--- title: "Deborah Stevens Modica | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/deborah-stevens-modica-15101" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-08" --- # Deborah Stevens Modica Queens County Supreme Court · Acting Justice ## Profile - Court: Queens County Supreme Court - State: New York - Role: Acting Justice - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-06-30 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Acting Justice, New York Supreme Court, Queens County, New York, NY, 2013-present - 2013–Present: Acting Justice, Queens County Supreme Court (Criminal Term) - Retired from the bench in 2020 but remains a respected figure in New York’s criminal justice system - Judge, The Criminal Court of the City of New York, Queens, New York, NY, 2009-2018 - Supervising Judge, The Criminal Court of the City of New York, Queens, NY, 2003-2015 - 2003–2015: Supervising Judge of the Queens Criminal Court, appointed by Chief Administrative Judge Jonathan Lippman - Acting Justice of the Queens County Supreme Court (Criminal Term) in New York’s Eleventh Judicial District, appointed in 2013 by Chief Administrative Judge A. Gail Prudenti - Judge, The Criminal Court of the City of New York, Queens, New York, NY, 1997-2008 - 1997–2008: Judge, Criminal Court of the City of New York (Queens County), appointed by Mayor Rudy Giuliani - Assistant District Attorney, Kings County District Attorney's Office, New York, NY, 1990-1997 - Assistant District Attorney, Queens County District Attorney's Office, New York, NY, 1978-1989 - Also recognized as a Supervising Judge of the New York City Criminal Court for Queens County ### Education - Fordham University — J.D. (1976) - Fordham University — B.A. (1971) ### Additional information - Recognized for her work in gender‐based and intimate partner violence cases - Known for handling domestic violence cases, including all misdemeanor domestic violence cases in Queens in the early stages and later felony intimate partner violence cases - She also served on the New York State UCS Criminal Jury Instructions and Model Colloquies Committee ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### recording and photography Scope: statewide New York statewide rules require permission before photographing, filming, videotaping, audiotaping, broadcasting, or telecasting in court facilities, including courtrooms. Evidence excerpt: Taking photographs, films or videotapes, or audiotaping, broadcasting or telecasting, in a courthouse including any courtroom, office or hallway thereof, at any time or on any occasion, whether or not the court is in session, is forbidden, unless permission of the Chief Administrator of the Courts or a designee of the Chief Administrator is first obtained [Part 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings](https://www.nycourts.gov/rules/part-29-electronic-recording-and-audio-visual-coverage-court-facilities-and-court-proceedings?from_node=15921&topic=386&wrapped=true) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### evidence presentation control Scope: statewide The official Guide to New York Evidence identifies court control over presentation of evidence as a statewide evidence topic; counsel should expect the assigned judge to control the mode and order of proof. Evidence excerpt: 1.07. COURT CONTROL OVER PRESENTATION OF EVIDENCE [Guide to New York Evidence: Article 1, General Provisions and Court's Role](https://www.nycourts.gov/judges/evidence/1-GENERAL/1-generalprovisions.shtml) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/15101/deborah-stevens-modica/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/15101/deborah-stevens-modica/) - [New York Supreme Court, Queens County current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/15101/deborah-stevens-modica/) - [Part 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings](https://www.nycourts.gov/rules/part-29-electronic-recording-and-audio-visual-coverage-court-facilities-and-court-proceedings?from_node=15921&topic=386&wrapped=true) - [Guide to New York Evidence: Article 1, General Provisions and Court's Role](https://www.nycourts.gov/judges/evidence/1-GENERAL/1-generalprovisions.shtml) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/15101/deborah-stevens-modica/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/deborah-stevens-modica-15101", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/deborah-stevens-modica-15101", "name": "Deborah Stevens Modica | KnowJudges", "description": "Deborah Stevens Modica, Queens County Supreme Court. 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[Official source](https://www.nycourts.gov/rules/part-200-uniform-rules-courts-exercising-criminal-jurisdiction). Collected 2026-10-27. - [22 NYCRR Part 202 — Uniform Civil Rules Supreme Court And County Court](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/ny-shared-set-bf1c7eb9020e52eed65d) — Civil actions and proceedings only; section-specific and specialized-part restrictions remain applicable. [Official source](https://www.nycourts.gov/rules/part-202-uniform-civil-rules-supreme-court-and-county-court). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Part 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-99a7824bb8e009643f842c03) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://www.nycourts.gov/rules/part-29-electronic-recording-and-audio-visual-coverage-court-facilities-and-court-proceedings?from_node=15921&topic=386&wrapped=true). Collected 2026-07-26. - [Part 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-34fe480ab82f22fa3c31d257) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://www.nycourts.gov/rules/part-29-electronic-recording-and-audio-visual-coverage-court-facilities-and-court-proceedings?from_node=15921&topic=386&wrapped=true). Collected 2026-07-26.