Retired BrooklynCivil Court judge,Martin Schneier. reflected on the 33 years of Judge Kramer’s dedicated service. They both met in 1979, when they were campaigning for Brooklyn civil court and Judge Kramer’s campaign slogan was “The Mentsh for the Bench.” Later, they shared office chambers for a year when Judge Kramer was appointed as acting Supreme Court justice in 1984, but was not given an office. In 2007, Judge Kramer was elected chairman of the Board of Justices of the Supreme Court of King County by his Supreme Court colleagues and was thereafter re-elected as chairman every year.
“He was a true mentsch on the bench, I will forever miss him,” Schneier said.
Considering that the Brooklyn Supreme Court has 53,000 court cases that are pending, Justice Lawrence S. Knipel spoke directly to the point of Judge Kramer’s trailblazing approach to manage the multitude of pending court case. Calling him a colleague, mentor, and friend, Knipel said, “Judge Kramer never lost his independent streak and initiated a tradition of activism which became legendary.”
Judge Kramer’s family accepted a memorial plaque presented to them by the current Chairman of the Board of Justices, Justice Wayne Saitta, which will be permanently displayed in the courthouse.
Judge Kramer’s son, Jeffrey M. Kramer, a distinguished lawyer said, “As an attorney who appeared in every court in the county, I have come to understand the myriad of challenges that need to be overcome in the administration of justice. My father finished his work in this court with his reputation intact; but more significantly, he rose to the challenge to dispense justice as fairly as possible given the constraints that exist. I hope my father’s service will inspire those who knew him, as well as those who will learn from him, to continue to foster the common good, to try to overcome the challenges that confront us in the justice system, to diligently work toward the day when the challenges we face today will be overcome.”