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Eileen Rakower
Eileen Rakower (Democratic Party) was a member of the New York City Civil Court New York County, representing Manhattan 4th Municipal Court District. She left office on November 30, 2021.
Rakower (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the New York City Civil Court New York County to represent Manhattan 4th Municipal Court District. She won in the general election on November 8, 2016.
Biography
Rakower received her B.A. from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1981 and her J.D. from the Cardoza School of Law in 1984. She has served as an acting member of the New York Supreme Court.[1]
Career
- 1997-2021: Judge, New York City Civil Court
- 1989-1997: Principal law assistant
- 1987-1989: Associate law assistant
- 1987: Law assistant
- 1984-1987: Staff attorney, Legal Aid Society[1]
Elections
2016
New York held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. A primary election was held on September 13, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates who wish to run in this election was July 14, 2016.[2] Incumbent Eileen Rakower and Judy Kim were unopposed in the general election for the New York County section (4th District) of the New York City Civil Court.
| New York City Civil Court, New York (4th District) General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic |  Eileen Rakower Incumbent | |
| Democratic | Judy Kim | |
Judicial selection method
- See also: Partisan elections
Judges of the New York City Civil Court are each elected to 10-year terms in partisan contested elections, with one exception. Judges of the New York City Housing Court are appointed by the Chief Administrative Judge and serve five-year terms. To serve on this court, a judge must be a state and city resident, at least 18 years old and practice in the state for 10 years. This court has a mandatory retirement age of 70 years old.[3]
Noteworthy cases
Artistic freedom trumps privacy concerns
Judge Eileen Rakower ruled that a photographer who took pictures of New Yorkers through their windows without their permission was protected by the First Amendment.[4]
Photographer Arne Svenson's exhibit called "Neighbors" consisted of photos taken through open windows. Though no faces are visible, the images include different people in various poses, none of whom were aware that they were being photographed. One family was not amused when photos of them and their children appeared in an art gallery in Chelsea. They sued Svenson for possession of the photos, arguing that the work "shocks the conscience and is so out of keeping with the standards of morality in the community."[5]
Judge Rakower ruled:
| “ | Art is considered free speech and is therefore protected by the First Amendment. While it makes the [Fosters] cringe to think that their private lives and images of their small children can find their way into the public forum of an art exhibition, there is no redress under the current laws of the state of New York.[5][6] | ” |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 New York Courts, "Official biography of the Hon. Eileen A. Rakower"
- ↑ New York Board of Elections, "2016 Political Calendar," accessed March 3, 2016
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedlimited - ↑ Daily News, "Photos of New York family taken through their window is protected art, judge rules," August 8, 2013
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Digital Trends, "Should you get caught snooping around with a camera, say you are doing it for art," August 12, 2013
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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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
