BAEC Bulletin | May/June 2022 | 27
Associate Judge Shirley Troutman Court of Appeals Investiture Remarks Below is a transcript of the remarks made by the Honorable Shirley Troutman, Associate Judge of the Court of Appeals, at her formal investiture to the Court of Appeals.
Good afternoon,
Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, senators Sean Ryan and Tim Kennedy and Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner, with an able assist from many others from around the state. Moreover, due to the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins, Minority Leader Robert Ortt and Judiciary Chair Brad Holyman both my judiciary hearing and my confirmation hearing are examples of what true bi-partisanship looks like.
I wish to thank all who have assembled here today. In addition I wish to express my sincere appreciation to Anne Beyer and the entire professional staff of the Court for your efforts in making today possible. To Justice Ellerin my “Jewish Godmother” I am so pleased that you were able to make the journey and join us. It is such an honor to be welcomed to the Court of Appeals with my colleagues Judges Madeline Singas and Anthony Cannataro. The first time I ever entered a courtroom, was this one as a first year student, at Albany Law School, with my civil procedure professor Patricia Youngblood Reyhan leading the way for me and the rest of my class. So to be here now as a member of the court is certainly surreal. Yet as I stand before you I realize that this special moment is not due to my efforts alone. So let me again borrow from one of my favorite jurist Thurgood Marshall: “None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We got there because somebody...bent down and helped us pick up our boots.” It would be impossible to thank each of the individuals personally who bent down and helped me pick up my heels. However, having been raised by a southern mother there are simply those that I must publicly thank. I am so blessed that my mother is able to share that which I dare say, she and my father would have imagined as impossible when they were growing up in the segregated south. Mom, I thank you for being an amazing mother who never grew tired of helping me to see that which I viewed as impossible, was in fact possible. In addition, I thank you for providing me with unconditional love, which allowed me to see that a mistake is simply an opportunity to learn from. I also want to let everyone know, that it was your willingness to serve not only as a grandmother to my children, but also as their third parent, that allowed me to pursue career opportunities. Although my father passed away a few years ago, I honor him today for giving me my work ethic, my smile, his love and of course my name. I have the privilege of being a mother to Stephen and Lauren. My children shared my judicial path with me and when they were small, their little loving arms wrapped around my legs at the end of a long day had the power to neutralize even my worst day, the two of you are my pride and joy. To my husband Ken, with you I found completeness and I appreciate your willingness to walk beside me in life as a true supportive loving partner and helpmate. To my entire family and friends each of you have contributed to this day by always being there for me when I’ve needed you, including during my many campaigns. My judicial friends, Jeannette Ogden and Dennis Ward, thank you both for seeing that this day was possible for me long ago and for insisting that I speak up for myself. Although Buffalo is often teased about snow, for those of you who don’t hail from Western New York, you should know that it is a place where we look out for one another and fortunately for me that includes assembly
When I speak of family there is no way that I could fail to highlight the role of my supportive Court of Appeals Alum from Buffalo Judges, Eugene Pigott and Eugene Fahey, two men who throughout my judicial career loudly whispered in my ear about opportunities they felt I should consider. However, the one thing that you should all know is that they are both die hard Bills fans, and so what better way for me to know where my seat was upon my first time entering into our conference room than for Judge Fahey marking it for me with a tiny bills helmet, a tradition that began with Judge Pigott. To our Governor, Kathy Hochul, I want to thank you not only for the privilege to serve on the Court of Appeals. I also want to thank you for reaching out and extending a hand when you were Hamburg Town Supervisor, your invitation for others to meet with me in your kitchen, resulted in my being elected as Erie County’s first County Court Judge of color and thus I believe helped pave the way to this court. When I left the Appellate Division Fourth Department it was bitter sweet for me because Presiding Justice Whalen and all of my colleagues who I served with there, had become family to me. However, I am comforted in knowing with this Court my family has grown yet again. Chief Judge DiFore, I thank you and each of my colleagues for your warm welcome and support. In addition, I have a staff of hard working dedicated people who work tirelessly to help me in my new role. So Regan and Cindy I will forgive you both for leaving me to write in a new chapter in your lives, because the two of you passed the baton to the very capable hands of Patrick, Laura, Ivan and Michele. During my life I’ve had the honor to serve in some amazing roles and I am the better because of each of them. However, one role that has impacted me greatly is my time as Co-Chair of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission. It was an opportunity of a life time, that was given to me by Chief Judge DiFore, which provided me with a chance to leave a positive imprint on New York’s Judicial system by utilizing the Commission as a vehicle to help move it closer to its goal of achieving racial equity and fairness in the courts. I’m highlighting the Commission because I have no doubt that its establishment was a part of the catalyst that helped pave the way for me to be assigned to the window seat I now occupy at the Court of Appeals. A chair that was used many years ago by our first female Judge, Judith Kaye, when she first joined the Court of Appeals in 1983, prior to becoming the Chief Judge in 1993. Thus today I am honored to join this Court as: the second Black woman, the first woman from Western New York and the tenth woman to serve in the 175 years of its existence.
Thank you! •
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