Hon. Rosemarie Montalbano

Level
Surrogate's Court Judge

More Information
Campaign Site

2020 LID Questionnaire Response

What is your current position/law practice?  If you are presently a judge, what did you do prior to becoming a judge?

I am presently a Supreme Court Justice, Kings County

Why are you qualified to be a judge?

I was elected to the Civil Court in 2014 and the Supreme Court 2019.

Please list your current endorsements and judicial screening results.

Qualified by the Kings County Democratic Party Judicial Screening Committee

Endorsed by:

Assembly Member Maritza Davila

Senator Julia Salazar

District Leader Samy Olivares

District Leader Kristina Naplatarski

District Leader Emile Bazile

District Shaquana Boykin

District Leader Walter Mosley

District Leader David Schwartz

LaNueva Esperanza

Latino American Center of Community Action Inc.

NYS Court Officers Association

Supreme Court Officers Association

NYS Clerks Association

United States Court Security Officers Union

What interventions and resources are required to ensure that all judges and court personnel competently and respectfully serve and work with the LGBTQ community? What steps will you take to secure the necessary resources to implement the interventions?

I believe the Judge controls the tone of the courtroom.

I have had a conversation with all the clerks and court officers I have worked with so that they understand the level of respect and professionalism I expect when dealing with the attorneys, litigants and the public. Over the last few years I have taken various CLE classes including but not limited to; Transgender and Contemporary Family Issues in the 21st century, Transgender Litigants in the Court System (3 part series), Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias.  Information like this and proper training should be available to all court employees.

In addition, my present clerk who I have worked with since January 2020 is a member of the LGBTQ community. He can attest to how have treated him, attorneys and litigants.

How will you commit to ensuring that preferred pronouns and that and gender identity are respected in your courtroom and on documents prepared by litigants and the court?

I no longer address attorneys by Ms. or Mr. and instead use counsel with their last name when addressing them.  I have also asked attorneys before addressing them and  their clients how they would like to be addressed.  Going forward I would like to see court documents include litigants requested pronouns.

Will you commit to appearing before the LGBT Bar Association (“LeGal”) judicial screening panel?  Do you understand that this club may rescind your endorsement for failure to appear or receiving a non-qualified rating from the association?

Yes!  I appeared before LeGal and was Approved in 2014 before I ran for Civil Court Judge.

For Surrogates Court Candidates

How will you make the Public Administrator’s office more accountable, transparent and less subject to corruption?

The Public Administrator should be someone with a qualified background in Trusts and Estates. I also recommend that an approved list of vendors be created so that the same few do not receive all of the assignments and eliminate the possibility of favoritism and abuse.

How will you ensure that conservators do not exploit their wards

Accountability and  follow up by the Guardians/Conservators are essential. I would require detailed reports be filed with the Court.

How will you ensure that the court is sensitive and fair to non-traditional families?

I have and will continue to treat all litigants/families traditional or non-traditional with the dignity and respect they deserve.