"The Robing Room: NY State Judges

Hon. Joan Kohout	See Rating Details
Family Court
Monroe County	See Comments

Attorney Average Rating: 3.3 - 9 rating(s) Non-Attorney Average Rating: 1.0 - 24 rating(s)	Please send me alerts on this judge E-mail Address:

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General Rating Criteria

* Temperament		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Scholarship		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Industriousness		(1=Not at all industrious,10=Highly industrious)
* Ability to Handle Complex Litigation		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Punctuality		(1=Chronically Late,10=Always on Time)
* General Ability to Handle Pre-Trial Matters		(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
* General Ability as a Trial Judge		(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
Flexibility In Scheduling		(1=Completely Inflexible,10=Very Flexible)

Criminal Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Criminal Litigation		(1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
General Inclination Regarding Bail		(1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
Involvement in Plea Discussions		(1=Not at all Involved, 10=Very Involved)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Pretrial Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Trial Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Sentencing Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)

Civil Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Civil Litigation		(1=Not at all Evenhanded,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
Involvement in Settlement Discussions		(1=Not at all Involved,10=Very Involved)
General Inclination		(1=Pro-defendant, 10=Pro-plaintiff)

Comments

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What others have said about Hon. Joan Kohout

Comments

Other

Comment #: NY13206
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Soooo glad she’s gone! This woman is evil!

Other

Comment #: NY12651
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Kohout is a monster. I was taken away from my drug addict alcoholic parents when I was first born because I had cocaine in my system. They gave me to a lovely foster home and I love my foster parents and I was wrongfully taken out of their hands and put into the hands of my parents without kohout doing background checks and drug/alcohol screening. My dad lied and got me back. Even after he drunkenly came to my daycare and made a scene she never looks at these terrible parents and does not care about these children. For 11 years I was beaten, degraded, and mentally abused. Until I was able to run away and get back to a good home. If she would've let me stay with my foster family everything would've been better

Other

Comment #: NY12501
Rating:1.0

Comments:
First of all this “woman” was a Supreme Court Justice. Why is she in Family Court? She also dated my opponents lawyer, A. Danielle in law school. The both of them proceeded to throw out evidence from REACH at Strong Hospital proving sexual abuse on my 7 year old developmentally delayed daughter with CP that aquired these injuries due to the fathers severe abuse of me. I reported this abuse several times to the RPD but was laughed at. This “judge” gave sole custody to a known felon and 20 year crack abuser believing he was cured by a 6 month drug group participation certificate. She is not only incompetent I would challenge any attorney on this planet to assist me with a legal assault injury case against her. My daughter, now 18 years later,25 years old, the crack abuser dead now, is suffering from severe physical ailments. She has depression, ulcers, insomnia and mental illness. Thanks a lot Judge Kohout your a real piece of work. I don’t know how you got your law degree, Oh wait yes I do, I think I stated it previously in this post.

Litigant

Comment #: NY11047
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
"see im not like robin hood, but i want more, $till with the rich, hang with the poor...
my pockets are fat ya see, it don't matter to me, make ya feel nobody is badder than me...
is all that true? I don't lie, ya see im not mister nice guy..." eazy e.

Other

Comment #: NY11041
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
and still, your jackleg nys licensed attorneys is not as smart or better than i am...
btw, bianchi is not a party to that case...
appealable issue no. 1...
Lmmfao

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY11024
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Justice martin is a biased piece of trash who shouldn't sit on anything but a park bench as should every dumbocrap in America.

Other

Comment #: NY10394
Rating:2.0

Comments:
Judge Kohout is the most biased judge and I am happy to see her going into retirement on 12/31/18. She totally did an injustice to my grandchildren by giving them back to their bio dad who took them on drug deals without requesting any drug testing or setting forth requirements to meet to get the children. Why, because she doesn’t care about children or their welfare. It won’t help our grandchildren but it may save other children.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY10043
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Attorney grievance committee. We should all report this woman.

Other

Comment #: NY9674
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Well folks, she is still deciding cases for out children. I have a child that is falling victim to her hateful rulings. Has anyone been able to do anything because my back is against the wall and I have to protect my child. I think I'm going to make this public so it can become a discussion in our community. Plaster her face and her injustice all over the television. Haynes v Ramos

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY9616
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Joan Kohout is the worst Judge in Monroe County and needs to step down as soon as possible! You have Distorted my life ! Anything that happens to my Mom you will be responsible for!

Other

Comment #: NY9601
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This Judge took a child away from a loving parent and put her in the hands of a drug addict drunk. This child had health care and was financially stable now this child is living off of the system. Terrible judge that does not have the ability to think outside of the box. I am heart broken with what she did & this child will now be raised in the system with a drunk as a role model. She does not look out for the best interest of the child. She is old school & only cares about old fashioned family's.

Litigant

Comment #: NY9583
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Judge Kohout has overturned every appeal my ex-husband has filed. She has done so without legal efficacy. Clearly she has her own personal issues, which are impacting her ability to make unbiased legal decisions. Who has suffered? My children. Shame on her. Get help.

Other

Comment #: NY9499
Rating:8.0

Comments:
Judge Kohout saved my life in 1999. Every year thereafter I appeared before her and she decided what was in my best interests as a youth with compassion and careful deliberation.

Other

Comment #: NY8520
Rating:1.0

Comments:
She is a horrible Judge and should be removed from the bench. She does not care what is in the best interest of the child. This Judge has her mind made up before and has no interest in listening to what the law guardians and lawyers have to say. Monroe County you must remove her.

Other

Comment #: NY8372
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Judge Kohout is absolutely awful and should not be allowed to continue on the bench. She never listens to the law guardian or other professionals as to what is in the best interest of the child. Kohout always sides with the father even if it has been proven that the father is abusive, neglectful, and mentally unstable. She doesn't care about the evidence; she only cares about "keeping children with their birth parents" even when it's not in the childrens' best interest. She makes up her mind before the case is even heard and long before it goes to trial and ignores evidence that is contrary to her own opinion. She is biased and doesn't make fair decisions. How many more children need to be hurt by her decisions? It's time for Kohout to be removed from the bench.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY8231
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Stop being so discrinitory against mothers in family court proceedings

Other

Comment #: NY7998
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
She is extremely judge mental.

Other

Comment #: NY7791
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Worst judge ever very cold harder

Other

Comment #: NY6971
Rating:1.0

Comments:
She has no concern for the children I really think she hates kids this is why she puts them with the worst parent or in the worst situation. I don't understand why they allow her to stay on the bench isn't there laws to protect us against people like her? Because she wears a robe she can do whatever she wants how is this justice. Why don't we all get together and get her off the bench because if she isn't going to protect our children then we then we need to. I'm going to talk to someone about this and if anyone else wants to join me then let me know.

Other

Comment #: NY6680
Rating:1.0

Comments:
The ebodiment of evil incarnate! This judge may know the law, but she has a heart cold as ice. She absolutely detests the CPS staff and child guardian attorney and mocks them mercilessly while adoringly supporting the birth parents who are drug addicts and sexual predators. She is 110% for the birth parents - no matter how BAD they are. She does NOT have the child's best interests. Judge Kohout's one and only interest is to reunite the child with the birth parents despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. If you are a foster parent - best if you inquire as to whom the child's judge is ***BEFORE*** you take on the child because no matter what you do, the deck is already overwhelmingly stacked against you.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY6186
Rating:9.4

Comments:
Judge Kohout is a superlative judge.

Other

Comment #: NY6116
Rating:1.0

Comments:
She is a sorry excuse for a judge and human being!!! My grandson has bee with me since birth where his addicted mother left him. I raised and provided for him for 13 years with no help. I didn't want to go thru the system. When he was 10 for spite she took me to court to get him back. Keep in mind she has been in and out of jail , her twins from another loser father were in and out of foster care since birth, not to mention she's homeless! CPS and the court appointed attorney for my grandson saw that he should remain with me the only home he has ever known. This judge would not listen or allow anyone to speak for that matter. She took my poor little grandson and gave him to his mother who is homeless. When asked about school her reply was "he is homeless now so he can attend any school. Are you kidding me!!! Two weeks later he was back with me and her twins were put into foster care. My daughter took them out and raised them for two years before the courts sent them back to their mother. Why is this sorry excuse of a human being a judge?! She clearly does not have the childrens best interest at heart, she is a very sick woman who should be removed from the bench! I seriously think she has a vendetta against children. She makes my stomach turn and she will get her karma! The lord sees everything!!!

Other

Comment #: NY5788
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This judge is warning my daughter who 13 life. Took her dad to court 7 times for contempt of court and now i bearly see her because she does not listen she very mean and some people not call to be a judge. I pray they find someone who listen and love kids. Her dad gets away with it and he happy never seen a dad try to stop a mom from being a mother to child

Other

Comment #: NY5639
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
She ruined my life!! I went into her court bk when I was 16 I had a job, an apt, got my GED was enrolled in college at MCC brought all the proof w me to court to be emancipated from my drug addict mother, she threw me bk in to state custody cause a had run away from my mom, when all I wanted was to make a better life for myself! I ended up losing everything because of that judge!!

Other

Comment #: NY5635
Rating:1.0

Comments:
She is horrible she does not care about best interest of child only what the law says she does not listen or take law guardians recommendations into consideration she doesn't even let the attorney s talk or when they come to an agreement she try to get them to change what parents agree on she is a monster and needs to be out of the courts I always hear attorneys people in court and other people complain to get her out she needs to be out

Other

Comment #: NY5469
Rating:1.0

Comments:
She needs to removed. Every negative post on this board is 100 % accurate. I don't know how she can still be allowed to make such important decisions. She clearly has an agenda. I never bother writing reviews, but in this case it is so bad that I pray someone in charge will look into this judge and have the courage to do what is right and help our children.

Other

Comment #: NY5442
Rating:1.0

Comments:
A disgrace to the bench. We were warned not to take foster children in Kohout's court but we didn't listen. She has ordered visits for our children to a home that they are fearful of. And that's just the beginning of the story. The bottom line is she does not support the role of foster parents. She does not support to best interest of the children. She doesn't remember her rulings from day to day. She has court dates almost every week, sometimes multiple times a week which doesn't allow for us as foster parents to plan for much. The kids don't know what to expect. We struggle to maintain a schedule, but she doesn't given a flying flip about the kids napping or being in a safe place. We love these kids and want to see their mother make the appropriate steps to get custody of them so they can go home to her where they want to be. Kohout will not hear this. She ignores the recommendations of the kid's caseworker and law guardian AND manages to do the exact opposite of what they recommend. She is the only Judge who will put county reps in contempt for disagreeing with them but allow the bio parents to swear, yell and storm out of the court on multiple occasions. She's a disgrace and is singlehandedly responsible for the foster care system failing many children in Rochester. She needs to go!

Other

Comment #: NY5354
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
O.M.GOD!.....I wouldn't have believe it, if I didn't personally seen it! Now, this WOMAN, this Judge, needs to get A CLUE! Like the other comments, REMOVE her, & do it NOW! What's her Problem!? I'm gonna say it like this, if she sends my 2 month old GranDaughter back with her Mother, I'm gonna go straight to the NEWs Channel, & call her OUT! My daughter isn't in the right atmosphere at the moment to raise my ONLY Grandchild, so this is Y I have her right now. I took her home from the hospital! She got the Right One! I'm trying to protect my Gran, & instead this Judge is having a problem seeing this....WTF. I'm happy to C that I'm not alone about how conducts her courtroom. May GOD OPEN her eyes & heart, to do what's right for the child, & not for her EGO....I'm gonna Pray for YOU, Kohout, cause GOD is GOOD, All the time

Other

Comment #: NY4925
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I am a victim of this horrible judge. She should be removed from the bench in disgrace. 19 years ago, I was 12 years old, and appeared in front of this sorry excuse for a human being, who sent me away to Hillside after I was scared to go to school after witnessing another kid at school being stabbed to death. I can still hear her say to me that "being scared for my life is not a reason not to go to school."

Other

Comment #: NY4760
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
She should not be a family court judge. We teach our children to obey the law and to look to the law for fair answers. But if you have this judge, she has her own agenda. She gives quick answers, stops the defense continually, and makes her own laws.

Other

Comment #: NY4759
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This judge makes up her mind prior to trial. She does not give equal opportunity to the defense at all. She states that she knows the law, but what she says, goes.

Litigant

Comment #: NY4276
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Worst judge ever. Always favors the men has for years,allows them to lie and cares nothing about the children at hand,will not look at evidence and makes stupid decisions.children do not get justice they have to live in neglect because she wants to rush on to the next case.yet she claims to be in organizations for children she is their downfall.

Other

Comment #: NY4239
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Attorney grievance committee. We should all report this woman.

Other

Comment #: NY4210
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Many, many foster parents will not take a child if their case is with Kohout.

Other

Comment #: NY4209
Rating:4.0

Comments:
Its embarrassing to watch her side with the defendant when everyone else in the court room can see that the defendants have lied and continue to lie despite face of multiple eye witness accounts and solid evidence.

An honorable judge would call them out, point out the contempt of court and demand the respect that an American court room deserves.

She is not helping anyone truly help themselves or their children.

I am embarrassed for her and for the people of Monroe County that she is supposed to work for.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY3880
Rating:5.3

Comments:
Judge Kohout has an agenda. She is stubborn and inflexible, and will not hesitate to place a child in harm's way if her misperception of a parental "right" might be implicated. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY3786
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
The worst judge on the Family Court bench. A living advertisement for why people without children should not be Family Court judges. When asked for a pretrial conference, she stated, "I no longer have time for meaningful pretrials." Hmmm. Perhaps we cold have a meaningless one, then?!

Awful, awful, awful. Decisions border on cruelty, delivered with a plastic smile.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY3592
Rating:1.0

Comments:
The government should look into this because it has gone way too far and innocent children are being placed with the wrong parent including my grandchild, maybe she doesn't like kids in general and is just doing this for employment but seriously she needs to open her eyes and see that she is ruining these babies lives turning them into future drug addicts,criminals and domestics. Violators like the deadbeat father she gave my grandchild to!!!!!!!!!.

Litigant

Comment #: NY2689
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This judge is awful! she took over my husband's custody case from another judge (he was awarded full custody 3 months prior) and is attempting to completely overturn all rulings. she views herself more as a god than working in a court room under the eyes of god! she should be ashamed. she is repeatedly ruining childrens lives. zero regard for the children and their wants and needs. also zero regard for law guardians and their input.

Other

Comment #: NY1883
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
I sat in the court with family. This judge made my stomach sick because she just abruptly waved off anything litigants had to say. I was especially taken aback about her clear disregaurd of the child! She appears deaf and has a chilled disposition. Even the lawyers were stumbling their words when they tried to talk in her court. Very frightening experience when you are looking for answers and help. Nobody thinks she is fit to judge in the family court.

Litigant

Comment #: NY1882
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This woman is as cold as ice. She should not be working with families. She is abrupt and as rude as can be. She has no care for the child. I do not get why she is a family court judge...who voted for her?

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY1865
Rating:1.7

Comments:
This judge sucks. She puts children in a box with the lid closed. No listening skills....selective listening at best. Makes her own rules and to hell with the law. Brick wall, cold as ice. How is she a family court judge.....gross...her court is a circus...simply a puke fest. God save the children from her.

Other

Comment #: NY1864
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
AWFUL! She has no regard for the welfare of children. What good is a judge who does not look upon a situation with her eyes open and her mind closed? She is a failure to the children she should be protecting!!This judge needs to be removed.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY1395
Rating:2.9

Comments:
Awful, simply dreadful. No clue of how families are supposed to work (no kinds of her own, etc). Difficult, autocratic, and barely civil much of the time. This judge is the sole reason that no one brings adoption proceedings in Family Court in Monroe County--everyone goes to Surrogate's Court (concurrent jurisdiction in adoption matters)--because this judge gained a reputation for protracting and screwing up uncontested adoptions. Simply terrible.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY159
Rating:6.1

Comments:
Dreadful, dreadful, dreadful. Narrow-minded, inflexible, mean-spirited and anti-adoption, while hiding behind a facade of brittle civility.