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.
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