504 Democratic Club: Questionnaires (Candidate for Civil Court Manhattan David Benjamin Cohen's response)

Candidate Name: David Benjamin Cohen

Candidate for: Civil Court in the 2nd Municipal District, Borough of Manhattan

Campaign Manager: Laura Kavanagh

Phone: 562-712-5711

Fax: 212-239-8353

Campaign Name: Committee to Elect Judge David Cohen

Campaign Address: 481 8th Avenue (1202), New York, N.Y. 10001

Phone: 212-871-6896

Fax: 212-239-8353

Email: electjudgecohen@yahoo.com

Website: www.electjudgecohen.com

Previous elected offices held:

NY County Democratic Committee elected 1997, resigned effective March 2000

Previous appointed offices held:

NYC Housing Court Judge

Key endorsements to date:

Community organizations:

Harry S. Truman Democratic Club
United Democratic Organization
Lower East Side Democrats
Stonewall NYC
Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats

Political leaders:

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney
State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver
State Senator Martin Connor
City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn
City Council Member Alan Gerson
Betsy Gotbaum NYC Public Advocate
District Leader Adam Silvera
District Leader David Weinburger
District Leader Alice Cancel
District Leader Jenny Lam Lo
District Leader Herbert Kee
District Leader Linda Belier
District Leader Ruth Berkritsky

Labor:

New York State Court Officers Association
New York State Supreme Court Officers Association
Detectives Endowment Association
New York State Court Clerks Association
Local 32BJ

Have you had personal experience with disability? If so, please describe.

Being raised by two profoundly hearing impaired parents, I became acutely aware of the limitations placed on my parents' communications which resulted from their handicap. These limitations restricted them in their performance of the most routine daily tasks. As a result, I served as a communications conduit between my parents and the hearing world.

Growing up, my home was equipped with doorbells and telephones that not only rang but triggered flashing lights that communicated with my parents. Since then, I have experienced first hand a number of important innovations that improved my parents' functionality, communications and quality of life. The teletype, telephone relay services, the advent of the personal computer, and now text messaging have opened up new lines of communication, previously unavailable to the hearing impaired.

For as long as I can remember, my parents were active in organizations that insured handicapped access. I take tremendous pride in my parents' accomplishments: working, raising three children and still finding time to give back to the community. My personal experiences have sensitized me with an appreciation of the struggles the disabled face in their daily lives and how technological and other advancements can vastly improve the ability to communicate and perform basic functions.
How will you incorporate people with disabilities into your campaign? Are you willing to hire and use flex-time and job-sharing if necessary?

My parents constitute an integral component of my campaign and volunteer in a variety of capacities including back office and street canvass operations. People with disabilities will continue to perform voter outreach on a variety of levels including back office, street canvass and phone canvass. I am more than willing to hire and use flex-time and job-sharing.
If you are in private practice, is your office accessible to people with disbuilities? If not, what have you done to ensure access?

N/A
Is the courthouse in which you work accessible to people with all kinds of disabilities? If not, what have you done to ensure access?

Yes, my courthouse is accessible.
Has a person with a disability appeared before your court as a juror or litigant? If so, please indicate what, if any, challenges arose? And how were they handled?

People with disabilities appear before me practically every day in Housing Court. My response is determined by the nature of the disability and the specific needs of the litigant. For example, when a juror or litigant is blind, I personally read any document or other printed information aloud. If a person is deaf, I ensure American Sign Language interpreters will be available for all court dates. If a person is in a wheelchair no special accommodations are needed because my courthouse is fully accessible. To protect the rights of a person who is profoundly disabled, I often appoint a Guardian Ad Litem to ensure their interests are fully represented. During my time on the bench, I have worked hard to increase the number of Guardians Ad Litem's available in New York City because I see first hand how important they are to ensuring that defendant's rights are preserved n court.
Do you believe that a deaf or a blind person can serve as a juror? Why or why not?

Absolutely. As a matter of fact, both of my parents have served on juries. My father served on a criminal case and was assigned a sign interpreter for the duration of the trial. My mother was a juror on a civil case and, because she does not sign, was provided with real time transcription of the trial. Both parents described the experience to me afterwards as valuable, interesting and rewarding as they took great pride in being able to perform their civic duty.

To accommodate blind jurors, the Court needs only to insure all documentary or demonstrative evidence presented is clearly described in detail on the record for the disabled juror to fully appreciate the details of the evidence being presented. All accommodations must extend into the jury room as wail so the disabled juror can equally and fully participate in jury deliberations.
Are you willing to hire either on a job share or full time basis, a qualified law clerk/secretary with a disability?

Absolutely.
How will you work within the court structure to assure the accessibility of all facilities of the courts? For example, participation in the Committee for People with Disabilities, relevant training opportunities?

If asked, I would gladly serve on a Committee for People with Disabilities so that I can become directly involved in eliminating any remaining barriers that prevent full access to the courts and the justice system.

go to top of page