Donald E. Belfi (January 21, 1936 – February 26, 2020) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician in Nassau County, New York. In 1994, he presided over the trial of

Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , often abbreviated as the LIRR, is a commuter rail system in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk Co ...

shooter Colin Ferguson.'Donald E. Belfi', ''FindLaw Lawyer Directory'' (15 March 2006
Retrieved 29 April 2006.

Early life

Born in 1936 in Brooklyn, New York, Belfi gained his BA in English from Georgetown University in 1957 and Doctor of Jurisprudence from Fordham University School of Law in 1960. At Fordham, he was selected by New York County District Attorney Frank Hogan to join his office upon graduation, as part of the Honor's Program.

Career

From 1960 to 1962, he served as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan, and from 1962 to 1974 he served as an Assistant District Attorney in Nassau County. In 1975, he was elected to the Nassau County District Court bench on the Republican and Conservative tickets. He was re-elected in 1980 on the

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, Republican, Conservative, and Liberal tickets. He was elected to the

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of Nassau County in 1984, re-elected in 1994, and ran unsuccessfully for re-election in 2004 on the Republican and Conservative tickets. After leaving public service Belfi joined the Manhattan practice of Murray, Frank & Sailer LLP as senior counsel. At his retirement from the bench on 14 February 2005,

Carolyn McCarthy Carolyn McCarthy ( Cook; born January 5, 1944) is an American politician who served as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for from 1997 to 2015. She is a member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Par ...

paid tribute to him in the House of Representatives. McCarthy's husband and son were both shot by Ferguson in 1994. His voluntary activities included serving as commissioner of Rockville Centre Little League, and as a member of the Knights of Columbus, the

Association for the Help of Retarded Children Association may refer to: * Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal * Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry * Voluntary associa ...

, and the St. Agnes Cathedral Parish Council. He also contributed over 20 years to Georgetown University as both an interviewer and a recruiter for the school. His honors included the

Fraternal Order of Court Officers Fraternal may refer to: * Fraternal organization, an organized society of men associated together in an environment of companionship and brotherhood, dedicated to the intellectual, physical, and social development of its members * Fraternal order, ...

Bench and Bar Award, the

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's Norman F. Lent Award, the Fordham Law Alumni Association Distinguished Alumnus Award, the

DeStefano Industries DeStefano is an Italian surname with Greek origin. People with the surname include: * Cosmo P. DeStefano, American author * Sam DeStefano, American gangster *Mike DeStefano, American comedian * Chris DeStefano, American singer * Mario Anthony DeSt ...

Annual Award, and the Court Officer's Benevolent Association of Nassau County Fidelis Juris Award.Carolyn McCarthy, 'Tribute to the Honorable Donald E. Belfi', ''Congressional Record'' (14 February 2005
Retrieved 3 September 2006.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Belfi, Donald New York (state) state court judges Lawyers from Brooklyn Politicians from Nassau County, New York Georgetown University College of Arts & Sciences alumni Fordham University School of Law alumni 1936 births 2020 deaths