Hauppauge, NY: On Tuesday, June 22nd, the Suffolk County Legislature passed a resolution sponsored by Legislator Kevin McCaffrey to rename the Supreme Court Building at the John P. Cohalan, Jr. Court Complex in Honor of Justice Marquette L. Floyd.
Suffolk County Legislator Kevin J. McCaffrey had two of his resolutions sent to the County Executive’s desk following the Tuesday, June 22nd, General meeting of the Suffolk County Legislature- including his motion to rename the Supreme Court Building at the John P. Cohalan, Jr. Court Complex in Honor of Justice Marquette L. Floyd.
Justice Floyd was the first African American District Court Judge in Suffolk County; and served on the District Court bench with distinction for 19 years as its senior judge. In 1989, Justice Floyd became the first African American Justice of the New York State Supreme Court in Suffolk County.
He faced great adversity in growing up in the rural segregated south, coming of age during the Great Depression, and serving our nation in what was a segregated military. Yet Justice Floyd persisted, qualifying for Officer Candidate School in the United States Air Force and earning degrees from NYU and Brooklyn Law School.
Unfortunately, Justice Floyd passed away on December 12, 2020 at the age of 93. But the renaming of the Supreme Court Building at the John P. Cohalan, Jr. Court Complex in Central Islip will serve as a fitting tribute to Justice Floyd by honoring his legacy as a true pioneer of justice, equality and as a source of inspiration to younger generations.
Legislator McCaffrey represents Suffolk County’s 14th Legislative District which encompasses the Village of Lindenhurst, Babylon Village, the hamlets of West Babylon and North Lindenhurst, portions of Copiague, North Babylon and Babylon’s barrier beach communities.