Anthony Cannataro
2021 - Present
2035
4
Anthony Cannataro is a judge of the New York Court of Appeals. He assumed office on June 8, 2021. His current term ends on June 8, 2035.
Cannataro (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for judge of the New York Supreme Court 1st Judicial District. He won in the general election on November 7, 2017.
Cannataro was the acting New York Court of Appeals Chief Judge. The court of appeals appointed him to the position on August 24, 2022, to replace Janet DiFiore.[1] In New York, the position of chief judge is a specific seat on the court (similar to the Supreme Court of the United States) rather than a peer-selected leadership position.
He was nominated by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo on May 25, 2021, to succeed Justice Paul G. Feinman.[2] Cannataro was confirmed on June 8, 2021, and was sworn in the same day.[3] To learn more about this appointment, click here.
Biography
Anthony Cannataro earned a bachelor’s degree in classics from Columbia University and a juris doctor from New York Law School.[4] Cannataro's career experience includes working as the assistant corporation counsel for the New York City Law Department and as a principal law clerk for the Hon. Lottie E. Wilkins and the Hon. Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick.[5]
Elections
2017
Cannataro was a justice of the 1st Judicial District Supreme Court in New York. He won the seat in the general election on November 7, 2017. He served until he was appointed to the New York Court of Appeals in May 2021.
At the time of his 2017 run for office, Cannataro was the supervising judge for the New York City Civil Court of Kings County and an acting justice of the 1st Judicial District Supreme Court.
New York held general elections for local judicial offices on November 7, 2017. A primary election was held on September 12, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was July 13, 2017.[6]
The following candidates ran in the 1st District Supreme Court general election.
| 1st District Supreme Court, General Election (6 open seats), 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Lori S. Sattler |
17.92% | 172,599 | |
| Democratic | Nancy Bannon |
16.86% | 162,449 | |
| Democratic | Verna L. Saunders |
16.41% | 158,124 | |
| Democratic | Anthony Cannataro |
16.09% | 154,958 | |
| Democratic | William Perry |
16.05% | 154,606 | |
| Democratic | Adam Silvera |
15.98% | 153,967 | |
| Write-in votes | 0.69% | 6,603 | ||
| Total Votes | 963,306 | |||
| Source: New York City Board of Elections, "Official Election Results," accessed December 19, 2017 | ||||
Selection method
- See also: Partisan election of judges
The 324 justices of the New York Supreme Court are elected to 14-year terms in partisan elections. To appear on the ballot, candidates must be chosen at partisan nominating conventions. Sitting judges wishing to serve an additional term must run for re-election.[7]
The chief judge of the court of appeals appoints two chief administrative judges of the supreme court, one to supervise trial courts within New York City and one to supervise trial courts outside of the city.[7]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must:[7]
- be a state resident;
- have had at least 10 years of in-state law practice;
- be at least 18 years old; and
- be under the age of 70 (retirement at 70 is mandatory).
2011
Cannataro was elected to the New York City Civil Court, 3rd District, in 2011 and appointed supervising judge in 2016.[5]
Cannataro received 65 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary for the New York City Civil Court, 3rd District, while his opponent Sabrina B. Kraus received 33 percent of the vote.[8]
Cannataro ran unopposed in the general election.[9]
Appointments
2021
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) appointed Anthony Cannataro to the New York Court of Appeals on May 25, 2021. Cannataro succeeded Justice Paul G. Feinman, who retired on March 23, 2021, to attend to health concerns.[10] Feinman passed away on March 31, 2021.[11] Cannataro was Gov. Cuomo's ninth nominee to the seven-member supreme court.[12]
At the time of the vacancy, New York Court of Appeals justices were appointed by the governor from a list of candidates provided by a judicial nominating commission, pending confirmation from the New York Senate. Justices served 14-year terms.
State supreme court judicial selection in New York
- See also: Judicial selection in New York
The seven judges of the New York Court of Appeals are selected through the assisted appointment method. The governor appoints each new judge from a list of qualified nominees submitted by a judicial nominating commission. The nominee must be confirmed by the New York State Senate.[13][14]
Judges serve 14-year terms. To remain on the court, a judge must be renominated by the governor and reconfirmed by the Senate. Judges must retire at the end of the year in which they turn 70 years old; however, retired judges may serve until the end of the year in which they turn 76 years old if they are certified as competent every two years.[13][14]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a person must be a resident of New York and must have been admitted to practice law in New York for at least 10 years.[13][14]
Chief judge
The chief judge of the court of appeals is selected through the same assisted appointment method as other judges on the court and serves in that role for a full term. The position of chief judge is a specific seat on the court rather than a temporary leadership position.[13][14]
Vacancies
Midterm vacancies are filled by assisted appointment. The governor appoints a new judge from a list of qualified nominees submitted by a judicial nominating commission. The nominee must be confirmed by the New York State Senate. The newly appointed judge serves a full 14-year term.[13][14]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ U.S. News & World Report, "New York's High Court Picks Cannataro as Acting Chief Judge," August 24, 2022
- ↑ The NY Daily News, "Gov. Cuomo nominates Nassau DA Madeline Singas and NYC Administrative Judge Anthony Cannataro to Court of Appeals," May 25, 2021
- ↑ Spectrum News 1, "Singas, Cannataro confirmed for New York's top court," June 8, 2021
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedpr - ↑ 5.0 5.1 Hon. Anthony Cannataro, "New York State Unified Court System," accessed November 14, 2017
- ↑ New York Board of Elections, "2017 Political Calendar," accessed August 16, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: New York," archived March 8, 2013
- ↑ New York City Board of Elections, "Primary Election 2011 – 09/13/2011," accessed November 14, 2017
- ↑ New York Daily News, "Unofficial NYC Election Results," November 9, 2011
- ↑ Court of Appeals, State of New York, "New Message from Chief Judge DiFiore - March 22, 2021," March 22, 2021
- ↑ New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, "Statement From Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on the Passing of Judge Paul Feinman," March 31, 2021
- ↑ Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, "Governor Cuomo Announces Nominations for Court of Appeals and Court of Claims and First Round of Appointments to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court," May 25, 2021
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: New York," accessed September 12, 2021
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 New York State, "The Constitution of the State of New York," accessed September 12, 2021 (Article VI)
Federal courts:
Second Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of New York, Western District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of New York, Western District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York
State courts:
New York Court of Appeals • New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division • New York Supreme Court • New York County Courts • New York City Courts • New York Town and Village Courts • New York Family Courts • New York Surrogates' Courts • New York City Civil Court • New York City Criminal Courts • New York Court of Claims • New York Problem Solving Courts
State resources:
Courts in New York • New York judicial elections • Judicial selection in New York
