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over two hours, when one prisoner did not come to trial promptly, he questioned, ‘Come on, come on,
where is he? Combing his hair?’” The monitor added, “[The defendant] was young, confused, and
terrified. When his interpreter tried to explain the sentence, the judge said, ‘Next! Next!’ While papers
were being signed, the judge would talk and joke with court officers and the ADA about elections, politics,
etc. There was no seriousness or professional tone to proceedings.”
However, several monitors praised Judge Klein for “demonstrat[ing] a strong concern for fairness.”
They found that he “listened well” and “consider[ed] arguments and recommendations from the lawyers,
but did not “rubber stamp” their requests, instead asking thoughtful questions and challenging attorneys.
One monitor described him as “compassionate to some defendants, but appropriately tough on others,”
“appear[ing] to fit his comments [and his rulings] to the case at hand.” Another monitor noted that while in
one case, “the judge wouldn’t accept $4,000 bail [that the defendant’s] family raised, because of the
defendant’s previous felony conviction and unanswered warrants, he did, in another case, grant a defendant
(a man with a 2-year-old son) an additional two months to raise money.” Yet another monitor observed a
case in which “a man who severely injured some people while driving under the influence of alcohol and
cocaine, and [who] wanted a second chance, asked to spend some time in jail on weekends only so he
could work to support his family. Judge Klein appropriately stated that the victims did not get a second
chance, and then sentenced him, advising him [that] he had the right to appeal and asking the defendant’s
lawyer to explain it to him.” However, one monitor reported that “when [Judge Klein] thought a drug or
alcohol program was more beneficial than sending a defendant to jail, he did so, even against the advice of
the assistant district attorney,” but when he did so, “he gave the defendant a strong lecture.”
Monitors also praised Judge Klein’s treatment of jurors. One monitor observed that he was “very
considerate to the wishes of two jurors”: “One woman, who was questioned without the other jurors
present, requested Monday off because of holiday travel plans. The other had a doctor’s appointment on
Monday. The lawyers agreed and Judge Klein [avoided] the problems [associated with] possible use of
alternate jurors by giving the jury Friday and Monday off – a welcome announcement when they all filed in
for the trial.” In general, monitors also reported that the judge’s instructions to jurors were “clear and
concise,” that he thoroughly “outlined the responsibilities of the attorneys, the jury, and himself,” and that his
courteous treatment put jurors at ease.
Hon. Joel L. Lefkowitz
Hon. Joel L. Lefkowitz graduated from Syracuse University and New York University School of
Law. From 1974 to 1979, he was a councilman in the Town of Brookhaven, and from 1980 to 1981, he
served as Supervisor of the Town of Brookhaven. From 1982 to 1983, he was the Assistant County
Attorney for Suffolk County. In 1983, he was appointed by the Suffolk County Legislature to the District
Court. In 1984, he was elected to the District Court bench as a Republican and Conservative, and was re-
elected on the same tickets in 1989. In 1993, he was elected on the Democratic and Conservative tickets
to his current position of County Court judge.