Andrew Cuomo appoints Chris Ann Kelley to state Court of Claims

In the last minute rush of the Albany legislative session last month, Brookhaven District Court Judge Chris Ann Kelley was named by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and ratified by the state Senate to become a State Court of Claims judge,

Kelley, 50, of Port Jefferson, has been on District Court since 2007. The job has a 10-year term.

Richard Schaffer, Suffolk Democratic chairman, said he recommended Kelley for the post and called her a "talented" and "very qualified" jurist.

Cuomo also reappointed, and the Senate confirmed, Court of Claims Judge Mark Cohen, who  once was top aide to the late Suffolk County District Attorney James M. Catterson Jr., a Republican. Cohen was first appointed by Gov. George Pataki in 2006, and received his first full term  from Gov. David A. Paterson in 2009. Cohen now serves as an acting state Supreme Court justice.

Rick Brand