appreciate the help I received today, it was very helpful." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 3, 2011.

"The person who helped me, Karen was very nice and helped me a lot." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 2, 2011.

"Karen helped me, she is very helpful." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 2, 2011.

"Angela was very helpful." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 2, 2011.

"The clerk Jackie Robinson was very helpful to me. Thank you." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 1, 2011.

"The clerk Jackie Robinson was an excellent help to me in the processing of these documents. I highly recommend Ms. Robinson to all customers." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 1, 2011.

"Clerks were very helpful. Thank you." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, November 1, 2011.

"Very helpful assistance by court clerk." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, October 31, 2011.

"Court employee was very helpful." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, October 28, 2011.

"Clerk lady very kind to me and very helpful." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, October 28, 2011.

"Angela is doing a great job. She's been very helpful and informative." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, October 27, 2011.

"The court clerk is great and she is very helpful." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, October 20, 2011.

"Your court has been a great help. Good bless America." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, October 4, 2011.

"The court clerk was most helpful." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, October 3, 2011.

"I don't know his name, but he is really a great person (from window number #3)." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, September 30, 2011.

"Nice experience, court clerk extremely helpful." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, September 20, 2011.

"I am really happy to have this kind of help at the court clerk office; it made it a lot easier to understand the process." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, September 9, 2011.

"Court clerk was very helpful." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, August 10, 2011.

"Court employee was very helpful and courteous." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, July 7, 2011.

"Angela was very good help." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, July 5, 2011.

"The helper was very nice." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, June 14, 2011.

"Court employee was excellent getting information on use." - NYC Consumer Debt Program, June 2, 2011.