Hon. David Schmidt See Rating Details

Supreme Court
Kings (Brooklyn) County
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Attorney Average Rating:   8.0 - 21 rating(s)
Non-Attorney Average Rating:   4.0 - 2 rating(s)
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Only items marked with (*) are averaged into the displayed overall rating.


General Rating Criteria

* 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=Chronically Late,10=Always on Time)
* General Ability to Handle Pre-Trial Matters (1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
* General Ability as a Trial Judge (1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
Flexibility In Scheduling (1=Completely Inflexible,10=Very Flexible)


Criminal Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Criminal Litigation (1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
General Inclination Regarding Bail (1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
Involvement in Plea Discussions (1=Not at all Involved, 10=Very Involved)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Pretrial Stage (1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Trial Stage (1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Sentencing Stage (1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)


Civil Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Civil Litigation (1=Not at all Evenhanded,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
Involvement in Settlement Discussions (1=Not at all Involved,10=Very Involved)
General Inclination (1=Pro-defendant, 10=Pro-plaintiff)
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What others have said about Hon. David Schmidt


Comments


Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY11310
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Rest In Peace, Justice Schmidt. You were a good man.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY10418
Rating:10.0
Comments:
He was hardworking, diligent and Solomon like in his ability to settle cases!

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY5851
Rating:9.3
Comments:
What a nice man/judge. During motions and conferences he sits not on the bench but below, surrounded by interns, without robe and even jacket. He's an extremely hardworking jusge who tried getting things settled. Has the famous box with toys and makes you "re-enact" the accident with toy cars etc. And he has the habit to write a proposed settlement number on a yellow sticker and shows it to one side, then another to the other - "will you take this - how about this." Etc. . "Call me on my cell after 5 if you can't settle it" I overheard him saying to 2 attorneys. All in all, a pleasant person, easygoing. I like judge Schmidt.

Litigant

Comment #: NY5630
Rating:1.0
Comments:
First Judge Martin does the ex parte phony lawsuit for the Hasidic friend of his, then it gets passed to Judge Schmidt who finishes you off.

Judge Schmidt takes his grandchildren to the courtroom while he works the room. His talmud in view by the bench. He gets a stipulation done 1,2,3 -- without allocution, without all parties present, without attorneys even being authorized to make stipulations, and without all parties present.

His cohorts (litigants in his court from his community) arrogantly claim that "(they) Hasidics don't fool around." They pay off the judge, not a lawyer. After all, Judges make decisions, not lawyers. Judge Schmidt assures them that we'll "be kept on a short leash".

Do they go to the same temple or bank?

Anyone not sharing their insular religious beliefs doesn't stand a chance at 360 Adams Street Brooklyn, NY. Where did the Establishment clause (seperation of church and state) go?

Anyone who suffered similar treatment is invited to call 631-385-2018.

Linda Sharp

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY5103
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
To the author of Comment #NY2333: what is the purpose of saying, "He is an Hasidic Jew, and wears a yarmulka in court"? A) He is Orthodox but is not a Chasid; and B) what's the difference? I suppose his religion makes him a bad jurist? Whether or not your comment has any accuracies, your one sentence of hate has clearly tainted the veracity of your entire comment. Will you next tell us that another judge is black or gay or Latino? Please, give constructive criticism where appropriate, but keep your anti-Semitic, racist comments to yourself. Thank you.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY5047
Rating:8.6
Comments:
Judge Schmidt is an excellent judge. He will let you pursue your arguments, and he understands the law and will try to settle the case as quickly as possible.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY4919
Rating:1.4
Comments:
Bought and paid for by Lew Fidler and Law Cash.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY4908
Rating:9.4
Comments:
He is a brilliant and fair jurist. He is able to handle the most complex of cases, and cares equally about all involved. He is a credit to the bench.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY4275
Rating:10.0
Comments:
I can not imagine that a Brooklyn attorney can give Justice Schmidt a bad rating. I have lost and won cases before him and I can honestly say that he is the best of the best. Honest, hard working, understands issues and will work with both sides to resolve a case. He is also a gentleman, which is a rarity on the bench these days.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY3679
Rating:1.7
Comments:
Questionable integrity.

Civil Litigation - Govt.

Comment #: NY2333
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Just want to add a few more things: Schmidt has the toy cars on his table to re-enact the auto accidents in personal injury cases before him. He also has a large diagram of ligaments on the table before him. He sits in the well of the court with a bunch of nerdy looking interns from law school. Schmidt himself munches on pretzels while wearing no tie. He is a hasidic jew, and wears a yarmulka in court. Schmidt was heard to say these things today: he has ADD and ADHD. He had a herniated disc himself and knows what that is like. He will not grant default judgments unless the defaulting party repeatedly ignores the case. He is very liberal in vacating default judgments. Today one lawyer for the plaintiff complained that his client spent $900 on today's court appearance. Schmidt got on the phone to the defendant's attorney and said the only way he will vacate the default was if the defendant agrees to pay the 900 to the plaintiff. Minutes later, he backtracked and told him to submit a motion by a date certain, even though he didn't see a defense for the defendant. Frequently holds ex-parte conversations with lawyers after the other side has left - and this is in open court! Court officers are not allowed to rebuke lawyers who talk too loud in the audience - Schmidt does that himself, telling the officer, "I'm running this". I heard him say during one case that even though he gets reversed, he doesn't care - he is going to do what he thinks is right.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY2331
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Addicted to yellow post-its and toy cars. Gotta love the guy.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY2258
Rating:9.9
Comments:
A splendid judge. If he could be cloned and repeatedly replicated, the Kings County bench would be a national model of efficient and fair resolution of cases. He knows the law, and painstakingly explores the facts with counsel at oral argument. He is as hard-working and effective as any judge I have been before in over 30 years of practice.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY1881
Rating:5.6
Comments:
Justice Schmidt at one time was one of the hardest working and most respected judges in the courthouse. His game has sliped big time. He doesn't read papers and tries not to hurt people who deserve to be hurt. He has his own sense of justice and will stick it to you if he thinks that you deserve it, regardless of the law.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY1790
Rating:7.0
Comments:
Good judge. He will listen and that is a rare treat. Smart.

Litigant

Comment #: NY1468
Rating:8.0
Comments:
Great to get parties to make settlements. Sides with his own people. Great guy other wise. Will do research on subject if he doesnt know while you wait.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY1408
Rating:10.0
Comments:
Justice Schmidt should be the model for all judges. He is brilliant, hardworking, and honest to a fault. He will take as much time as necessary to settle your case. His opinions are always well reasoned and scholarly. Unlike many judges, he strives to make the practice of law a pleasant and rewarding endeavor. A true mentch.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY1142
Rating:9.0
Comments:
Excellent Judge. Strong grasp of legal and equitable principles. Very even-handed and fair. Judge Schmidt takes the time to understand complex issues before rendering an opinion. A true mensch; always a pleasure to appear before him. An unavoidable by-product of his diligence and attention to detail is the long wait in his courtroom - the only wy to remedy this would be to have two of him. Truly an honor.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY1048
Rating:10.0
Comments:
Hardest working judge in the courthouse. Great heart. Very pragmatic. Probably takes on too much work. Looks exhausted lately. When colleagues take long lunch hours, he is working. Other judges could take lessons from him regarding their work habits. It is a pleasure to appear before Judge Schmidt. He is smart, fair, hardworking, respectful to all and does an excellent job at fostering settlements. He truly has an amazing feel for the issues and is a gentleman in addition. A pleasure to be in front of.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY931
Rating:9.9
Comments:
It is a pleasure to appear before Judge Schmidt. He is smart, fair, hardworking, respectful to all and does an excellent job at fostering settlements. His attitude is typified by a comment that he made many years ago when I was a young lawyer and he was in the City Civil TAP part. I came before him with a case that, for various reasons, had become a procedural mess. Upon explaining the situation to him he said, "Don't worry. I'm here to help." That's Judge Schmidt in a nutshell.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY821
Rating:9.3
Comments:
One of the smartest, fairest and nicest judges on the bench. Always willing to listen to argument. Able to decide complex issues from the bench. Often works through lunch.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY536
Rating:6.4
Comments:
It is truly a New York experience to appear in his courtroom. A fair and decent man. However, expect to wait around for hours.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY488
Rating:9.1
Comments:
Hardest working judge in the courthouse. Great heart. Very pragmatic. Probably takes on too much work. Looks exhausted lately. When colleagues take long lunch hours, he is working. Other judges could take lessons from him regarding their work habits. Leans towards plaintiff, but doesn't stick it to defendants. Will grant threshold motions in the right case.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY442
Rating:10.0
Comments:
One of the best Kings (and all of downstate) has to offer. He truly has an amazing feel for the issues and is a gentleman in addition. A pleasure to be in front of.