Richard L. Buchter
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Richard L. Buchter is a justice of the Queens County Supreme Court, Criminal Term in the 11th Judicial District of New York. He was elected to this position in 1993 and was re-elected in 2007 to a term ending in 2020.[1][2]
Education
Buchter received his B.A. from Queens College of the City University of New York and his J.D. in 1974 from St. John's University School of Law.[1]
Career
Buchter began his career in 1974 as an Assistant Queens County District Attorney. In 1976, he became the principal law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Ann Dufficy. He worked in this capacity until 1987, when he became a judge of the New York City Civil Court and an acting justice of the Queens County Supreme Court. He served in these positions until 1993, when he was elected a Supreme Court Justice.[1]
Noteworthy cases
Judges scolds attorney for degrading murdered transgender woman
Rasheen Everett was recently convicted of the 2010 murder of Amanda Gonzalez-Andujar, who was a transgender prostitute. According to prosecutors, Everett choked her to death after he noticed her male genitalia.
At the sentencing hearing, Everett's attorney, John Scarpa, made an argument that was picked up by various media and got him scolded by the judge. Regarding a proposed sentence of 25 years in prison, he asked Judge Buchter,
| “ | Shouldn’t that be reserved for people who are guilty of killing certain classes of individuals? Who is the victim in this case? Is the victim a person in the higher end of the community?.[3][4] | ” |
Judge Buchter retorted:
| “ | This court believes every human life in sacred...It’s not easy living as a transgender, and I commend the family for supporting her.[3][4] | ” |
Judge Buchter sentenced Everett to 29 years in prison, calling him a "coldhearted and violent menace to society."[3]
Scarpa continued, telling the Gothamist in an interview that, because of the victim's HIV-positive status and job as a prostitute, "He himself [Gonzalez-Andjujar] was guilty of attempted murder."[5]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 New York Courts, "Official biography of the Hon. Richard L. Buchter"
- ↑ Queens Supreme Court, Criminal Term directory
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 New York Post, "Hey, she was just a ho: Sick bid by killer’s lawyer," December 6, 2013
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Gothamist, "Lawyer: Murdering A Transgender Prostitute Not Such A Big Deal," December 6, 2013
