A 3-part series took place on February, 12th, 19th and 26th ‘Celebrating Excellence in Justice, and Leadership’. Each week spotlighted the remarkable contributions of former African-American judges from Bronx County, highlighting their journey challenges, and triumphs in the legal field. This included many distinguished judges, past presidents of the Former Black Bar Association of Bronx County, and community leaders all of whom shared their inspiring stories and their impact on the legal community and the general community.
This event was organized by Hugh Campbell, Esq, a dedicated community leader, and hosted by the Williamsbridge NAACP and the North Bronx NCNW. Carib News has highlighted the participating Judges and distinguished guests in the following profiles.
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Judge Marc J. Whiten (Ret.)
Judge Marc J. Whiten served for 12 years in both Manhattan and the Bronx as a Criminal Court Judge and Acting Justice in Bronx Supreme Court. He was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2007 as a Civil Court Judge, assigned to sit initially in Manhattan Criminal Court. He was subsequently appointed to a full term in Criminal Court. He sat in New York County until 2013 when he was transferred to Bronx County. While serving in the Bronx Court, he was designated as the Deputy Supervising Judge serving under two subsequent Chief Supervising Judges of Criminal Court. Many of Judge Whiten’s written decisions were published including People v. Klapper, an important case regarding computer privacy. Judge Whiten retired from the bench in 2018 when he became an adjunct professor at New York Law School. He also works as a Special Advisor to the Dean and sits as a member of the NYLS Board of Trustees. Judge Whiten has been the point person and movant for the last three alumni admission candidate groups appearing before the U.S. Supreme Court. He was also instrumental in the dedication of the permanent Tuskegee Airmen Wall, celebrating the accomplishments of the Airmen and their connection to NYLS. Judge Whiten grew up in the village of Harlem and is a product of New York public schools, however he did attend college in Wisconsin at Carroll College (now University). Judge Whiten’s legal career before reaching the bench was robust. He was a trial attorney and Supervisor in the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office, and also worked as an associate with Bower and Gardner, at the time one of the city’s largest medical malpractice defense firms. He later joined Armienti and Brooks PC, rising to become a name partner in what became Armienti DeBellis and Whiten LLC. Judge Whiten is admitted to practice law in New York State, U.S. Federal Court (Southern and Eastern Districts), and the United States Supreme Court. Judge Whiten is the former President and current Vice-President of the Claude B. Govan Tri-State Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. Judge Whiten has given back to the community by mentoring, providing judicial internships and volunteering with the Boy Scout program. He currently chairs the Greater NY Councils Uptown Impact Committee, which is working to revitalize and expand Scouting for boys and girls living above 96th Street in Manhattan.
Justice Hansel L. McGee (1926–2002)
Justice Hansel L. McGee was a trailblazing judge, chemist, and community leader. Born in Miami and raised in Harlem, he served in the U.S. Navy during WWII before earning degrees in chemistry from City College and the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. He worked as a research chemist at IBM, securing two patents, while studying law at night. In 1963, he earned his law degree from George Washington University and later became a patent attorney at IBM. Committed to justice and community service, McGee took a leave from IBM in 1972 to serve as Director of Bronx Legal Services. He was elected to the New York Civil Court in 1982 and later appointed and elected as a New York Supreme Court Justice for the Bronx. Beyond the bench, he was a dedicated advocate, founding and leading numerous organizations, including the African American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Bronx Chapter of the Urban League, and the Hansel and Mildred McGee Foundation, which provides scholarships for Bronx students. Following his retirement, he co-founded the Harriet Tubman Charter School and played a key role in housing and youth programs. Justice McGee’s lifelong dedication to education, social justice, and community development left an enduring legacy.
Kenneth L. Thompson, Jr.
Thompson received his B.A. degree from New York University in 1973 and his J.D. degree from St. John’s University School of Law in 1976 and his LL.M. degree from the New York University School of Law in 1980. Kenneth L. Thompson, Jr. is a justice of the Bronx County Supreme Court , Civil Term in the 12th Judicial District of New York . He was elected to this position in 1996. Prior to graduating from law school, Thompson worked as Counsel to the Williamsbridge Tax Payers Association and, in 1975, as Assistant General Counsel to the Securities Exchange Commission Office of Chief Counsel. He then worked as a summer intern of EF Hutton & Co., Inc. in 1976 and 1977. In 1979 and 1980, he was a Pleadings Attorney for the New York State Department of Insurance and, from 1981 to 1984 he was a Law Assistant Referee for the Bronx County Surrogate’s Court. Thompson began his judicial career in 1990 when he became a judge of the New York City Civil Court of Bronx County. He was then elected to the Supreme Court in 1996. On November 3, 2009, Thompson was re-elected to the New York Supreme Court 12th District (Bronx County). Five candidates ran for three seats.
Robert Thomas Johnson
Robert Thomas Johnson is a seasoned attorney and jurist currently serving as a Justice of the New York State Supreme Court in the Bronx. Born and raised in New York City, he grew up in the Amsterdam Houses and later attended James Monroe High School before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1968. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from City College of New York and a law degree from NYU School of Law in 1975. Johnson began his legal career as a defense attorney for the Legal Aid Society before transitioning to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, where he rose to lead the Narcotics Bureau. In 1986, he was appointed as a New York City Criminal Court judge by Mayor Edward Koch. In 1988, he made history as the first African American elected as Bronx County District Attorney, a position he held for over two decades. Johnson’s tenure was marked by both groundbreaking achievements and challenges, as he navigated the complexities of the criminal justice system in one of the city’s most dynamic boroughs.
The Hon. Juanita Bing Newton
The Honorable Juanita Bing Newton recently retired after a distinguished 45-year career, including 34 years as a Judge of the New York State Court of Claims. She began her career as an Assistant District Attorney in Bronx County, becoming the first African American woman Bureau Chief in that county. Judge Newton achieved numerous “firsts” as an African American woman — Administrative Judge, Deputy Chief Administrative Judge and Dean of the Judicial Institute. As Administrative Judge, Judge Newton successfully ended the dreaded overnight “Lobster” arraignment session, using a strategy that did not cause a system overload or breakdown; rather, it resulted in shorter processing time. As a skilled trial judge, she focused on improving the fairness of the trial process and opened the door to the rethinking of the draconian Rockefeller Drug laws, concluding, based on legal principles, that it would be unconstitutional to sentence a 17-year-old girl to a then mandatory life sentence in prison. In addition, Judge Newton became a leading voice in the effort to raise the age of criminal responsibility in New York. In 1999, at the request of Chief Judge Judith Kaye, Judge Newton was tasked with developing a platform for creating and enhancing access to justice in New York. To that end, she worked collaboratively with bar and court leaders, community, government and faith leaders to provide increased attorney pro bono hours, pro se litigant services, civil legal services and assigned counsel funding. As the Dean of the New York State Judicial Institute, the educational arm of the court system that provides educational programming for all judges and court system attorney employees, Judge Newton updated both the law and skills curriculum and developed a new delivery approach, which led to richer outcomes for the judicial attendees and gave them increased courtroom skills and confidence. Judge Newton frequently was tapped for appointment to committees and commissions including the Commission on Judicial Conduct, the Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics, the New York State Judicial Committee on Women in the Courts, the City Bar Justice Fund, the NYCLA Task Force to Increase Diversity in the Legal Profession, and the ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense. Recently, she was appointed to serve on the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics.
Walter H. Gladwin (1902 – 1988)
Walter H. Gladwin was a trailblazing politician and jurist who broke racial barriers in the Bronx during the mid-20th century. Admitted to the bar in 1942, he built a distinguished career in public service, serving as Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue, Assistant Corporation Counsel for New York City, and later as the first Black Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx. Elected to the New York State Assembly in 1952, he was a staunch advocate for civil rights, pushing for federal action against states that failed to comply with school desegregation. In 1957, he became the first Black criminal court judge in the Bronx, presiding over cases in both the Bronx and Manhattan. Beyond his legal and political work, Gladwin was deeply involved in civic organizations, leading the Bronx NAACP and the local Urban League, and serving on the boards of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce and the Boy Scouts of America. In recognition of his contributions, Tremont Park was renamed Walter Gladwin Park in 2020, honoring his legacy of advocacy for youth, housing reform, and civil rights.
Hon. Donna Marie Mills (April 22, 1953 – May 16, 2021)
Donna Marie Mills is a justice for the Bronx County Supreme Court in the 12th Judicial District of New York . She was elected to this position in 2012. Mills received her undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1972 and her J.D. degree from the Hofstra University School of Law in 1976. Early in her career, Mills worked as a law assistant in a FamilyvCourt (1977-78), as an Assistant Queens County District Attorney and a Commissioner and Administrative Law Judge for the New York State Division of Parole. From 1987 to 1997, she worked as a Hearing Officer for the New York courts. She also worked as a judge of the New York City Civil Court from 1993 to 1998. Since 1999, she has served as a Supreme Court Justice. Mills was elected to the Supreme Court 12th Judicial District. She was one of three candidates competing for two seats in the general election on November 6, winning 37.03 percent of the vote.
Hon. Mary Johnson Lowe (June 10, 1924 – February 27, 1999)
Judge Mary Johnson Lowe was a distinguished jurist who made significant contributions to the legal field throughout her career. Born in New York City, she earned her Bachelor of Arts from Hunter College in 1951, followed by a Bachelor of Laws from Brooklyn Law School in 1954 and a Master of Laws from Columbia Law School in 1955. Appointed to the Criminal Court of the City of New York December 1971. Served on the Criminal Court Bench until March, 1973. My work on this bench consisted of arraignments, preliminary hearings and misdemeanor trials. She was appointed an Acting Supreme Court Justice in March, 1973 and assigned to the Centralized Narcotics Term of the New York County Supreme Court. She presided over the first Class A Narcotics Trial in the State of New York. During her service on this Court, she trained Assistant District Attorneys and Defense Lawyers in the theory and practice of Narcotics cases. At the end of her term on this Court, in December, 1974, she received a citation for outstanding service from the Office of the District Attorney Centralized Narcotics court. After practicing law privately for over 15 years, she transitioned to the bench, serving in various judicial roles, including as a judge on the Bronx County Supreme Court and the New York Supreme Court. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, where she served with distinction until assuming senior status in 1991. Among her notable rulings, she presided over Pitts v. Black (1984), a landmark case affirming the voting rights of homeless individuals. Judge Lowe remained dedicated to justice until her passing in 1999. Some of her professionals positions included Sponsor Hunter College Institute for Trial- Judges. She conducted training seminars for the Bronx County Criminal Bar Association. She conducted and court training sessions for students of Criminal Law Seminar at Columbia Law School. She was also a Member of New York State Subcommittee on the Jury System. She served bv appointment of the Governor as a member of The Security and Privacy Committee of the State of New York. She also served by appointment of the State Commissioner of Criminal Justice Services as a member of the Police Standards and GoaIs Task Force.
Hon. Janice L. Bowman Windham
Janice Bowman, a former Bronx Supreme Court justice, died on Jan. 22, 2009 after a long illness. She was 62. Born in Harlem, Justice Bowman was the daughter of former Supreme Court Justice Amos Bowman. She graduated from Howard University in 1967 and from Brooklyn Law School in 1978. After being admitted to the bar in 1978, she practiced at the New York City Law Department. When she was appointed to Housing Court in 1985, she and her father became the first black father and daughter in the nation to serve on the bench simultaneously. Her father died in 1987. In 1992, she was elected to Bronx Civil Court, where she remained until her election to the Supreme Court in 1996. Justice Bowman retired in 2007.
