Riverhead, NY: On September 15th, 2021, the Suffolk County Supreme Court Building was renamed in honor of Justice Marquette L. Floyd - Suffolk County's first African American District Court Judge - following a resolution sponsored Legislator McCaffery.
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.
Throughout his lifetime, Justice Floyd faced tremendous socioeconomic adversity, but through perseverance, intelligence, and humility, he earned the respect and admiration of his peers on the bench, lawyers, litigants and friends. His name and his legacy will be an inspiration to future generations. 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 shall 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. Suffolk County District Administrative Judge Hon. Andrew A. Crecca spearheaded the renaming process, which culminated with Legislator McCaffrey's legislation authorizing the renaming being passed by the Suffolk County Legislature unanimously.
The September 15th renaming ceremony was well attended across all levels of government and Justice Floyd's family. On hand to make the occasion were the Hon. Andrew Crecca, Hon. Edwina G Mendelson Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives, the Hon. Derick Robinson, Town of Babylon Councilman Anthony Manetta, and Justice Floyd’s sons Jonathan Floyd, Stanford Floyd, and Braxton Floyd.
Legislator Kevin McCaffrey represents Suffolk County's 14th Legislative District, which encompasses the Villages of Lindenhurst and Babylon, the hamlets of West Babylon and North Lindenhurst, portions of Copiague, North Babylon, and Babylon's barrier beach communities.