Dora Irizarry
Encyclopedia
Dora L. Irizarry is a Federal Judge
in New York
. She was born in San Sebastian, Puerto Rico
, on January 26, 1955, and was raised in the Bronx in New York City
. She attended the Bronx High School of Science
and went on to graduate from Yale University
in 1976 and Columbia University Law School in 1979. After law school, she worked as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx and Manhattan. Irizarry said she wanted to improve the quality of life in the neighborhoods she grew up in, and specialized in drug and narcotics cases.
She was appointed a New York City Criminal Court
Judge by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and then a Judge of the New York Court of Claims
by Governor George Pataki. As a Court of Claims Judge she served as an Acting Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, sitting in Brooklyn and Manhattan. She was the first Hispanic woman to serve as a state judge in New York.
In 2002, Irizarry resigned from her judgeship to become the Republican
nominee for Attorney General of New York, challenging Democratic
incumbent Eliot Spitzer
. She lost the race by a 66%-30% margin, but ran a strong race in upstate New York. Irizarry is the first Latina to seek statewide office in New York State. After the election, she entered into private practice with the firm of Hoguet, Newman & Regal, LLP in Manhattan.
In 2003, Irizarry was nominated by President George W. Bush
to serve as a Federal District Court Judge in the Eastern District of New York
. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2004 and became the first Hispanic judge in the Eastern District. She sits in Brooklyn.
On Wednesday, December 15, 2010, Judge Irizarry sentenced Islamist militant and engineer Abdul Kadir
, 58, of Guyana
, to life in prison after the jury found him and co-defendant Russel Defreitas, a U.S. citizen born in Guyana who awaits sentencing, guilty of planning to bomb New York City
's John F. Kennedy International Airport
.
Federal judge
Federal judges are judges appointed by a federal level of government as opposed to the state / provincial / local level.-Brazil:In Brazil, federal judges of first instance are chosen exclusively by public contest...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. She was born in San Sebastian, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, on January 26, 1955, and was raised in the Bronx in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She attended the Bronx High School of Science
Bronx High School of Science
The Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
and went on to graduate from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1976 and Columbia University Law School in 1979. After law school, she worked as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx and Manhattan. Irizarry said she wanted to improve the quality of life in the neighborhoods she grew up in, and specialized in drug and narcotics cases.
She was appointed a New York City Criminal Court
New York City Criminal Court
The New York City Criminal Court is the general term describing the entry-level court for criminal cases in the five boroughs of New York City....
Judge by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and then a Judge of the New York Court of Claims
New York Court of Claims
The New York State Court of Claims is the court which handles all claims against the State of New York and certain state agencies. It is not a small claims court. Judges of the Court of Claims are appointed by the Governor of New York and confirmed by the State Senate for a 9-year term...
by Governor George Pataki. As a Court of Claims Judge she served as an Acting Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, sitting in Brooklyn and Manhattan. She was the first Hispanic woman to serve as a state judge in New York.
In 2002, Irizarry resigned from her judgeship to become the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominee for Attorney General of New York, challenging Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
incumbent Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
. She lost the race by a 66%-30% margin, but ran a strong race in upstate New York. Irizarry is the first Latina to seek statewide office in New York State. After the election, she entered into private practice with the firm of Hoguet, Newman & Regal, LLP in Manhattan.
In 2003, Irizarry was nominated by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
to serve as a Federal District Court Judge in the Eastern District of New York
United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the entirety of Long Island and Staten Island...
. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2004 and became the first Hispanic judge in the Eastern District. She sits in Brooklyn.
On Wednesday, December 15, 2010, Judge Irizarry sentenced Islamist militant and engineer Abdul Kadir
Abdul Kadir (politician)
Abdul Kadir is a former member of Guyana's parliament, the National Assembly, and was the mayor of Guyana's second-largest city, Linden, from 1994 to 1996...
, 58, of Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
, to life in prison after the jury found him and co-defendant Russel Defreitas, a U.S. citizen born in Guyana who awaits sentencing, guilty of planning to bomb New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
.
2002 NYS Republican ticket
- Governor: George PatakiGeorge PatakiGeorge Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
- Lieutenant Governor: Mary DonohueMary DonohueMary O’Connor Donohue is a Judge of the New York Court of Claims and a former Lieutenant Governor of New York State. She was first elected lieutenant governor in 1998 and reelected 2002 on a ticket with Gov. George Pataki.-Teaching and legal career:...
- Comptroller: John FasoJohn FasoJohn Faso was the Republican nominee for Governor of New York in 2006, and was defeated by Democratic nominee Eliot Spitzer in the largest defeat for a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the state's history. This followed his loss to Alan Hevesi four years earlier in his run for State Comptroller...
- Attorney General: Dora Irizarry