Maritza Fugaro Norton at a glance
- Current role
- Supreme Court Justice
- Jurisdiction
- New York · State
- Judicial service
- Active
- Term and retention
- Current term ends 2034
Maritza Fugaro Norton
Supreme Court Justice · Westchester County Supreme Court
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Biography
Professional career
- As of 2025, Fugaro-Norton serves as a Family Court judge in Westchester County, New York, with a 10‐year term running from 2025 to 2034.
- Fugaro-Norton began her legal career at the Pace Women’s Justice Center
- She has held the role of a district leader for seven years, was Secretary of the Vancortlandtville Elementary School PTA for four years, and remains active in figure skating, teaching others to learn the sport
Education
Additional information
- From 2019 to 2024, she was Town Justice of Cortlandt, NY, elected after a competitive campaign against a long‐term incumbent.
- handling matrimonial, criminal, bankruptcy, personal injury, and real estate cases.
- In that role, she conducted court sessions, heard criminal and civil cases, issued warrants, sentenced offenders, and supervised court clerical staff.
- representing domestic violence victims and handling family law matters.
- She has been an Associate Court Attorney in Westchester County Family Court for over 17 years
- She later worked in private practice in Yonkers
- Maritza Fugaro-Norton is a Westchester County Family Court judge and former Cortlandt Town Justice, recognized as the first elected Latino official in Cortlandt and one of only 10 Latino judges in Westchester County
- She is admitted to practice before the New York State Unified Court System and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
New York statewide rules require permission before photographing, filming, videotaping, audiotaping, broadcasting, or telecasting in court facilities, including courtrooms.
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 obtainedPart 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings ↗
Exhibits
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.
1.07. COURT CONTROL OVER PRESENTATION OF EVIDENCEGuide to New York Evidence: Article 1, General Provisions and Court's Role ↗
Statewide
In New York Supreme Court and County Court civil cases, the court may require indexed trial exhibit binders, notebooks, or electronic equivalents for the court, counsel, and witnesses.
The court may direct that on the first day of trial or at such other time as the court may set, counsel shall submit an indexed binder or notebook, or the electronic equivalent, of trial exhibits for the court's use.Part 202: Uniform Civil Rules for the Supreme Court and the County Court ↗
Statewide
Civil trial counsel in New York Supreme Court and County Court must confer before trial and attempt to agree on exhibits to be offered without objection, unless the court directs otherwise.
Counsel for the parties shall consult prior to trial and shall in good faith attempt to agree upon the exhibits that will be offered into evidence without objection.Part 202: Uniform Civil Rules for the Supreme Court and the County Court ↗
Remote appearances
Statewide
For Commercial Division matters, New York rules encourage Virtual Evidence Courtrooms for managing and presenting trial evidence after authorization by request or court direction.
Virtual Evidence Courtrooms (VECs) may be used to facilitate real-time access to trial exhibits and other relevant documents.Part 202.70 Commercial Division Rules: Virtual Evidence Courtrooms and Trial Exhibits ↗
Statewide
For New York criminal proceedings, virtual and hybrid appearances are governed by Part 200 consent, objection, public-access, and calendar-update requirements.
For all hybrid proceedings, all electronic appearances shall be projected in the physical courtroom in which the in-person portion of the proceeding is taking place in such a manner as to provide a reasonable opportunity for members of the public to view and hear the participants appearing electronically.Part 200: Uniform Rules for Courts Exercising Criminal Jurisdiction ↗
Published courtroom rules
Judge and named-part rules
Published judge / part rules (43 excerpts)
See document heading and cited passage; do not apply outside the issuing part or proceeding.
Official rules document ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27
Communications with chambers
Ex-parte communications to the Court are prohibited. Correspondence with the Court must clearly indicate that all counsel and/or pro-se parties have been copied and shall indicate the file number in the subject line.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
Unless directed otherwise, all communications with the Part shall be made in writing by email to emulvane@nycourts.gov and pjsulliv@nycourts.gov, even if you have filed the communication with the Clerk’s Office. Delays will result from failure to communicate with chambers directly.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
Telephone calls to the Court staff should be limited to situations requiring immediate attention that cannot otherwise be addressed by correspondence.
Source page 1Filing and working copies
The Court does not permit litigation by letter. Any such submission shall be disregarded.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
The Court shall not be copied on correspondence between/among counsel unless so directed by the Court.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
Correspondence not in conformance with the above will not be considered.
Source page 1Conferences and appearances
Should counsel have need of the Court’s assistance at any time, a virtual/telephonic attorneys conference may be arranged through the Court Attorney, and shall include all counsel. Conference requests will only be granted where the attorneys and/or parties have made substantial good-faith efforts to resolve the dispute or issue, but have been unsuccessful. Counsel requesting such conference must specify the efforts that have been made to resolve the issue before the Court will respond to the request.
Source page 1Adjournments
All adjournment requests shall be made by email to chambers, with a copy filed with the Clerk’s Office, and shall include all counsel and/or pro se parties, and indicate the file number and date of next appearance.
Source page 2Adjournments
All adjournments must be approved by the Court, even where all parties and counsel have consented. If the Court does not affirmatively approve the request, all parties and counsel must appear as scheduled. If the matter is adjourned, all counsel must confirm in writing that they have notified their clients of the adjournment.
Source page 2Adjournments
All requests for an adjournment must be made at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled appearance, shall indicate that all counsel have been copied, shall state the reason for the request and that the request is on consent of all counsel and/or pro se parties, or that a good effort was made to obtain that consent.
Source page 2Adjournments
An adjournment without the consent of the counsel and/or parties will only be granted if there is an affidavit of actual engagement in full compliance with 22 NYCRR §125.1.
Source page 2Adjournments
The party requesting an adjournment is expected to provide available dates from all counsel and parties in order to coordinate a date with the Court. When the Court grants an adjournment, the party seeking the adjournment must notify the appropriate parties and counsel of the date of the adjournment. No additional notices to appear will be issued by the Court.
Source page 2Adjournments
Petitioners will not be granted an adjournment for Preliminary Proceedings unless extraordinary circumstances exist. Respondents requesting an adjournment of a preliminary proceeding must acknowledge service and waive any defects in service and follow the above procedure for adjourning a court appearance. The matter will then be placed on the court calendar for conference.
Source page 2Motion practice
All motions and orders to show cause shall be in conformance with all statutory requirements, including but not limited to CPLR 2214.
Source page 2Motion practice
All motions/proceedings brought on by notice of motion or notice of petition shall be made returnable at the Yonkers Family Courthouse, 131 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, NY. Motion papers are to be submitted to the Court, the Court does not accept papers of any sort by fax or email unless expressly indicated by the Court. The usual CPLR provisions with regard to motion practice will apply.
Source page 3Motion practice
Where a motion is brought by Order to Show Cause, the motion return date, the necessity of appearances and dates for responsive papers, if necessary, shall be determined by the Court. Any order to show cause seeking interim relief must comply with the provisions of 22 NYCRR §202.7(f). Failure to comply with this section will result in all temporary relief being struck;
Source page 3Motion practice
If the Order to Show Cause is signed by the Court, a copy of it shall be sent by email to counsel for the moving party.
Source page 3Communications with chambers
All counsel and parties shall appear in person unless prior permission to appear virtually or by telephone has been obtained from the Court. Requests for a virtual/telephonic appearance or to have an appearance waived must be made in writing and sent by email to chambers, with a copy filed with the Clerk’s Office, stating good cause for the request, and whether all counsel have consented.
Source page 3Conferences and appearances
In all cases, counsel shall meet with their client(s) and confer and make a good faith effort to resolve/narrow issues prior to the appearance.
Source page 3Conferences and appearances
Attorney conferences will take place only on consent. By participating in an attorney conference, counsel represents that they have obtained their client’s consent.
Source page 3Adjournments
If service of process is not completed by the preliminary date, the case may be adjourned to complete personal service. If service is not complete by the adjourned date, the case may be dismissed for lack of service unless the Court finds good cause for an additional adjournment.
Source page 3Trial exhibits and witnesses
In matters for which the Court has issued a pre-trial order/order of fact-finding rules and procedures, counsel must adhere to all requirements and deadlines set forth in the order, absent good cause and/or prior Court approval. Failure to comply may result in preclusion of evidence or 3 January 14, 2025
Source page 3Adjournments
Counsel must be prepared to go forward on all scheduled fact-finding dates. Adjournments will not be granted absent advance notice and good cause. Oral applications on the date of the fact finding will not be entertained.
Source page 4Discovery
Counsel and any pro se litigants shall be familiar with rules and procedures governing discovery in Family Court proceedings and be fully familiar with applicable procedure, rules of evidence, objections and proper questioning of witnesses.
Source page 4Communications with chambers
All proposed orders submitted to the Court for signature must be filed with the Clerk’s Office and copied to chambers by email.
Source page 4Conferences and appearances
Any proposed order submitted to the Court for signature must indicate it has been made on notice of settlement unless notice of settlement has been waived in writing by all counsel.
Source page 4Conferences and appearances
All proposed orders submitted on consent shall be signed by all counsel or have attached copies of emails from all counsel indicating approval as to form and substance unless the complete terms of settlement have been placed upon the record and the Court has completed a satisfactory voir dire of all parties.
Source page 4Communications with chambers
Opposition to any proposed order shall be negotiated in good faith to resolve the issue(s). If negotiations are unsuccessful, the party opposing the order must email chambers, and file with the Clerk’s Office a proposed counter-order prior to the date on which the order is noticed for settlement. The Court will not entertain suggested changes by letter.
Source page 4Communications with chambers
All subpoenas shall be filed with the Clerk’s Office, with a courtesy copy sent to chambers by email, along with proof that service of the subpoena was made on all parties to the litigation promptly after service on the recipient. Subpoenas for the production of documents and/or records shall be properly captioned as “subpoenas duces tecum.”
Source page 5Motion practice
Where a judge’s signature is required to issue the subpoena pursuant to CPLR Article 23, an application to have subpoena so ordered, must be made by motion on at least one (1) days’ notice to the recipient pursuant to CPLR § 2302 (b), unless the Court orders otherwise. Pursuant to CPLR § 2303 (a), the signed subpoena must be served on all parties to the litigation promptly after service on the recipient.
Source page 5Motion practice
All applications for alternate service must be made by motion in conformance with all statutory requirements, including but not limited to CPLR 2214.
Source page 5Trial exhibits and witnesses
Counsel shall notify the Court immediately if a case is settled. All stipulations must contain complete voir dire language. All parties and counsel, including the Attorney for the Child, must sign indicating approval as to form and content.
Source page 5Motion practice
SIJS Motions, Proposed Orders, Letters of Guardianship and other related legal documents must be filed with the Clerk’s Office directly through Virtual Westchester Family Court Yonkers @ VirtualWestchesterFamilyCourtYonkers@nycourts.gov.
Source page 5Motion practice
If a consent is not submitted, the affidavit of service must indicate that all documents with respect to the guardianship/custody petition and SIJS motion were translated into the respondent’s native language and a copy of the translated documents must be included with the affidavit of service.
Source page 6Conferences and appearances
Each document must be filed as a separate document or attachment and not grouped as a single attachment to an email or filed with the Clerk’s Office stapled as a packet. Children of school age should not miss school for a Court appearance if at all possible.
Source page 6Trial exhibits and witnesses
All Court-ordered forensic reports and evaluations shall be submitted into evidence as the Court’s exhibit(s) without further foundation testimony or evidence, subject to cross examination. A party who chooses to cross-examine the forensic evaluator or preparer of any report or evaluation shall be responsible for all costs and fees for the preparation for testifying, travel and waiting time, and testimony, unless otherwise directed by the Court.
Source page 6Communications with chambers
Following the issuance of a forensic evaluation Order, counsel shall contact the chambers, at least one week prior to the next appearance, if possible, to ascertain the status of the evaluation/report.
Source page 6Conferences and appearances
The Court can only provide case information to an attorney of record who has filed a notice of appearance.
Source page 7Conferences and appearances
A Notice of Appearance must be filed with the Family Court Clerk at the time that counsel is retained. Counsel must be familiar with the case and have full authority to enter into any agreement, either substantive or procedural, on behalf of their clients.
Source page 7Communications with chambers
It is expected that all parties and counsel shall conduct themselves and communicate appropriately in all in-court and out-of-court proceedings. In the Courtroom, all remarks shall be directed to the Court. Comments shall not be made to opposing counsel or self-represented parties.
Source page 7Trial exhibits and witnesses
No potential witnesses will be allowed in Court unless they are testifying.
Source page 7Communications with chambers
Except for correspondence as permitted herein, all filings (proposed orders, notices of appearance, motions, etc.), SHALL be filed with the Clerk’s Office unless otherwise directed by the Court in a particular matter.
Source page 7Filing and working copies
If an action is settled, discontinued, or otherwise disposed, counsel shall immediately inform the Court by submission of a copy of the stipulation or other document evidencing the disposition. 7 January 14, 2025
Source page 7Shared court rules
22 NYCRR Part 200 — Uniform Rules Courts Exercising Criminal Jurisdiction
Westchester County Supreme Court
State criminal proceedings only; section-specific court and case exceptions remain applicable.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-10-2722 NYCRR Part 202 — Uniform Civil Rules Supreme Court And County Court
Westchester County Supreme Court
Civil actions and proceedings only; section-specific and specialized-part restrictions remain applicable.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27Part 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings
Westchester County Supreme Court
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 ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Part 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings
Westchester County Supreme Court
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 ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked July 26, 2026.
Biography sources checked July 26, 2026.
New York State Unified Court System Judicial Directory official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View New York State Unified Court System Judicial Directory official judicial roster ↗Part 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Part 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings ↗Guide to New York Evidence: Article 1, General Provisions and Court's Role
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Guide to New York Evidence: Article 1, General Provisions and Court's Role ↗Part 202: Uniform Civil Rules for the Supreme Court and the County Court
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Part 202: Uniform Civil Rules for the Supreme Court and the County Court ↗Part 202.70 Commercial Division Rules: Virtual Evidence Courtrooms and Trial Exhibits
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Part 202.70 Commercial Division Rules: Virtual Evidence Courtrooms and Trial Exhibits ↗Part 200: Uniform Rules for Courts Exercising Criminal Jurisdiction
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Part 200: Uniform Rules for Courts Exercising Criminal Jurisdiction ↗