Articles

Profile of the Hon. Johnny Baynes

By Michael Goldsmith

Recently elected Civil Court Judge Johnny Baynes brings a strong work ethic and a vast amount of lifetime and judicial experience to the Queens County Judiciary.

Judge Baynes’ family came to New York in 1960 from Georgia. Judge Baynes was raised by a single mother in the Bedford Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, where he attended public schools and graduated with honors from Wingate High School.

The future Judge got an academic scholarship to Fordham University, where he received his degree in economics.

“While at Fordham University,” said Judge Baynes, “I worked at Camp Fordham. We would take kids to the college and help them with their school work, and take them on trips. We tried to do something positive for low income children, and it worked.”

Judge Baynes graduated from Howard Law School in 1981. While in law school, he focused in the area of tax law.

After his graduation from law school, Judge Baynes came back to New York because his sister, who had two children, was dying of cancer. “When we were young, my sister helped raise me after our mother died. I could do no less for my sister.” As a result, Judge Baynes took menial jobs to help raise his young niece and nephew.

During this period, Judge Baynes also worked as a paralegal for various law firms. He was also a legal intern with the Legal Aid Society in New York in 1983 in Kings County.

Judge Baynes was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1985, and officially began his legal career shortly thereafter.

The newly minted attorney went to work for District Counsel 37, a municipal employee’s legal service plan, representing union members in all non-criminal courts, including Landlord/Tenant Court, Housing Court, Bankruptcy Court and Supreme Court.

In 1989, Judge Baynes became associated with the law firm of Rappaport, Krimko & Hertz, where he represented landlords in Housing Court, Article 78s and Small Claims Court.

Later that year, Judge Baynes took a job as a staff attorney with the New York City Housing Authority in the Housing Litigation Unit, where he represented the Housing Authority in all courts.

In 1993, Judge Baynes began his judicial career when he was appointed to the Housing Court Bench in Brooklyn.

“When I started as a Housing Court Judge in Kings County,” recalled Judge Baynes, “the building was never meant to be a courthouse. There was no air conditioning, and we would often handle 100 cases a day. The judges were expected to hear all the cases because there were no resolution parts or trial parts. If a case appeared on your calendar, it was your case from beginning to end. We eventually did get air conditioning after Judge Laurie Lau fainted on the bench due to the oppressive heat in the courtroom. Her courtroom was right next to mine.”

Judge Baynes worked very hard to fulfill his responsibilities while sitting in Housing Court and, in the course of his duties, often made house inspections. “As a matter of fact,” said the Judge, “I believe I have made more Housing Inspections then any other judge. I would do most of the inspections on a Friday, as I did not have to preside over a calendar on Friday afternoons. I believe that when you give your word that you are going to be there, and the people take the time off to meet you where you say you are going to be, you have to be there. My word is my bond.” These inspections took Judge Baynes all over Brooklyn, sometimes to rat infested or even collapsing buildings.

“I believe that Housing Court gave me the skills necessary to perform as a Civil Court Judge. While serving in the Civil Court, I had to hear between 80 and 100 cases per day. I had seventeen published decisions in the Law Journal.”

One of the most noted cases decided by Judge Baynes was the case of Wright v. King, which stood for the proposition that a transfer of an interest in real property in excess of three years is deemed to be a conveyance of interest for filing at the County Clerk’s Office. What this means is that if a tenant has a ten year lease but does not file that lease with the County Clerk’s Office, the tenant could lose his or her rights if the owner sold the property, because the purchaser of the property would have had no way of knowing whether or not a lease was attached to the property.

“I believe sitting in Housing Court for eleven years prepared me for any situation which may arise in Civil Court,” said Judge Baynes. “I believe that if you are a judge who knows the law and how to handle a courtroom, you are going to be fine. Also, it will be a major advantage not to have 100 cases a day in the Civil Court.” Still, the judge conceded that there is a very high volume in Civil Court, especially in the small claims and no-fault parts.

Judge Baynes was elected to the Civil Court in Kings County in the November, 2004, election, and was assigned to Queens by the Administrative Judge. Judge Baynes began his term in Queens County in January, 2005.

“I like Queens,” said Judge Baynes, “although I have to look around for a good sandwich. The courthouse is quiet and low key, and has the advantage of being a real courthouse as opposed to 141 Livingston Street, which is really a renovated office building. In Brooklyn, you didn’t want to rule against the person and run into them in the bathroom. That can happen in Brooklyn, but not in Queens, where they have separate facilities for court personnel.”

Judge Baynes is very active outside the courthouse. He is Deacon in his church, and as a religious person, he teaches the Bible. Judge Baynes is also athletic, and enjoys playing basketball, racquetball and paddleball.

Judge Baynes is also active in several organization, including serving on the Board of the Vanguard Urban Improvement Association, which tries to prevent teenage pregnancy, the spread of Aids and offers vocational training. He is a member of the Kings County Bar Association and a member of the Civil Court Judge’s Association.

Let’s welcome to Queens County Judge Johnny Baynes, an experienced and hard working Judge from Brooklyn, and please someone show him where to get a nice sandwich on Sutphin Blvd.