Hon. Denise Cote See Rating Details
District Judge See Comments
S.D.N.Y.  
Average Rating:4.6 - 33 rating(s)
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Ratings

*Temperament:   (1=Awful,10=Excellent)
*Scholarship:   (1=Awful,10=Excellent)
*Industriousness:   (1=Not at all industrious,10=Highly industrious)
*Ability to Handle Complex Litigation:    (1=Awful,10=Excellent)
*Punctuality:    (1=Chronic`y Late,10=Always on Time)
*Evenhandedness in Civil Litigation:    (1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
*Evenhandedness in Criminal Litigation:   (1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
Flexibility In Scheduling   (1=Completely Inflexible,10=Very Flexible)
General Inclination Regarding Bail (1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases, Pre-Trial:   (1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
Involvement in Civil Settlement Discussions:   (1=Least Involved,10=Most Involved)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases, Trial:    (1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases, Sentencing:    (1=Most Lenient,10=Most Harsh)
Typical Discount Off Guidelines for Cooperators:    (1=10%,10=100%)
  Items marked with (*) are averaged into the displayed overall rating
Comments


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What others have said about Hon. Denise Cote


Comments


Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 34460
Rating:4.2
Comments:
As other commenters have noted, she pre-judges the case and harbors a strong anti-plaintiff, pro-corporate bias. She literally rules on motions by defendants without waiting to hear the plaintiff's opposition. Because she thinks she's smarter than everyone else, she does not feel obliged to hear both sides. She should not be a judge.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 25385
Rating:4.5
Comments:
I could not fault Judge Cote's demeanor and temperament. However, all her rulings betrayed a very strong and transparent bias towards the corporate defendants (and also, perhaps, to the prestigious large law firm representing the corporate defendants); to the detriment of the solo employment attorney representing the plaintiff. Very troubling indeed.

Other

Comment #: 24800
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Shame on you. Your sentencing of Weiner the wand waver proves that wealth and political influence overrules justice.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 23412
Rating:9.0
Comments:
The complaints here about Judge Cote tell me more about the writers than the judge. Be prepared, don't make ridiculous arguments before her and maybe you'll actually understand that she is a fair judge, tough on both sides -- which is all you could ever want in a federal judge. I have had multiple cases before her and find that in the end my clients get exactly what they deserve. She's tough on both sides, expects lawyers to know what they're talking about and defendants to act responsibly once the cases begin. Her temperament is fantastic -- even as she's crushing you with a ruling. We are lucky to have Judge Cote and I will surely miss her when she retires.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 23389
Rating:7.4
Comments:
Poor demeanor to be sure -- seems to be constantly looking to berate everyone - however, at the end of the day, a very solid judge

Other

Comment #: 22181
Rating:1.0
Comments:
It's obvious to anyone who has any knowlwedge of this woman's behavior in our so-called judicial system that she is an arrogant and abusive distorter of what justice ought to stand for...from hiring her friends (nepotosm), scolding attorneys unnecessarily (unprofessional)...to imposing onerous judgements totally unbased on fact.
She should be investigated by an objective judicial branch.

Other

Comment #: 20961
Rating:2.0
Comments:
If Apple had launched its music business as Judge Cote views how business negotiations are supposed to be conducted, there would be no iTunes store, no iPod, and probably no Apple as we know it. Judge Cote was openly biased against Apple before the ebook case began. She remains openly hostile to Apple now. Her predisposition shows limited knowledge of how new technology like the iPad comes to market. Apple has no choice but to appeal her ruling. But first it has to overcome her bias against, and lack of understanding of, how dramatically new technology and business operate. From Computer World: "[Judge] Cote also offered a potential remedy: Apple would be allowed to sign new contracts with the publishers, one at a time. It would have eight months to sign a contract with one publisher, then the next eight months to sign with another publisher, and so on. In this way, Apple would not be dealing with all the publishers at once, preventing more collusion, [Judge] Cote said." Before Apple introduced the iPad, Amazon had a monopoly on ebooks. In my opinion, this case has less to do with protecting consumers or publishers, and more to do with protecting Amazon's business model. Whether that was the DOJ's intention or not, that is the result.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 19797
Rating:9.0
Comments:
I was the target of a frivolous lawsuit and my case came before this judge. My lawyer told me how fortunate I was that Judge Cote "reads all the material" in a case and does not take the lazy route and pass to a jury. Thank goodness Judge Cote is a top-notch judge who went over everything very carefully and was able to come to the truth, that the case against me was someone with an agenda and that nothing the person, or her lawyers was truthful. I felt I had real criminals after me, using the court system as a tool to harm others. Later I found out this woman had sued about five other people and all were dismissed from the court. My case was dismissed in full and Judge Cote found the case so frivolous that the party suing me was fined. Although a lot of money was spent in my defense, at least I was lucky to have a judge who read everything and then ruled in the favor of the innocent. One thing America courts need is The English Rule, which means when frivolous cases are filed, and innocent people are tortured in the courts, the lawyers for the ones bringing frivlous cases must pay the legal fees of the wronged party. After my experience, I believe that such a rule would help all of those who are tortured by criminals through the legal system. Thank goodness for a good & fair judge like Judge Cote. No one bringing a frivolous or wrong case before this judge will provide compliments to this judge, only because she is so excellent at her job. My hat's off to Judge Cote.

Other

Comment #: 18461
Rating:10.0
Comments:
A judge that reads all the material and who means business, but that is what is needed in the court system.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 12988
Rating:1.7
Comments:
As several commenters have noted, this judge pre-determines which parties should win at the outset, and is blatantly enamored of big-name firms and gov't entities. Engages in legal contortions to reach outcomes on behalf of her pet party, even to the extent of ignoring applicable black-letter law, instead relying on unbriefed decisions from obscure jurisdictions with no connection to the matter. God help us all if she is elevated to the Second Circuit.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 12561
Rating:1.0
Comments:
Meticulous attention to details of facts and law, without any real grasp of either. Fastidious. Insists on neat and tidy, even at the expense of fairness. Disdainful. Generally treats lawyers like schoolchildren. Biased. Favors litigant whose lawyers she thinks more prestigious. Turns a deaf ear to others, and if they press to be heard, gets very nasty. All in all, as ill-suited for the role of judge as any I've encountered in many years of practice.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 12560
Rating:1.0
Comments:
In the search for justice, don't stop in this Judge's courtroom. She was self absorbed and snide. Utterly lacks common sense. Far too eager to impose her will (apparently at random). Her not too well thought out orders create far more issues and difficulties then they resolve. Add to that a palpable arrogance and you've got Judge Cote - a real winner.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 12534
Rating:1.3
Comments:
In a complex administrative law matter, Judge Cote exhibited many of the unfortunate qualities expressed by others here. It seemed clear that she had pre-judged the case and the parties before hearing the merits, and proceeded to rule accordingly without regard for the facts and law. Definitely seemed to value timeliness and procedural technicalities, whether based in the rules or her own sense of how parties should behave, above all else. She is smart and seems hardworking, and tended to ground her rulings on discretionary issues that are more difficult to appeal. Overall, an unsettling experience, and the only time in my career that I felt my client was denied a meaningful opportunity to be heard on the merits in a U.S. court.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 12300
Rating:1.0
Comments:
Judge Cote's pre-disposition and bias are evident from the first moments she is encountered in the Courtroom and her inability to even allow a contrary opinion to be expressed is manifested by cutting counsel short, and, if necessary, hanging up the phone on them (during a transcribed phone conference), to ensure that a complete record is not developed that would enable an appeal of her unsupprtable and prejudicial opinions. Wouldn't want to let the facts get in the way. Bad news for the bar.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 11883
Rating:2.5
Comments:
definately pre determines issues. If you are a plaintiff or a criminal defendant you don't have a chance.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 11414
Rating:6.7
Comments:
Arrogant, condescending, smarmy.

Other

Comment #: 9997
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Pro Prosecution. Unfortunately, she rules in a manner that is extremely biased towards criminal defendants. Her rulings are generally "sly" and calculated to ignore the pertinent issues raised, which is always allows the prosecution team to pervail.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 9691
Rating:1.0
Comments:
It is not surprising that a government attorney would sing Judge Cote's praises, given that she is possibly the most anti-plaintiff judge on the bench. Well, Judge Buchwald would give her a run for that title, but still!

Civil Litigation - Govt.

Comment #: 9618
Rating:9.3
Comments:
Judge Cote is a bright, hard-working, no-nonsense judge. Lawyers who are underprepared or obstreperous may not find the experience appearing before her enjoyable (as the comments on this page demonstrate!), but if you are well-prepared and professional, you will love her.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 9552
Rating:2.7
Comments:
Judge Cote predetermines outcome of the case and consistently rules accordingly even in contradiction to her own orders. She also lacks appropriate judicial temperment and decorum

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 9176
Rating:6.6
Comments:
Judge Cote has a bubbly style but it masks an inclination toward pre judging issues, including deciding early on deciding who the good guy is and who the bad guy is), and ruling accordingly, without sufficient analysis or consideration of the merits of the issue before her. She is a very smart woman and if the pre-disposition does not get in the way a good judge, but if it does, she can make some very bad (and consistently bad) rulings.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 8520
Rating:2.0
Comments:
A stickler for technicalities over merit, fairness, and logic. Small-minded.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 5489
Rating:9.8
Comments:
Long standing case before her since 1998. Never met a better judge.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 5098
Rating:9.2
Comments:
Very fair, very respectful and hardworking. It was a pleasure to appear before her.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 4221
Rating:7.0
Comments:
A hard working judge, and speedy with her decisions. Found her defense oriented in my civil case, an employment discrimination case.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 1674
Rating:9.6
Comments:
Judge Cote is extremely able. Her opinions are always an excellent source on the law. She is fair to litigants and extremely hard working.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 1566
Rating:5.5
Comments:
She's wound tighter than a Timex and has as bell tower smile. She's inflexible on scheduling. I haven't tried anything in front of her, but have been told by others it conjures up an inner ring of the Inferno.
That having been said, she's pretty bright, hard working and, I hear, fairly straightforward in civil matters.