Judges Boehm, Davis Receive Rodenbeck Award

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2005 – David O. Boehm and

Reuben Davis

2004 – Elizabeth W. Pine

2003 – James C. Moore

2002 – Beth Keigher

2001 – Michael R. Wolford

2000 – Beth Ela Wilkens

1999 – Dr. John Klofas

1998 – James C. Gocker

1997 – Anthony R. Palermo

1996 – Judge Michael Telesca

1995 – A. Vincent Buzard

1994 – Edward J. Nowak

1993 – Sydney R. Rubin

1992 – Center For Dispute Settlement

1991 – Thomas J. Cocuzzi and

David A. Murante

1990 – Hanna S. Cohn

1989 – Judge G. Robert Witmer

1987 – Rene Reixach, Jr.

1986 – Dr. Peter W. Knapp

1985 – Charles F. Crimi

1984 – Jacob Gitelman

1983 – Justin L. Vigdor

1981 – J. Boyd Mullan

1980 – Harry D. Goldman

1979 – J. Coyne O’Brien

1978 – E. James HickeySchraver, managing partner of the Rochester office of Nixon Peabody and chair of the award committee. “We liked the idea of honoring them together as models for the ideals for which Judge Rodenbeck stood.”

Judge Boehm

Growing up in Philadelphia, Judge Boehm never envisioned a career in the law. He originally planned on becoming a writer and attended St. Joseph’s College.

In fact, the judge had a short story published in The Best American Short Stories, 1950 edition. The story centers around a lonely accountant who wins the Irish Sweepstakes.

While in college, one of his professors encouraged him to pursue a career in the law. He took the professor’s advice and enrolled in Temple University Law School. He spent his days working at an insurance company and his nights attending law school.

“I handled insurance for ships that went overseas and thought I might like to practice in that area of law once I finished law school,” Judge Boehm explained. “My law school professors told me I’d have to go to New York City to practice this kind of law and that is what I originally planned to do.”

While in law school, the judge met his wife, Pamela, who was a student at Penn State and a native of Rochester. When the judge graduated from law school in 1946, he and his wife moved to Rochester.

At that time graduates had to live in the state where they planned to practice for six months before they could take the bar.

“My wife’s family owned The Jewish Ledger,” he explained. “So I wrote articles and features for them while I waited to take the bar. During that time I met a lot of people in the community, including some lawyers. They all told me I was crazy to go to New York City and that I should stay in Rochester.”

Judge Boehm took their advice and stayed in Rochester. He joined the firm of Cucci, Welch & Boehm where he practiced law for over 20 years. In 1969 he was elected a Monroe County Court judge.

Five years later he was elected to New York State Supreme Court, for the Seventh Judicial District, where he served for 18 years. In 1992 Gov. Mario Cuomo appointed him to the Appellate Division, Fourth Department where he served until 1998.

Currently he is senior counsel at Harris Beach.

“A lot of judges on the trial court bench seek opportunities to become members of the Appellate Division,” he said. “I felt like I was making a real impact on the law. It was a honor to serve on the bench.”

Throughout the course of his judicial career, Judge Boehm presided over thousands of trials and a few still remain with him today. In 1972 he ordered a woman, convicted of welfare fraud, not to conceive any more children. The woman had seven children by four different fathers and the judge issued the ruling in an effort to get the woman to assume some responsibility for the support of her family.

In another case, the judge was asked to decide whether the mother of a mentally handicapped man could refuse medical treatment on the son’s behalf. The man was in his early 30s and lived in a state run institution. He was suffering from kidney cancer and endured painful blood transfusions twice a month.

Due to the man’s diminished mental capacity, he did not understand what the blood transfusions were and had to be restrained for each transfusion. The mother, petitioned the court to stop the treatments.

A number of experts testified and indicated the man would die within six months regardless of whether he received the transfusions. Ultimately the judge granted the mother’s request and the Appellate Division affirmed.

The Court of Appeals held, since the man never made the decision to terminate the transfusions, they must continue. However, the man passed away before the Court of Appeals issued its decision.

“Since that decision, I’ve been asked whether I would do it again and the answer is absolutely,” Judge Boehm shared.

Throughout his career, the judge has devoted countless hours to the legal community. He served as president of the MCBA in 1967. He was the first president of the Association of Justices of the Supreme Court, Seventh Judicial District.

He also served for 20 years on the state bar’s Pattern Jury Instruction Committee. The committee drafts and revises civil jury charges for all of the courts in the state.

The judge has written various articles for different publications throughout his career including the New York State Bar Journal, the American Bar Association, and Syracuse Law Review.

In addition, Judge Boehm has also lent a helping hand to a number of community service organizations. He is founder of East House Corp., a residential facility for people recovering from mental illness. In fact, one of the homes on the campus of the Rochester Psychiatric Center was named after him – the Boehm Lodge.

In addition, he is a founder of the Boys and Girls Club of Rochester. He has also served on the boards of the Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Home of Rochester and Sonnenberg Gardens.

He and his wife have two daughters, Barbara and Susan.

Judge Davis

A native of Columbus, Miss., Judge Davis served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He earned his undergraduate degree from Virginia College and continued his education, earning a LLB from Boston University School of Law in 1949.

“I was a history and political science major and law school was a natural progression,” Judge Davis explained. “I always had aspirations to go into the law profession.”

Upon graduation from law school, Judge Davis began practicing law with Lloyd Hurst in Brooklyn. Hurst’s brother graduated from the University of Rochester Medical School and Hurst came to Rochester for a visit.

“Lloyd came to Rochester to visit his brother and liked the city and decided to stay,” Judge Davis explained. “I came to Rochester to visit Lloyd and I liked what I saw. I thought it was a nice community.”

The judge decided to relocate to Rochester and continued practicing with Hurst. Their firm became known as Hurst & Davis.

The judge spent 11 years with the firm, before being appointed deputy corporation counsel for the City of Rochester in 1955. In addition, he was appointed commissioner of the Bureau of Buildings and Property Conservation and served in the position from 1968 to 1970.

In 1967 Judge Davis was appointed to Rochester City Court. In 1974 he was elected to a full term. Eight years later he ran for New York State Supreme Court and was elected to a 14-year term.

“Joining the bench was a natural progression for me,” he said. “I had practiced some municipal law during my time with the city and it proved to be a stepping stone to the bench.”

In 1987, Gov. Cuomo appointed him to the Appellate Division. He served on the bench until his retirement in 1997.

“I always felt as though I had the right temperament to be a judge,” he explained. “My desire was to make certain that anyone who came into contact with the courts deserved to have a fair judge who was concerned about their cases. I wanted everyone to leave the court feeling as though the judge gave a fair listening to their case.”

Since leaving the bench, the judge was appointed to the state-wide panel of mediation and arbitration for Empire Mediation & Arbitration. Inc.

Despite a thriving legal career, the judge still found time to give back to the community. He was active in the Monroe County Hum
an Relations Commission and is a past president of the Rochester NAACP. He served as a trustee of the MCBA, trustee for the Memorial AME Zion Church, the Rochester Chamber of Commerce, the Center for Governmental Research and the Montgomery Neighborhood Center.

In addition, Judge Davis also served on the Board of Directors of the Greater Rochester YMCA and the Rochester Business Opportunities Corp.

Currently the judge serves as a part time judicial hearing officer. He spends approximately six months a year in Florida. He has three children – Jennifer Davis Carey, a Harvard graduate, is the commissioner of Elder Affairs for the State of Massachusetts; Andrea, also a Harvard graduate, is an executive vice president and general counsel for Sears Roebuck, Co.; and Mark is a teacher at the University of Massachusetts and a professional dancer who was a member of the original cast of the Lion King on Broadway.

“I’m overwhelmed,” Judge Davis said. “Receiving this award came as a complete shock to me.”