Hon. Valerie Brathwaite Nelson See Rating Details

Supreme Court
Queens County
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Attorney Average Rating:   2.2 - 14 rating(s)
Non-Attorney Average Rating:   3.0 - 4 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)
Comments


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What others have said about Hon. Valerie Brathwaite Nelson


Comments


Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY8423
Rating:3.3
Comments:
Lazy and inefficient. I had a summary jury trial in front of her. To make a long story short, it lasted a week. Apparently, this was the norm for her.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY7786
Rating:2.6
Comments:
thank goodness she is no longer a trial judge. Everyone in the courthouse is laughing over the fact that she was named to the 2d department since it is commonly thought that she writes some of the worst decisions coming out of Supreme Sutphin.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY7542
Rating:1.0
Comments:
Total disaster and embarrassment to the Queens Judicial system, has no basic understanding of the law, lazy and slow in making decisions, often wrong decisions for obvious wrong reasons, lack the ability to understand complicated legal issues or probably did not bother to read it.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY7454
Rating:3.6
Comments:
have the unfortunate experience of appearing before her many times. incredibly slow. to refer to her staff as "lazy" gives them too much credit. has gone out of her way for pro se litigants, to the point of creating unfair burden.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY6485
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
She takes her time, over 6 months, to make a decision and in the meantime ignores telephone calls to Chambers trying to find out the status of the papers. There are real people as litigants and they need to move forward with their lives and businesses. Justice delayed in justice denied. If she cared then she would pump out the work faster. Mine is easy, I can't fathom how long she takes with complicated matters.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY6327
Rating:1.1
Comments:
Very inefficient and lazy; biased against plantiffs

Other

Comment #: NY5171
Rating:1.0
Comments:
She is totally out of her depth being a judge. It is a total mistake, as there is no justice in her courtroom.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY5028
Rating:1.2
Comments:
How do you spell lazy? B-R-A-T-H-W-A-I-T-E.
She instructs attorneys to arrive at 9:30am or 10am, while she strolls in like a peacock at noon. She has no respect for anyone's time. She is sleeping in her bed while expert witnesses and attorneys are waiting for her to arrive. She has a basic understanding of legal principles, but the attorneys are usually much better informed. She hates to work. If she was in the private sector, she would be tossed out into the street after one week. She has the potential to be a good judge -- however, she would have to work more than two hours per day.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY4289
Rating:1.1
Comments:
Judge lacks sensitivity, impartiality, and fairness. These qualities are made up partially by sloath. She leaves a distinct impression that she has taken and looks to have palm greased for any decision. The demeanor of her part is similar to the Russian Gulag. Definately not a place for non-Americans
The interests of justice are left at the door in Part 7

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY4215
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
I have not tried any cases before Judge Braithwaite Nelson, but in my case, there have been numerous motions and I have found her decisions well reasoned,and thoroughly researched even if I don't necessarily agree with the result.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY4040
Rating:2.1
Comments:
The sad thing is that this Judge is smart. But she is lazy and couldn't care less if she's late or inconveniences the litigants. Typical example of what happens when you give someone a job from which they can't be fired for 14 years. Sad. Very sad. Especially if you have to appear before her. If she gave a damn, she'd be embarrassed.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY3876
Rating:1.0
Comments:
Had a damages trial in front of her that should have taken three days - it took three weeks. She is late every day - not just in the morning, but in the afternoon also. We averaged about 2 1/2 hours of testimony per day. Both doctors had to come back a second day to finish their testimony. At the time of that PI trial I had a commercial case pending before her. She refused to allow me to bring a motion for summary judgement after forcing me to file a note of issue despite discovey not being complete. Good move on her part since we settled realizing the cost of having her try the case.

Other

Comment #: NY3851
Rating:1.0
Comments:
The no decision Judge. Stip it out, simply this. She has the courts tied up with cases that she cannot rule.

Litigant

Comment #: NY2665
Rating:9.0
Comments:
This Judge shows there are still some with integrity, intelligence and understanding of the reason for the Courts. This Judge understood the Courts were built By The People, For The People. This Judge has the ability to listen, and hear. To see. This Judge should be the model for all Judges.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY2491
Rating:5.7
Comments:
This judge absolutely abhors working and is completely unconcerned about the costs of litigation and scheduling a doctor. It's too bad, as she is intelligent and could be a good judge.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY1641
Rating:2.0
Comments:
Another example, perhaps the worst, of our Queens Supreme Court Judiciary. Absolutely no ability to comprehend and apply substantive, as well as procedural law and rules. Shocking. Near zero intellectual horsepower or aptitude. This is what litigants get when judges are elected. And there is no policing mechanism. We talk about competence among teachers, doctors, etc., but there is no oversight over judges, who can make or ruin a person's life as quickly and dramatically as a doctor. Even attorneys, those best able to rate a judge, must do so anonymously for fear of discipline.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY1286
Rating:1.4
Comments:
Absolute disaster, there is no other way to put it. Cannot handle simple motions or conferences. HORRIBLY inefficient, taking up to 6 months to decide a discovery motion. Refusal to take a position on issues. Inept in every sense of the word, how she got to this position is a question for the ages. Please go away.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY857
Rating:1.3
Comments:
The first comment hit it dead on: she's clueless on the law and exalts form over substance because when it comes to substantive law she doesn't know anything. She has an inability to think fast and make a quick and accurate decision. Perhaps a bar review course would help, or maybe she could read a few books on conducting trials without them taking a week each on a simple automobile accident. Despite the foregoing, this judge thinks very highly of herself and sits on the bench like some kind of queen with an unctuous grin on her face. Wish there was something else behind that smile -- like a brain perhaps.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY130
Rating:2.9
Comments:
This judge has no clue on the law and no ability to settle a case. She drags three-day trials out for three weeks by skipping days, mornings, etc. She is shrill and uncertain of herself; as a person, she is very pleasant and not stupid at all. She needs judicial demeanor lessons and more confidence, which may or may not come from more experience on the bench.