Inside the Juvenile Courtroom: How Judges Navigate Youth Cases

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Justice Raymond L. Bruce was born and raised in Washington Heights of New York County. He received his Bachelor of Arts at New York University where he had a triple major in Spanish, Mathematics and Political Science. Justice Bruce was awarded his Law Degree from Temple University School of Law. Justice Bruce enjoyed the distinct privilege of studying at the University of Madrid, resulting in his ability to read, write and speak Spanish fluently. Currently, Justice Raymond L. Bruce is one of few bilingual Justices assigned to Bronx County Supreme Court, Criminal Division. Justice Bruce also holds the distinct honor of being one of the few black males, sitting as a Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, NY County. As a result of the way he continues to feel about his community, Justice Bruce selected jobs that allowed him to advocate for the under­represented and the voiceless. Throughout his career Justice Bruce demonstrated a tenacity of fairness and being a man with a just cause. These characteristics lead our honoree to be elected among his peers to sit on the bench in 2001, the same day that New York faced the terror attacks on 9/11. Every day since this nomination, Justice Bruce sits on the bench dispensing justice in a fair manner in the Criminal Court, Bronx County. Justice Bruce believes he has been called for a purpose and blessed in many ways. He is married to Darlene and they have 2 children, Precious and Nasiah. When Justice Bruce is not with his family, he is often found at schools speaking to at risk youth, supporting community organizations and hosting interns in chambers. For these reasons, he believes he is successful, and he thanks the Lord continuously for his blessings.

Bruna DiBiase is an Acting Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York. Judge DiBiase currently presides in the Youth Part of Queens Supreme Court, Criminal Term, handling the Raise the Age youth cases as well as an adult calendar. Prior to that she was the presiding judge in the Queens County Domestic Violence Court. Prior to becoming a judge, Judge DiBiase served as Chief of Staff to the Honorable Judy Kluger who was then Chief of Policy and Planning for the New York State Unified Court System. In that role, she assisted in developing court policies and strategies throughout the state resulting in the implementation of more than 300 Problem-Solving Courts. They included the Integrated Domestic Violence Courts, Domestic Violence Courts, Drug Courts, Mental Health Courts, Sex Offense Courts, and several Community Court initiatives. Prior to joining the court system, Judge DiBiase was a staff attorney in the Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Division. Judge DiBiase is an active member and past president of numerous bar associations. She was also the recipient of the Outstanding Service Award presented by the American Committee on Italian Migration, honored as one of the Top Women in Queens County, and as a Distinguished Alumni on the Bench by Hofstra School of Law. Judge DiBiase is also a member of several committees and advisory boards and has presented at numerous judicial conferences in New York, as well as national and international conferences. She also has an expertise and presents on the Domestic Violence Survivors Act (DVSJA), which permits courts to impose an alternative sentence for eligible defendants who were victims of domestic violence. Most recently, in November 2023, Judge DiBiase was honored for her work in the Queens Supreme Youth Part by the Dynamite Youth Center Foundation as “Drug Fighter of the Year."

Hon. Alison M. Hamanjian was appointed to the New York City Family Court by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2018 after previously serving as an Interim Civil Court Judge, assigned to Kings County Criminal Court, in 2017. In October 2018, Judge Hamanjian was designated an Acting Supreme Court Justice by Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks and assigned to the Richmond County Youth Part where she served as a hybrid judge presiding over violent felony offenses in the Youth Part as well as juvenile delinquency, child protective, custody/visitation and family offense matters in Richmond County Family Court. In July 2022, Judge Hamanjian was appointed as the Supervising Judge of Richmond County Family Court. In December 2023, she was appointed by Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas as Co-Chair of the New York State Unified Court System’s Family Court Advisory and Rules Committee and, in January 2025, Judge Hamanjian was appointed as the Supervising Judge of Bronx County Family Court. Judge Hamanjian previously served as a Court Attorney Referee in Richmond County Family Court; Assistant Deputy Counsel to Hon. Judy Harris Kluger, former Chief of Policy and Planning for the Unified Court System; and Principal Law Clerk to Hon. Michael A. Corriero, former presiding justice of Manhattan’s Youth Part. Before joining the New York State Unified Court System, Judge Hamanjian served as Supervising Attorney for the Urban Justice Center’s Domestic Violence Project and began her career as an Assistant District Attorney in Bronx County handling cases involving domestic violence, child abuse and sex crimes. Judge Hamanjian received her undergraduate degree from Hunter College of the City University of New York and her law degree from New York Law School.