KEY POINTS

  • Nearly 170 New York court workers have been infected by COVID-19 
  • The virus also claimed the lives of three of the state's judges
  • 14 other judges from around the state have also tested positive for COVID-19

COVID-19 has made its way through New York's justice system, infecting nearly 170 court workers and claiming the lives of three judges in the process.

The latest victim in the state's judicial arm was Supreme Court Judge Steven Milligram. The 66-year-old Yonkers native passed away early Tuesday from complications caused by COVID-19.

Milligram attended Gorton High School and went on to study at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law in Pace University. Prior to his election to the Supreme Court, he served nine years as Monroe Town Justice, said lohud.

Courtroom
A 67-year-old Kansas man, convicted of sexual abuse, was given a reduced prison sentence after judge called his victims "aggressor." This representational image shows a view of the defendant's table in a courtroom in Los Angeles, March 16, 2009. Getty Images/ Robyn Beck

“We're devastated by the loss. He was a terrific attorney, skilled, a great litigator. A nice guy, on top of everything else,” said Mark Starkman, current president of the Orange County Bar Association, as he described Milligram, who was also a past president of the county bar.

Judge Johnny Lee Baynes also passed away last month from pneumonia related to COVID-19. The 64-year-old was a judge in Brooklyn for 15 years, according to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

Baynes attended Fordham University before proceeding to Harvard School of Law. He then became a Housing Court judge in 1993 and elected to the New York City Civil Court in 2005.

Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Lisa Ottley remembered Baynes as a “gentle giant” who always wore a smile on his face.

“We'd always have something to laugh about. Whenever he called me, his greeting began with 'I was just calling to check on my buddy,'” she told the publication.

On April 19, Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Noach Dear died from COVID-19 complications. The 66-year-old was a former Borough Park Councilman, said AM New York.

Prior to his election to the Supreme Court in 2010, Dear served the civil court of Kings County in 2008. He was also elected to a seat at the City Council from 1983 until 2001.

“Noach Dear was unforgettable. He had a fighting spirit and always put his constituents first,” said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Fourteen more judges from around the state have tested positive for COVID-19, as well as 168 of its 16,000 employees, reported the New York Post.

“More than half of them are members of our uniformed forces, underscoring the risks they face, and the courage they show, in reporting to work every day to keep our courts open, said Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, through the outlet.

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