Printer-friendly version of this questionnaire
(Link opens in a new browser window)

For other candidates running for Judicial positions, go to the Questionnaires section

Candidate Name: Nancy Bannon

Candidate for: Civil Court, Countywide, Manhattan

Campaign Name: Bannon For Civil Court

Campaign Address: 321 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036

If you have a campaign office, is it wheelchair accessible? Yes

Campaign Manager: Michael Oliva

Phone: 646 - 283 - 5942

E-mail: michaeloliva @ mac.com

Website: NancyIn08.com

Key endorsements:

Community Organizations:

• Samuel J. Tilden Democratic Club
• Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club
• McManus Midtown Democrats

Elected Officials:

• New York State Senator Tom Duane
• New York State Assembly Member Brian Kavanagh
• New York City Council Member Dan Garodnick

Labor:

• New York State Supreme Court Officers Association
• New York State Uniformed Court Officers Association

Local Community Leaders:

• Democratic District Leader Louise Dankberg
• Democratic District Leader Steve Smollens
• Democratic District Leader Charles Buchwald
• Democratic District Leader Molly Hollister

1. Please describe any experience with disability you have had in your life or career.

   As a result of a stroke, my mother is partially paralyzed, and must use a wheelchair. From this experience, not only my mother, but me and my entire family have become acutely aware of the impediments to mobility she faces at home and in public places. Once a very active and independent person, she is now limited to wheelchair accessible buildings. When I am out with her, I experience first hand the difficulties and frustrations of any wheelchair-bound individual. If more public places were wheelchair friendly and A.D.A. compliant, the life quality of so many would be vastly improved.

    

2. How will you incorporate people with disabilities into your campaign?

   I would welcome people with disabilities in my campaign. In fact, my mother, who uses a wheelchair, plans to help out in any way she can.

    

3. If you are in private practice, is your office accessible to people with disabilities? If not, what have you done to ensure access?

   I am not in private practice.

    

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

   Justice Kaplan's chambers is located at 111 Centre Street. That building underwent renovations several years ago to make it A.D.A. compliant. Her courtroom is located at 60 Centre Street. Although a very old building, court administrators have taken numerous measures to make that building accessible to all. I would be an enthusiastic supporter of any further improvements.

    

5. 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?

   Yes. While working with Justice Kaplan in Criminal Court, many defendants with disabilities appeared before her. For litigants in wheelchairs, we rearranged the placement of furniture in the well of the courtroom to allow them to participate comfortably. More recently, a sight-impaired attorney with a service dog appeared in our part in Supreme Court. Court personnel assisted in guiding him to the conference room but no other accommodations were requested or required. During the conference, it became clear that this attorney was the most able in the room.

    

6. Do you believe that person who is deaf /hard of hearing or person who blind can serve as a juror? Why or why not?

   Yes, with reasonable accommodation. If a deaf juror can communicate effectively with other jurors and the court through a sign language interpreter, there would be no reason to exclude him or her from serving. In fact, there are and have been sitting judges who are blind, who perform their duties effectively with reasonable accommodation.

    

7. Are you willing to hire either on a job share or full time basis, a qualified law clerk/secretary with a disability?

   Yes.

    

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

   I would welcome the opportunity to serve on a Committee for People with Disabilities and attend any training opportunity that would enable me to better serve people with disabilities who appear before me. Further, if I become aware of any particular impediment in the courthouse, I would bring it to the attention of the court administrators in an effort to keep the courthouse and the judicial system accessible to all.

    

Date: July 28, 2008

Printer-friendly version of this questionnaire
(Link opens in a new browser window)

For other candidates running for Judicial positions, go to the Questionnaires section