|
Hispanic
Power Increases
From El Diario
August 5, 2003
By Enrique Soria
The number of members of minority groups occupying ranking positions
in the administration of justice in Queens continues to increase,
now with the recent naming of new Hispanic judges and of an African
American as Borough Chief Clerk of the county’s criminal
court.
Joseph A. Zayas, Fernando Camacho, and Gene R. Lopez have
been the three latest judges named by mayor Michael Bloomberg to
the
criminal court in Queens, while Serena Springle assumed the position
as Borough Chief Clerk, in charge of all the employees of the court,
not including the judges, of the same county.
Zayas and Lopez, both
of Puerto Rican ascendance, were the last to be named judges for
the criminal court in Queens on July 2.
The magistrates received a welcoming tribute on the part of the
Hispanic-American Organization for Progress and Excellence (HOPE),
this Wednesday afternoon, in the installations of the court.
Judge
Zayas, 41, said that he received this position with “humility,” because
as a child he grew up in the “projects” but learned
how to solve all the problems he was dealt.
“I believe that what makes a good judge is the experience
he acquires in life, in the community, and being familiarized with
these kind
of problems. [This experience] has helped me make the best decisions
and gives me more knowledge as a judge,” said Judge Zayas. “I
don’t want to say that one must be poor or Latino to be a
good judge, but I believe that because I have had these experiences,
it made me a better judge.”
Judge Lopez, 52, could not be
located for comment.
Judge Camacho, a 42 year-old Cuban, who was
assigned as judge for Queens in 2002, also functions as president
of the Association
of Hispanic Judges, Inc.
Judge Camacho best remembers the case
of the Martinez brothers, who belonged to the “Gerry Curl” gang,
known for its "cruelty," which
occurred when he was fiscal assistant in Manhattan. Now a Judge,
Camacho, who arrived from Cuba at age 9, is taking care of judicial
room AP4, with the majority of domestic violence cases.
Springle
is the first African-American and the first woman to be named to
this position. She began as a functionary of the court
in 1985 and has been ascending to various positions up to now,
as Borough Chief Clerk of the court in Queens.
“I believe that that the courts are professional, respectable,
and dedicated says a lot about one, and what one represents,” said
Springle. Another woman in a ranking position is Suzanne Melendez,
who was the first Hispanic woman named Judge in the criminal court
in Queens.
Although the number of Hispanic judges has increased,
it still remains low, considering that Hispanics now constitute
the largest
minority in the United States.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
Translated from Spanish by Charlotte
Triggs
|