Melinda Katz’s long career in public service began with her election to the New York State Assembly in 1994. There, she took care of the most vulnerable residents. After gaining favor among voters, Katz was elected to the New York City Council and later became the President of Queens. Every day, working faithfully in public service, the politician defended the interests of her community.
She has become a voice for people who have few rights and opportunities in the modern world. In 2020, Melinda Katz was elected District Attorney of Queens County, making history as the first woman to hold this position. Read more about the influential politician and lawyer and her achievements on queensyes.com.
Childhood and education
M. Katz was born on August 19, 1965 in Queens, where she grew up. She comes from a Jewish family with a long history of civic engagement. Her father founded the Queens Symphony Orchestra and her mother founded the Queens Council on the Arts.
Katz studied at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (Massachusetts) and later at St. John’s University School of Law. The latter is designed to provide Catholic university education to the youth of NYC. In addition to the main campus in Queens, the institution also has campuses in Staten Island and Manhattan, as well as buildings in Rome, Italy, Paris, France, and Limerick, Ireland.
The university’s core value is a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Graduates of St. John’s University can boast of the professional competencies and spiritual values necessary for community leaders.
State legislator
M. Katz worked for several years at the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges before deciding to enter politics. In 1994-1999, the Queens native joined the New York State Assembly. This is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The upper house is the Senate. The Assembly consists of 150 members who are elected for a 2-year term. They have no limit on the number of terms. The Assembly meets in the Capitol.
In the Assembly, Katz represented the 28th District, which includes some parts of Queens. Perhaps Katz’s main achievement in the Assembly is the creation and passage of a law to protect the most vulnerable New Yorkers. In total, she drafted 16 bills that became laws. The most important of them relate to the healthcare sector. It was thanks to Katz that women got direct access to gynecological care without having to visit a primary care doctor. The bills on toughening penalties for various forms of assault are also important.
Melinda also sponsored and passed a historic law (Kendall’s Law) that helps prosecutors handle cases of long-term, repeated child abuse.
Member of the New York City Council
From 1999-2002, Katz served as Director of Community Boards for the Office of the Queens Borough President. In this position, she helped develop city budget priorities, plan economic development projects for Queens and identify locations for city facilities. In 2002, she won a seat on the New York City Council, where she represented the 29th District, which includes some parts of Queens, until 2009.
As chair of the Standing Committee on Land Use, she initiated zoning changes in many city neighborhoods. The politician used her legal experience and connections to lead major projects that helped NYC recover from the 2001 recession.
President of the Borough
Since 2009, Katz had worked at Weil Gotshal as a litigation associate specializing in securities. She also worked at the law firm Greenberg Traurig, where she was responsible for government affairs and land use. In 2012, Katz announced her intention to return to politics. The Queens native easily won the Democratic Party nomination, defeating her rivals in the 2013 general election for Borough President. She held this position from 2014 to 2019.
As Borough President, Katz managed a multi-million dollar budget, much of which was allocated to vulnerable groups. Borough presidents are required to advise the mayor of NYC, make proposals on land issues, communicate and advocate for the needs of the boroughs during the allocation of the city budget, appoint officials and members of the community board and so on. They defend the interests of their communities before mayoral agencies, the City Council, the state government, public corporations and private enterprises.
District Attorney of Queens County
In January 2020, M. Katz took office as the District Attorney (the DA) of Queens County, becoming the first woman to hold this position. It was quite a challenge, as Katz was the only one among the six candidates in the Democratic primary without any experience in the court. Moreover, during her long career as an elected official, she has not given much priority to issues related to the criminal justice system.
Katz and her office have ensured that all defendants are treated fairly and without discrimination, while protecting victims. The DA restructured the office, adding new bureaus and powers to address many issues. The woman helped to remove guns from the streets of Queens and empowered victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. Katz sought justice even in the oldest unfinished cases.
With Katz’s assistance, the Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau was created, merging former bureaus that investigated drug and gang violence. The main task of the newly created bureau is to dismantle criminal organizations operating in Queens. It targets street gangs, drug trafficking and firearms trafficking. In March 2023, the bureau, with the help of the police, dismantled one of the largest gangs in Queens history. The court indicted 33 suspects, five of whom were charged with murder.
The Cold Case Unit is responsible for solving the oldest and most complex murder cases in the borough. For example, they investigated the case of an 81-year-old World War I veteran who was murdered in 1976. Katz also created the city’s first Human Trafficking Bureau. It searches for criminals who use people for sexual and labor purposes.
A 24-hour hotline was set up for victims of domestic violence. In addition, the prosecutor launched a violence prevention project to improve public safety. The law enforcement officer also took care of the unjustly convicted. She created the Conviction Integrity Unit with the authority to re-investigate claims of actual innocence. For example, the unit found out that a teenager was wrongly accused of murder and served more than 8 years in prison.
Katz put an end to the unfair long-standing practice of the prosecutor’s office that made it easier for law enforcement. They required defendants to waive their rights to initiate plea negotiations.
Personal life
M. Katz is a mother of two whose father is Curtis Sliwa. He is an American activist, radio host and founder of the non-profit crime prevention organization Guardian Angels. Interestingly, one of Sliwa’s ex-wives accused him of sending money to Katz while he was still married. Sliwa allegedly sent the money to Katz to help her furnish the house where they planned to live together.
In summary, M. Katz is a dedicated public servant who has held key government positions at both the city and state levels.