For More Information Contact:
Colleen Pillus
845-486-2000
Email: cpillus@dutchessny.gov
Poughkeepsie, NY… Dutchess County’s celebration of Heritage Days, the 300th Anniversary of Democracy in Dutchess, continues with recognition of individuals whose contributed to the quality of life and heritage of Dutchess County. In a ceremony held yesterday afternoon, Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro recognized the work of the Honorable Albert M. Rosenblatt with the dedication of the Dutchess County Courthouse in the judge’s honor.
County Executive Molinaro said, "The people who enter the Dutchess County Courthouse seek decisions made with confidence and fairness, they are entitled to compassion and decency. The Honorable Albert M. Rosenblatt has been the embodiment of those qualities in his service to the people of Dutchess County and the people of New York State. We dedicate the Dutchess County Courthouse in his honor so those who serve in this building will seek to emulate that confidence compassion, decency and fairness for generations to come.”
Honorable Albert M. Rosenblatt’s career has covered the length and breadth of New York’s judiciary system. After earning his Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School in 1960, Judge Rosenblatt began his travels in the legal profession in private practice. In 1964, he became an Assistant District Attorney for Dutchess County, a post he held until being elected District Attorney of Dutchess County in 1969. He rose to the bench as a Dutchess County Judge in 1975 and served in that capacity until 1981.
In November 1981, Judge Rosenblatt began his long and distinguished service in the state judiciary when he was elected as a justice of the New York State Supreme Court. From 1987 through 1989, he served as the Chief Administrative Judge of the Courts of the State of New York, managing the day-to-day operations of all courts in the state. 1989, he became a justice of the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, the second-highest court in the state. He was appointed Judge of the New York Court of Appeals in 1999, serving through the end of 2006. Judge Rosenblatt reviewed the most complicated cases in the state, providing a final judgment in all instances of litigation except those involving Federal or Constitutional questions. Throughout his career, Judge Rosenblatt maintained either an office or chambers in the Dutchess County Courthouse.
Since retiring in December 2006, Judge Rosenblatt has remained active in his field as well as in the community. He continues in private practice at the Poughkeepsie law firm of McCabe & Mack LLP and is a judicial fellow at the New York University School of Law. Judge Rosenblatt and his wife, Julia Carlson Rosenblatt, Ph.D., reside in the Town of LaGrange.
Today’s ceremony was attended the Honorable Jonathan Lippman, Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals and other judicial dignitaries from across the county and the state. A plaque honoring Judge Rosenblatt was unveiled at the ceremony in the vestibule entrance of the Dutchess County Courthouse. The ceremony was coordinated in conjunction was the Dutchess County Bar Association, Mid-Hudson Women’s Bar Association & Dutchess County Magistrates Association.
Dutchess County Court Judge, the Honorable Peter Forman, said, “The Dutchess County legal community is thrilled to celebrate the career of a truly brilliant jurist, retired Court of Appeals Judge Albert M. Rosenblatt by dedicating the County Courthouse in his name. We are extremely proud to be welcoming more than 30 judges from around the state to join us, including an unprecedented five members of the Court of Appeals. It is a tribute to all that Al has accomplished during his legal career."
“The Honorable Albert Rosenblatt has dedicated his life to public service, it is only fitting we dedicate the Dutchess County Courthouse in his honor. May his wisdom and integrity echo in its halls for all the generations that follow,” concluded County Executive Molinaro.
