Southern District of New York Judge Deborah Batts, who in 1994 became the first openly LGBTQ judge on the federal bench, has died at the age of 72. Batts was also the first African-American professor at Fordham University Law School, which announced her death on Monday.
Though she presided over numerous high-profile cases, and was known for her groundbreaking work on offender rehabilitation, Batts was more recently in the news as the judge assigned to oversee the trial of Michael Avenatti on charges that he defrauded AVN Hall of Famer Stormy Daniels.
Avenatti, who represented Daniels throughout most of 2018 and early 2019 in her lawsuits against Donald Trump, is currently facing three criminal cases on alleged financial crimes. Among those allegations, he is charged with illegally diverting Daniels’ advance payment for her 2018 memoir Full Disclosure into a personal bank account that he controlled, then taking the funds for his own use, including monthly payments of a Ferrari automobile.
Avenatti’s trial on the Daniels charge was scheduled to open April 21. But with the death of Batts, the trial is expected to be postponed, and has been reassigned to SDNY Chief Judge Colleen McMahon.
“Deborah Batts was a trailblazer in every respect,” McMahon said in a statement. “She will be remembered by her colleagues for her devotion to the work of the court, for her mentorship of a cadre of young lawyers of all backgrounds, and for her infectious smile and extraordinary collegiality.”
Batts was appointed to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton, after a lengthy career as a law professor and federal prosecutor. Though she did not conceal her sexual identity, it was not mentioned in her confirmation hearings, and Batts said that she did not want to be known for any one aspect of her personality.
“I’m a mother. I’m an African-American. I’m a lesbian. I’m a former professor. If people assume any one of these aspects is going to predominate, it would create a problem,” Batts said when she was appointed by Clinton.
Batts is reported to have passed away in her sleep Monday morning. A cause of death has not been made public.
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