Date: April 20, 2004

NEW YORK - Chief Administrative Judge Jonathan Lippman today announced the appointment of Hon. Jan H. Plumadore as Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Courts outside New York City. The appointment was made with the approval of Chief Judge Judith Kaye and in consultation with the Presiding Justices of the Appellate Divisions of the Second, Third and Fourth Judicial Departments.

The appointment will be effective in mid May, with Judge Plumadore replacing Hon. Joseph J. Traficanti, Jr., who leaves to begin a career in international legal consulting.

Judge Plumadore has been the Fourth District Administrative Judge since 1994, a position in which he serves as the top local administrator for the courts in St. Lawrence, Franklin, Clinton, Essex, Hamilton, Warren, Washington, Fulton, Saratoga, Montgomery and Schenectady Counties. He was elected to his first term as Justice of the State Supreme Court in 1987, after serving for a decade as a Franklin County Judge, Surrogate and Family Court Judge. His tenure on the bench followed a legal career in both the public and private sectors, including several years as a local legislator, as well as service as a captain in the United States Army, where he received the U.S. Bronze Star and the Vietnam Medal of Honor. A graduate of St. Lawrence University and Union University Albany Law School, Judge Plumadore has lectured at various judicial seminars across the state and has published numerous decisions.

In making the appointment, Judge Lippman said, “Judge Plumadore was the stand-out candidate for this position due to his unassailable integrity, formidable intellect and extraordinary record of achievement as Administrative Judge for the Fourth District. Judge Plumadore is the most senior tenured Administrative Judge in the state and during over a decade of service in this position, his leadership has contributed to making the Fourth District one of the shining examples across the state for efficiency and innovative new programs. Judge Plumadore led a monumental effort to upgrade the quality and professionalism of court security in the Fourth District, as well as engineering a new internship program that introduced Native American students to careers in the courts. Also notably, under Judge Plumadore’s administration, the Fourth District---although encompassing the largest area geographically in the state and having the lowest employee-to-caseload ratio---has time and again proven to be one of the most successful districts statewide in meeting standards and goals for speedy and efficient case resolution. I have no doubt that Judge Plumadore will bring the same managerial talent he has shown as Fourth District Administrative Judge, as well as the unwavering commitment to public service he has demonstrated throughout his professional career, to the greater reaches of his new role as Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for all courts outside New York City. I am grateful that he has accepted this key assignment and look forward to working with him in this new capacity.”

Judge Lippman added, “I want to express my most sincere thanks to my good friend and colleague Joseph Traficanti for over two decades of extraordinary public service within the state judiciary. His achievements as Deputy Chief Administrative Judge and Statewide Director of Drug Treatment Court Programs are far too numerous to mention, but suffice it to say that he has been a central figure in the state’s court system and leaves a long-lasting legacy of innovation and positive improvements for the people of New York. I hold the highest respect and admiration for Judge Traficanti and wish him the best of luck with his new pursuits in the international arena.”

Hon. Judy Harris Kluger will be taking on the position of Statewide Director of Drug Treatment Court Programs, a second post that Judge Traficanti leaves vacant with his departure. Judge Kluger is presently the Statewide Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Court Operations and Planning, a position in which she is spearheading a comprehensive plan to establish Integrated Domestic Violence Courts across the state. She co-chairs the Local Courts Advisory Committee of the Chief Administrative Judge and is a member of the Advisory Committee for Statewide Implementation of Court-Supervised Drug Treatment. Judge Kluger is an Acting Supreme Court Justice and had served for eight years as the Administrative Judge for New York City Criminal Court.