New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced he has appointed Syracuse–area judge Brian F. DeJoseph to fill a vacancy in the Appellate Division of the state Supreme Court for the Fourth Judicial Department.
The fourth department encompasses 22 counties in Western and Central New York, according to a news release from Cuomo’s office. The court is located in downtown Rochester.
In 2000, DeJoseph was elected to a 14-year term to serve on the state Supreme Court in Onondaga County. During his time on the bench, high-profile cases DeJoseph heard included a 2012 defamation lawsuit against Syracuse University (SU) and head basketball coach Jim Boeheim for public comments the coach made to defend his then-assistant coach Bernie Fine. DeJoseph threw out the lawsuit.
DeJoseph’s judicial career began in 1981 when he was elected to Syracuse City Court. He served in that position for 20 years until his election to Supreme Court. From 1987 through 2000, he was the supervising judge of Syracuse City Court, according to the governor’s news release.
DeJoseph began his legal career in 1975 as an associate with the law office of John E. Shaffer, according to the release. In 1979, he was partner in the law firm of Brandt & DeJoseph until his election as Syracuse City Court Judge. DeJoseph received a B.A. in economics from SU in 1972 and a J.D. from the SU College of Law in 1975.
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