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Opinion: How a Court’s Mission Aligned with its Response to Superstorm Sandy

Nov 1, 2022

Judge Alex Calabrese is stepping down from his 22-year tenure as Red Hook Community Justice Center’s presiding judge. The nation’s first multijurisdictional court in the country with criminal, family, and housing court cases all appearing before a single judge, this courtroom put people—and the community—at the center of justice. The model has now been replicated in jurisdictions across the country, and internationally, showing the effects of a holistic approach to justice. In this op-ed published by both City & State and NYN Media, Judge Calabrese reflects on 22 years of service, recalling times when the courtroom was turned into a crisis center to meet the needs of the moment, and all the ways in which the Justice Center improves lives in the Red Hook, Brooklyn community.

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