"The Robing Room: NY State Judges

Hon. Joseph B. Girardi	See Rating Details
District Court
Nassau County	See Comments

Attorney Average Rating: 8.6 - 9 rating(s) Non-Attorney Average Rating: 5.0 - 1 rating(s)	Please send me alerts on this judge E-mail Address:

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Only items marked with (*) are averaged into the displayed overall rating.

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. Joseph B. Girardi

Comments

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY13967
Rating:4.3

Comments:
Definitely pro-petitioner

Litigant

Comment #: NY13586
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
I still have nightmares about this judge. Very anti-defense and when arraigned in front of him he didn't even listen to the ADA's recommendation for bail and flat out remanded me on a non-violent felony when it was my first offense. Meanwhile a dude charged with Rape in the first degree(a violent felony) received bail. I've had attorneys tell me that he doesn't know what the hell he is doing. You can tell he has an anger problem and tries very hard not to have outbursts when an attorney doesn't agree with him.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY12814
Rating:9.9

Comments:
Judge Girardi is an amazing jurist. He is very knowledgeable and a fundamentally decent person. I've had lots of cases in front of him over the years. And while I don't always get the result I want, his decisions are well reasoned and he is fair to all sides. In quite a few cases, he asked the DA's office to consider better pleas where he saw that my clients were not being treated fairly. You cannot get better than this Judge unless you're a whiny attorney that cries every time you don't get what you want.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY12565
Rating:2.9

Comments:
Judge Girardi is by far the WORST judge that I have ever appeared in front of. He is extremely pro-prosecution and seems to harbor disdain for defendants who appear before him. He is prone to yelling and threatening both lawyers and defendants. You will not get a fair shot in front of him. Unfit to be a judge in my opinion

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY11714
Rating:10.0

Comments:
Judge Girardi was a very able criminal practitioner before he got on the bench. He takes his skills with him to the bench and the defense bar reaps the benefits. He is a consummate gentleman who is not "drunk" (pardon the expression), with power.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY11525
Rating:10.0

Comments:
Judge Girardi is a phenomenal judge. I was in the DA's office and I've been a criminal defense lawyer for over 10 years. He has a deep knowledge of the law and he has a great judicial temperament. He is more than fair to both sides. Even if he rules against you, it is always well reasoned and he never makes anyone feel inadequate. Also, he's humble enough to reverse himself if he feels he's made a mistake. He really does embody all of the best elements you could ask for in a judge: honest, humble, knowledgeable and above all else, fair to all sides. I hope he stays on the bench for a very long time.

Litigant

Comment #: NY11440
Rating:5.0

Comments:
Judge Girardi appeared to be a very intelligent man, but when I annoyed him by demanding to consult with my attorney about an assigned counsel issue, he blatantly used bail as a threat by stating that I was not listening to him and "maybe we need to increase your bail...." Surely this was not the first time he ever did that. In the era before bail-reform this was a genuine threat and demonstrated a bad anger and improper judicial attitude. On the other hand he did show valuable insight otherwise, but his overall demeanor was imperious and indeed disrespectful of another judge's actions he was sitting in on.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY11372
Rating:10.0

Comments:
Judge Gerardi has the right demeanor for the bench. Others on the bench could learn from him. He respects attorneys and litigants equally. He treats people with a level of compassion and humanity. He moves his calendar efficiently. He has experience as both a Prosecutor and as a Defense Lawyer. He is steps ahead in the courtroom. He is well researched, his decisions are well reasoned, and he restores faith in our system. So many judges do not respect attorneys, especially busy practitioners that are trying to support their families. Joe Girardi respects the system and all involved. If we had more judges like him, our system of justice would be so much better off. He holds prosecutors and defense lawyers equally accountable and follows the law. On trial, he is an absolute pleasure because he knows the law. Its that simple, he knows the law, and gives a fair trial. I endorse this judge and wish there were more like him.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY11362
Rating:10.0

Comments:
Judge Girardi has proven to be an excellent Judge during his time on the bench. He begins calling cases as early as any Judge in the courthouse, runs an efficient courtroom, knows the law extremely well, has an excellent temperament, and treats all who come before him with respect. His knowledge and approach to cases helps to facilitate fair dispositions. He can be tough on repeat offenders when necessary to protect the public, but he will always listen to any mitigating factors regarding your client and make a fair decision. He is truly a credit to the bench.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY11355
Rating:10.0

Comments:
Can't ask for a better judge. From being the first judge to take the bench to being fair-minded and respectful to both sides of the bar, Judge Girardi is by far the best judge to appear before in Nassau District Court. I've appeared before him on countless times and have litigated in front of him. You can not ask for a better judge.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY11325
Rating:10.0

Comments:
Judge Girardi is one of the few District Court judges that is not only competent but humble at the same time. Imagine that..someone who knows the law, is not afraid to apply it and has the decency to reverse himself if he believes he's made a mistake. He's a unicorn...you've heard of one but you doubtful if one really existed. I've appeared before this judge several times. First, as I mentioned, he understands the law. Second, and most importantly, he's not afraid to apply it. Sadly, many judges skirt the law and genuflect instead to the political implications of making decisions. Regardless of whether he sides for or against you, take consolation in the knowledge that his decision is well thought out. Third, he's fair to both sides which is a rarity in most counties but particularly in Nassau where most of the District Court bench acts like a second prosecutor. Judge Girardi is as good as it gets....knowledgeable, humble, not driven by politics and above all, FAIR...he's restored my faith in a broken system that I had long ago written off as unfixable. I hope this guy wins re-election. He's one of the few jurists that I actually respect.