The new family court and matrimonial complex in Mineola has finally been unveiled after decades of planning.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman joined with Chief Judge of New York State Rowan Wilson, Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas, First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Norman St. George, District Administrative Judge Vito DeStefano, District Executive Paul Lamanna and other county officials to announce the new facility on Oct. 2.
“Today we are off to a new beginning — a fresh start,” Blakeman said. “This brand new courthouse can be a symbol of renewal. Our renewed pledge to provide not only hope, but help for those who come here to have their life difficulties resolved.”
Blakeman said the existing family courts at 400 County Seat Drive in Mineola and 1200 Old Country Rd. in Westbury are dark, cramped and outdated. Both locations have seen more than 50 years of service.
This new location at 101 County Seat Drive will improve the court system and the parking and congestion issues in the previous locations. It will also address fractured families, broken marriages, troubled juveniles and more. Blakeman said this courthouse “has the ability to commence the process of healing.”
“The work that you do here — not just the judges but all the court personnel, all the workers, the maintenance workers, the court officers, the court clerks, the work that you do here is incredibly, incredibly important,” Blakeman said. “You can save a life, you can bring joy to an unhappy child, you can bring understanding to a couple that may not be able to get back together again, but you will teach them to co-exist and to respect each other and, most importantly, to always have the best interest of the child.”
St. George said this building represents access to “equal justice.” He said this facility is going to be a shining star and an example for the entire state to follow.
“I am confident that the team who brought this family and matrimonial court complex to the finish line will continue to work to serve justice and to provide access to justice and equal justice for many years to come,” St. George said.
St. George said there has been talk of creating a new family court since he graduated from law school in 1988. Blakeman sat down with St. George and other judges last year to give them an update on the state of the court.
“You made a promise to us a year ago that we’d be in this building today and you kept that promise,” Jeffrey Goodstein, Nassau County judge, said.
“This building project has spanned many years, even decades, and has seen the participation of at least two supervising judges, five administrative judges, four chief administrative judges, two first deputy chief administrative judges, four chief judges of the Court of Appeals and one acting chief judge of the Court of Appeals and five county executives,” DeStefano said.
DeStefano said this building will serve as a cornerstone of access to justice for families in Nassau County.
The court will officially open to the public on Jan. 1.
