Assembly Resolution No. 781

BY: M. of A. Cook

HONORING Judge Karen Gopee upon the occasion of
her designation as recipient of a Lincoln-King
Visionary Award for her commitment and service to
her community

WHEREAS, Individuals who give of their time and energies and serve
the best interests of their communities are an asset beyond remuneration
and cannot be sufficiently extolled; and

WHEREAS, Judge Karen Gopee has given not only of her time and
energies but also of her competence, intelligence and leadership and
consequently has been designated for special honor; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Judge Karen
Gopee upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of a
Lincoln-King Visionary Award for her commitment and service to her
community, to be celebrated at the Lincoln-King Visionary Awards Gala,
"From Dream to Greatness," on Saturday, February 10, 2024, at the Sand
Castle in Franklin Square, New York; and

WHEREAS, This auspicious community gala is held annually to unite
the international community and to celebrate unity in diversity while
recognizing community leaders for their services; and

WHEREAS, Judge Karen Gopee has been called upon to contribute her
time and talents to countless civic and charitable endeavors and has
always given of herself unstintingly; and

WHEREAS, Born in Trinidad, Karen Gopee immigrated to the United
States when she was just one year old; she grew up in East New York,
Brooklyn, and attended local public schools including Franklin K. Lane
High School; she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Binghamton
University where she majored in Political Science, Sociology and Women's
Studies, before receiving her Juris Doctor degree from St. John's Law
School; and

WHEREAS, Karen Gopee began her illustrious legal career at the Kings
County District Attorney's Office; for eight years she prosecuted
misdemeanor and felony matters, from arrest to trial, supervised junior
assistants, and specialized in cases involving domestic violence and
child abuse, speaking up for those without a voice; and

WHEREAS, In 2005, Karen Gopee accepted the Principal Court Attorney
position with Judge Calabrese at the Red Hook Community Justice Center,
a multi-jurisdictional community court acclaimed for innovative
problem-solving techniques, where she worked with the Office of Court
Administration, the Center for Court Innovation, and community
organizations to implement programs which diverted youth from criminal
and/or family court and helped individuals access mental health and
substance abuse programs in lieu of incarceration; she also worked
closely with NYCHA residents to facilitate repairs, address rent arrears
and prevent eviction; and

WHEREAS, In December of 2015, Karen Gopee was appointed by Mayor
Bill de Blasio as a Criminal Court Judge, and in November of 2021, she
was elected to the New York State Supreme Court, making her the first
Judge of Indo-Caribbean descent appointed and elected in New York State;
and

WHEREAS, Throughout her esteemed career, Judge Karen Gopee has
handled misdemeanor and felony matters in Queens, presided over pretrial
hearings, bench and jury trials, and published a dozen decisions; she
worked with the Queens District Attorney's office to implement the
Queens Treatment Intervention Program to offer screening and treatment
to low level offenders suffering from opioid addiction; since its 2018
launch there have been hundreds of successful participants; and

WHEREAS, Judge Karen Gopee has served as the Chair to the American
Bar Association Criminal Justice ADR and Restorative Justice Committee,
and is the current President and founding member of South Asian
Indo-Caribbean Bar Association of Queens which was established in 2017;
she also currently serves as the Treasurer of the Asian American Judges
Association of New York, and as the CLE Chair of the Caribbean American
Lawyers Association; and

WHEREAS, Judge Karen Gopee has been the proud recipient of numerous
awards and accolades, some of which include the Meritorious Award by the
ABA, the Community Impact Award by the Indo-Caribbean Alliance, the
Pioneering Indo-Caribbean Woman Award by the East Indian Diaspora
Heritage Committee of New York, and the Power Woman Award from Schnep's
Media; and

WHEREAS, This extraordinary woman works tirelessly with community
organizations on issues related to domestic violence, human trafficking,
teen consent, and improving the criminal justice system; she mentors
students, young attorneys and junior judges, and has co-created programs
to address gangs, guns and bullying; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, she has partnered with organizations to
provide safe spaces for at-risk youth on Friday and Saturday nights, as
well as programs which provide inner city youth with tickets to Broadway
shows, concerts, sporting events, museums, and restaurants; and

WHEREAS, Throughout the entire period of her community service, a
period of constructive involvement, Judge Karen Gopee has stood constant
in dignity, good grace, and humor; and

WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an
individual for the benefit of others which Judge Karen Gopee has
displayed throughout her life; and

WHEREAS, It has always been the objective of this Legislative Body
to honor and support those individuals who have displayed their
commitment to the betterment of their communities, and it is the intent
of this Legislative Body to inscribe upon its records, this tribute to
Judge Karen Gopee, that future generations may know and appreciate her
admirable character, her many benevolent deeds, and the respect and
esteem in which she is held by her peers; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Judge Karen Gopee upon the occasion of her designation as

recipient of a Lincoln-King Visionary Award for her commitment and
service to her community; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Judge Karen Gopee.