Articles

Profile of the Honorable James Griffin

By Michael Goldsmith

Acting Supreme Court Justice James Griffin brings a philosopher’s perspective to the Queens Judiciary.

Judge Griffin was born in Queens, grew up in Manhattan and moved back to Queens in his teens.

The future Judge received his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Fordham University where he was on the Deans List.

Judge Griffin spent the next three years at UCLA in a doctorate program. While in California, Judge Griffin taught English at UCLA and at a private school. Prior to the completion of his doctoral program, Judge Griffin came back to New York due to an illness in his family, and ultimately changed the course of his career.

It was at that time that Judge Griffin decided to pursue a career in law, as it was the “most logical progression with [my] background”, said the Judge, and it offered the best way to support his family. Judge Griffin graduated in the top 10% from St. Johns University Law School, and was admitted to the New York State bar in 1974.

That same year, Judge Griffin began his distinguished career with the NYC Corporation Counsel Appeals Bureau. “I enjoyed working on appeals,” said the Judge. “It was kind of like studying philosophy.”

While at the Appeals Bureau, Judge Griffin was involved in many important cases, including the Flushing National Bank matter, which challenged the City’s Emergency Moratorium Act.

The case arose in the time that the City was flirting with insolvency. The Emergency Moratorium Act (EMA) postponed the city’s obligation to pay Tax Anticipation Notes and Revenue Anticipation Notes which were primarily held by banks.

The City won at the trial court and at the Appellate Division, but lost in the Court of Appeals. The High Court’s decision was so explosive that the court deviated from normal practice and issued its decision after the close of business after a holiday because of its potential effect on the Stock Market. While the City was legally right, The Court of Appeals struck down the EMA because the long term result of the Act would be to discourage the purchase of New York City notes.

“I was very distressed,” recalled the Judge, who helped write the City’s brief. “In the arrogance of my youth, I thought I was responsible for the City being bankrupt. Looking back, the case gave me a great deal of insight as to how the courts worked.”

Another important case was Kalish Jarcho v. The City of NY, involving the interpretation of the “No Damage For Delay” clause in NYC contracts, which provided that contractors couldn’t sue the city for delays. With hundreds of millions of dollars at stake, Judge Griffin was very anxious to read the decision. “I remember standing by a slow fax machine, reading the decision as it was coming through. It felt as though the fax was coming out of my body. It was one of my most painful experiences.” Fortunately for the Judge and the City, the clause was upheld.

In 1978, Alan Schwartz, the Corporation Counsel, formed a Commercial Litigation Division. During his tenure there, Judge Griffin engaged in cases involving securities, real estate and complex litigation, particularly construction contracts.

In 1986, Judge Griffin was appointed to the Civil Court, and three months later was assigned to the Criminal Court in the Bronx, where he sat for two years. When Queens Supreme Court Alan Beldoc took a leave of absence for health reasons, Judge Griffin was named Acting Supreme Court Justice and sat in Queens for nine months. When Justice Beldoc came back, Judge Griffin stayed in Queens, presiding at trial parts in Jamaica and Long Island City. After a two year stay in Brooklyn, Judge Griffin came back to the county of his birth, and for the last year and a half, presides as Acting Supreme Court Justice at TAP Part B in Kew Gardens.

Judge Griffin is a soft-spoken man, deliberate and thoughtful by nature. He enjoys reading, especially books about philosophy, religion. He also enjoys mysteries, and the first two Harry Potter novels. Judge Griffin also enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, age 13, and 10 year old son.