ALBANY- Governor Kathy Hochul has named several Westchester County jurists to key positions in New York’s judiciary as part of a statewide announcement of 28 judicial appointments.
White Plains attorney Troy A. Smith was appointed as a Judge of the New York State Court of Claims. Smith brings more than three decades of legal experience to the bench, including service as a homicide prosecutor in the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office and later as a criminal defense attorney. During his career, he has served as lead counsel in more than 100 serious felony trials.
Two sitting Westchester judges were also reappointed to new terms on the Court of Claims.
Judge Damaris E. Torrent, who was first confirmed to the Court of Claims in 2021, will continue serving as an Acting Supreme Court Justice in Westchester County. In addition to her judicial duties, Torrent serves on the New York State Judicial Task Force on Mental Illness and recently helped organize a statewide symposium examining the intersection of mental health and the court system.
Judge Raymond P. Fernandez, appointed to the Court of Claims in 2023, was also reappointed. Fernandez currently serves as an Acting Supreme Court Justice in Bronx County’s Civil Term. Before joining the bench, he worked as a law clerk in Bronx Supreme Court and the New York Court of Appeals and began his legal career with The Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Practice.
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