"The Robing Room: NY State Judges

Hon. Ronald A. Zweibel	See Rating Details
Supreme Court (Criminal)
New York County	See Comments

Attorney Average Rating: 1.5 - 7 rating(s) Non-Attorney Average Rating: 1.0 - 6 rating(s)	Please send me alerts on this judge E-mail Address:

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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. Ronald A. Zweibel

Comments

Other

Comment #: NY12513
Rating:1.0

Comments:
He is a vindictive, racist, classist individual who should not be in a position to permanently alter any living being's life permanently. He is pro-D.A and anti bail and discovery reforms. He conveniently ignores the 8th amendment of the U.S. Constitution. He threatened an illegal sentence when I went before him in 2013-2014. He wanted to give me 15 years for a non violent offense, I was a first time offender and a survivor of domestic violence--which he and the A.D.A Weintraub laughed about. My official complaints of misconduct against the Judge and ADA were Ignored. As were my 25 motions for a bail reduction. I took a plea of 2 to 6 years in NY State Prison----so I could go home. Had I not---7 years later I would still be sitting on Rikers Island awaiting a trial. Zweibel is a nuisance. He also appears to be daydreaming or even sleeping during hearings--and when I went in front of him he and his female assistant who is not his wife---sat awfully close and his hands were no where to be seen. You get it right? He needs to be removed from the bench, have his judgeship rescinded and also also removed from the NY State Bar--permanently.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY8262
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Excellent judge. Gives these criminals exactly what is required. His handling of Occupy defendants was perfect!! A+! We need more judges like him in NYC!!

Other

Comment #: NY8220
Rating:1.0

Comments:
inattentive, careless and unjust sentencing, perhaps he's senile.

Other

Comment #: NY6852
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Write to chief law judge over the judges
he is ProDA, malicious prosecution from him and Manhattan DA office.Excessive bails no paperwork in folder of cases from defendant's attorney only DA paperwork sitting on the bench with called incomplete folders only what DA say he goes with. He says what he wants and constant violations of laws. Court transcripts are revised or redacted not to reflect what he says or does and what goes on in the courtroom. Excessive sentences for people no record no rapes, no gun charges, no murders, no assaults no robberies, no money laundering, no drug charges. Whatever DA says it is fine with him with a half empty folder of DA work. Even if defense do try to speak or present he will be knocked down the defense.Even if fighting the charge or charges he sees criminals no matter what.
Excessive bails, excessive sentences constant violations of laws, redact or change transcripts that does not his show unprofessionalism. If Da says he or she wants 100,000 bail he would give bail that is not affordable may not be 100,000
but not affordable. People 1st time in court for alleged issues he makes sure there is no mercy. Other judges knows not to touch his decisions when appealing issues they slap DENIED

Other

Comment #: NY6662
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Just read a scathing report concerning Carlos Montero, now 24 who has spent over 6 years awaiting trial. This is justice? Not in my book and I bet most all of the American public and the world. Yet we have a court system that doesn't respect it's own people.

So Montero is still waiting for his day in court, even after 77 appearances in Manhattan Supreme Court before Justice Ronald Zweibel — and 2,423 days behind bars.

Abomination of justice and VERY SADISTIC in my opinion. I'm just a normal person not affiliated with the 'system'. I hope what I'm reading goes viral so something will get done. Very sad to see this. Judge should be canned. This Judge is a mess. I see from the comment below I'm not alone.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY6573
Rating:1.8

Comments:
This judge is an establishment pro-prosecution judge. In my opinion as biased as they come towards prosecution. You will have to fight tooth and nail to get the right rulings, or even some areas to cross. He fears logic and scholarship. So if you know the law and show that he will relent or defer to his law secretary. You have to move briskly because that's the only way to keep him off kilter and maybe you even the playing field. Sadistic prosecutors love him because his sentences in my opinion are unfair and excessive. Should not be on bench.

Other

Comment #: NY6361
Rating:1.0

Comments:
My first arrest ever.. Grand Larceny 4th Degree.. (stole from my place of work) He gave me a year despite Fortune Society (along of course with my private attorney)by my side offering to help me. Spent 8 months on Rikers. Ruined my life.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY5974
Rating:1.8

Comments:
This man should be removed from the bench. The Judge is supposed to be a "neutral detached magistrate." He is none of the three. He is super pro-prosecution, rubber stamping the DA's Office decisions; he makes personal comments about defendants and cases, rather than being detached from the proceeding; and, thus, he is no independent "magistrate" removed from the proceedings, listening carefully to both sides. Disgraceful

Other

Comment #: NY5436
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Obviously this judge should not be living in a civilized society, but what about the City of New York's decision to prosecute; doesn't it bear some responsibility here?

Other

Comment #: NY5434
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
In my opinion your handling in the OCCUPY case involving Cecily McMillan borders on misconduct. And it is my sincere hope that the Appellate Division investigates you

Other

Comment #: NY5424
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Do you really think a decent and fair minded person is going to be allowed to remain in the judges position? The government needs people like Zweibel to ensure they win cases.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY5423
Rating:1.0

Comments:
His insistence on disallowing any & all avenues of evidence that might lead to some advantage for the defendant is the opposite of impartiality. It indicates a visceral siding with the powers that reign, just like in a military court martial. In fact, it shows MORE! It shows a deep meanness of the sort dealt out to PFC Manning during the cruel treatment visited upon her. Judge Zweibel has revealed himself to possess the mind of a jailor and sadist. If we knew more about the inner workings of the mind of U.S. Supreme Court justice Anthony Scalia, I have no doubt they would coincide with what Judge Zweibel has revealed about himself. There's a shared glee in throwing in with the establishment and making the pips squeak

Other

Comment #: NY5413
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This "judge" sentenced an Occupy Wall Street participant to 90 days in jail because she was molested by a cop and elbowed him. This "cop" has a LONG record of abuse that the judge refused to acknowledge. This "judge" is a hack who protects thug cops. THIS is our new Justice America.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY5412
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I just read the Village Voice article about Cecily McMillan. In that article, I read judge Zweibel's evidentiary rulings disallowing various items of defense evidence to the jury. The rule disallowing evidence that suggests a propensity to commit related crimes only protects criminal defendants, not prosecution witnesses. Thus, the cop's prior bad acts should have been allowed, as should the other evidence. I have no dog in this fight, but judge Zweibel is like a lot of other city judges: he is a political hack. That's how he got the job. Most judges who make these kinds of evidentiary rulings are politically connected. They're not qualified for higher judgeships and no law firm would touch them. So they end up in criminal court or civil court. The Appellate Terms are no different. Our state's Chief Judge, Jonathan Lippman, is just such a hack, and he admnistratively appointed many such hacks to various criminal and civil judgeships in the city. Many judges are unfair in their rulings, and we need a massive overhaul of the state's judiciary. I can totally relate to what Martin Stolar, McMillan's attorney, went through. Just imagine what the pro se litigants have to go through in our housing court system with clowns like Zweibel on the bench, not to mention those precious few in the criminal court system, who can't find a trustworthy state-appointed criminal defense attorney to fight for them. I hold Jonathan Lippman fully responsible for these travesties of justice. Governors Spitzer and Patterson (clowns themselves) helped put this clown in power.

Other

Comment #: NY5398
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
"A prosecutor's best friend" seems very appropriate after the his adjudication of Cecily McMillan.

Other

Comment #: NY5397
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I followed the trial of Cecily McMillan closely. Her assault and arrest was horrifying but this judge's handling of her case makes me frightened for our justice system. Judge Zweibel did not allow VIDEO and PHOTO evidence to support Cecily's case. He did not allow evidence of the police officer's history oif prior assaults and falsification of evidence. He showed complete bias against the Defense lawyer. This judge represents the State Sponsored smack down of civil dissent, and the 1st and 4th Amendment. He should be investigated for judicial overreach in sending Cecily to Riker's Island with NO BAIL when she is not an elopement risk. Rapists, drug dealers and worse get bail but a young graduate student does not? This is not a case of a criminal getting off free. It is the case of a sexual assault victim being made the criminal. This judge had an agenda and he fulfilled it. He should be brought up on ethics charges and disbarred. BTW, I am not a lawyer but I have a PHD and know a bit about things. This judge made a mockery of our justice system and makes us a disgrace in the eyes of the world by condoning police violence and showing that the US suppresses human rights just like the dictators and fascists we so self-righteously acccuse. Shame! Shame! Shame!

Other

Comment #: NY5396
Rating:4.0

Comments:
I recently saw Hon. Zweibel adjudicate a case and I was extremely disappointed by his obvious bias and favoritism towards the prosecution. I don't think he is intentionally a bad judge; he just seems to have a tremendous inability to examine his own behavior. Not to mention a big ego.

Other

Comment #: NY5384
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Best friend a prosecutor ever had. Must be removed from the bench.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY2757
Rating:2.0

Comments:
He is nothing more than a prosecutor with a robe. Believes every defendant has committed the crime of the century and should recieve the max.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY1274
Rating:2.0

Comments:
I am a general practitioner and sat in on some of the pre-trial and trial dates for my former client who was represented by an experienced criminal defense attorney. I found Judge Zweibel to be very biased in favor of the prosecution. He made surprising rulings that seemed to deny some of the defendant's most basic constitutional rights. He also appeared to look the other way on a serious issue of prosecutorial misconduct, including the withholding and tampering of evidence, and would refuse to count some of the prosecutor's long delays towards the defendant's right to a speedy trial. His evidentiary rulings almost always appeared to favor the ADA, and he made it very difficult for the defense attorney to admit even the most basic evidence at trial. He continuously sustained the ADA's objections to the defense attorney's questions, and made the defense attorney sweat and suffer at getting in even the most basic material and relevant evidence. Thank goodness the jury was not swayed by Judge Zweibel's hostility towards the defendant and still found him not guilty (it was a riduculous charge and prosecution brought by the ADA, which never should have been prosecuted in the first place). I found Judge Zweibel to be unfair towards the defendant and his attorney. I am glad that this forum exists to permit some minor recourse and feedback for what would otherwise be the unbridled power wielded by judges, sometimes unfairly.