State Judge Fernando Camacho Visits Business Law Students

Teacher Suzi Biagi-Quigley’s second period Business Law class at Huntington High School had an opportunity to meet with state Judge Fernando Camacho and explore various aspects of the law.

Judge Camacho shared a timeline of his professional story with the students. The class is completing a business related crimes unit, culminating with a brief human trafficking segment that Ms. Biagi~Quigley started teaching following a summer internship in the judge’s courtroom.

“The goal of this mini-unit is to give the students the ability to recognize trafficking risks and learn how to protect themselves and others from the life-altering consequences of this type of crime,” Ms. Biagi-Quigley said.

For the past two years the teacher said she’s had the “amazing opportunity” to be part of the initiation of “ERIN Court,” a juvenile treatment court specifically created to help children being trafficked or at a high risk for such.

A graduate of Columbia College and Fordham University School of Law, the jurist started his lecture with a segment on a career in the legal profession. “It really allows you to help people, and truly make a difference,” Judge Camacho said.

His career has spanned 40 years, starting as a prosecutor, then being part of a task force working with the FBI and the DEA to solve homicides and clean up street crime in Queens neighborhoods. He’s now been a judge for 30 years.

Judge Camacho was appointed to the Court of Claims in 2009 and has served as an Acting Justice of the Supreme Court since 2013. Starting in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, he headed a taskforce that was instrumental in bringing 55 gang members to justice and in changing the criminal landscape of the community.

Judge Camacho originally took the bench as a judge in Brooklyn and later in the felony youth court division in Queens before coming to Suffolk County.

“He shared with students that he has always wanted to help kids, the confused, those who have lost hope and he has made that his mission,” Ms. Biagi-Quigley said.

Four years ago, Judge Camacho requested a transfer to Family Court, “where the goal is to rehabilitate; to work with the defendant(s) and try to figure out why they are there and as a team to fix it,” he said.

While in Huntington, the jurist spoke about recidivism and the state prison pipeline. He discussed the worries of families who don’t want to lose their children to the system. He outlined the six indicators that all defendants typically have in common, including homelessness and/or no supervision, substance abuse, trauma, mental health issues, educational interruptions and gang participation. All are susceptible to being trafficked by those that seek out, groom and market their victims.

Thursday is “ERIN Court” day. Named for a young victim who tragically passed away almost 20 years ago due to being trafficked. ERIN Court is a solutions-based treatment court especially designed to address the young people who are being trafficked or who are at high risk for trafficking.

“The goal is to wrap them in services and support by first designing and then implementing a one to two year plan to guide them in their journey to recovery and independence from their trafficker,” Ms. Biagi-Quigley said. “Here in Suffolk County, hundreds of young people are being trafficked a year. ERIN Court is on the front lines in the battle to save their lives.”

The Business Law students were attentive throughout the visit. “I think meeting the judge was a great experience,” senior Jean Riboul said. “I learned what to look for and about programs out there to assist.”

“It was really eye-opening learning about the problem of trafficking and that you never really know how bad people are being treated when they are being trafficked,” senior Daniro Rodriguez Zeveleta said.

“It was awesome for him to notice that there was a severe issue with our young and that when he did he decided to do something about it and Be the Change,” teacher Daniela Herr said.