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Ellen Gesmer
2016 - Present
2025
9
Ellen Gesmer is a judge for the 1st Department of the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division. She assumed office on February 18, 2016. Her current term ends on December 31, 2025.
Previously, Gesmer was a justice of the Supreme Court 1st Judicial District of New York.[1][2]
In January 2025, Gesmer denied a petition brought to the court by President Donald Trump's (R) requesting a stay of sentencing in a New York civil court case. For more information, please click here.
Biography
Gesmer received her bachelor's degree from Harvard College in 1972 and her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1976.[3] Gesmer began her career in 1976 as a law clerk to the Hon. Joseph Tauro. The following year, she joined Bedford-Stuyvesant Community Legal Services, where she worked until 1983 as a staff attorney, supervising attorney and the Director of Litigation. After a year as a clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan Law School, she joined the law firm of Teitelbaum & Hiller, P.C. as an associate. She then became a partner of the firm of Gulielmetti & Gesmer, P.C. in 1987. She practiced there through 2003, after which, she was appointed judge.
Gesmer was elected judge of the New York City Civil Court in 2004. She was assigned to the Kings County Civil Court in 2004 and the New York County Civil Court in 2004. She also served the Bronx County Supreme Court and the New York City Criminal Court. From 2004 until 2011, she served on the Criminal Court of New York County and as an acting justice of the Supreme Court for the New York County Supreme Court. In 2011, she began serving on the New York Supreme Court 1st Judicial District until she was appointed to the appellate division in 2016.[3][4]
Elections
2011
Gesmer was elected Supreme Court Justice without opposition on November 8, 2011. She was one of five candidates running for five seats on the court and received 19.8 percent of the vote.[5][1]
- See also: New York judicial elections, 2011
Noteworthy cases
Donald Trump civil fraud case
Appeal (2025)
On January 7, 2025, Gesmer denied President Donald Trump's (R) emergency petition to delay sentencing in relation to a New York civil fraud case.[6][7] The sentencing was scheduled on January 10, 2025, 10 days before the presidential inauguration.[8]
Defense lawyers for Trump argued he was protected by presidential immunity as president-elect, which would make him ineligible to be sentenced.[6] Lawyer Steven Wu, representing the Manhattan District Attorney's office, responded that “the theory of president-elect immunity is inconsistent with the idea that there is one president at a time"[6] Gesmer released a one-page decision upholding trial judge Juan Merchan's previous ruling and denying Trump's motion.[9]
Ruling (2024)
In February 2024, New York Supreme Court 1st Judicial District Judge Arthur F. Engoron (D) issued a ruling finding Trump, two of his sons, his company, and executives of his company liable for inflating the value of his assets. Trump was ordered to pay $454 million in penalties and interest to the state, was barred from acting as an officer or director of any company in New York for three years, and an independent monitor was appointed to oversee the company's financial reporting.[10] The lawsuit was filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) in 2022.[11]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 New York City 2011 Unofficial General Election Results
- ↑ Judicial selection in New York
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 New York Courts, "Official biography of the Hon. Ellen Gesmer"
- ↑ New York County Supreme Court judicial directory, Civil Term
- ↑ Board of Elections in the City of New York, The Contest List - General Election 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Politico, "Appeals court judge rejects Trump effort to cancel hush money sentencing on Friday," January 7, 2025
- ↑ The Hill, "New York appeals court denies halting Trump’s sentencing," January 7, 2025
- ↑ ABC News, "Appeals court denies Trump's bid to halt Friday's hush money sentencing," January 7, 2025
- ↑ New York Courts, "SUMMARY STATEMENT ON APPLICATION FOR EXPEDITED SERVICE AND/OR INTERIM RELIEF" January 7, 2025
- ↑ Reuters, "Donald Trump must pay $354.9 million, barred from NY business for 3 years, judge rules," February 16, 2024
- ↑ The New York Times, "What We Know About New York’s Fraud Case Against Donald Trump," October 2, 2023
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
