It has been well-documented in the legal press: A recent Office of Court Administration memorandum announced that in response to the fiscal crisis that the COVID-19 pandemic has created, New York State is planning to effectively force many judges over the age of 70 into retirement in a budgetary cost-cutting measure.

This means 46 judges, including Appellate and Supreme Court judges, will not be allowed to certify or recertify, notwithstanding that many if not all passed their recertification tests. Effectively, they will be off the bench as of Dec. 31, 2020, saving approximately $55 million according to media reports.