Judicial Positions:
Justice Tinari has been a Supreme Court Justice since January 2018 and presently presides over matrimonial actions and guardianship proceedings. She began her career on the bench on March 3, 2015, when the Suffolk County Legislature unanimously approved a resolution appointing her a District Court Judge. In that capacity she presided over a criminal part which included Penal Law misdemeanor offenses as well as violations of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law and parole violations. In January 2016 she began a six-year term upon her election as District Court Judge.
Prior Positions and Responsibilities:
Justice Tinari, as an attorney with the Suffolk County District Administrative Judge’s office, was a member of a team which oversaw the daily administration and operation of the Suffolk County Court system comprising approximately 1,000 members including judges, attorneys, court clerks, and security personnel. Justice Tinari was involved in virtually all decisions made by the District Administrative Judge providing insight obtained by regular communication with Supervising Judges, Chief Clerks, security supervisors, and other judicial and non-judicial staff.
In her role as counsel to the District Administrative Judge, Justice Tinari was responsible for communicating with various representatives and agencies which interact with the Suffolk County courts on an ongoing basis. Justice Tinari was an integral part of virtually all administrative decisions made in connection with the court system including resource allocation, media management, personnel assignments, launching pilot programs, continuing legal education programs, and collaborations with other judicial districts statewide. Many of those programs and initiatives required communication with outside agencies and organizations and Justice Tinari was often tasked with the responsibility of preparing memoranda to those entities to ensure that the recipients were fully informed.
Justice Tinari was the Public Information Officer for the Suffolk County Courts. In that capacity she interacted daily with local, national, and international media outlets on stories and programs centered around court cases and issues. Such interaction is often time sensitive requiring prompt and comprehensive responses to reporters. It also required a complete understanding of court operations and ethical parameters for dissemination of information.
Justice Tinari served as Outreach Coordinator for the Suffolk Courts for numerous court centric events during the course of the year, many of which involved interaction with statewide counterparts including the first annual Suffolk County Court’s Law Day event in cooperation with Judge Fern Fisher and the New York State Access to Justice Program. In her present position, Justice Tinari continues her role as director of the Suffolk County Courts internship program. This program, which annually includes approximately fifty participants, involves court observation and provides students with a unique opportunity to engage with various agencies which serve the court. This position required regular communication with law school deans within New York State and across the country. This year, for the first time, the program will be conducted virtually.
In addition to her duties within the court system, Justice Tinari worked with academic institutions throughout the country to ensure that Suffolk County attracts the highest caliber entrants to the court system in a number of related fields. She was also responsible for incubating, in collaboration with institutions within and outside the court system, ideas for more efficient use of court services.
As a court-attorney referee, Justice Tinari presided over hearings on a range of topics including tax assessment review and various Surrogate issues. She also served as a hearing officer on personnel matters across New York State. (2011- 2015)
Prior to her role in the administration of the courts, Justice Tinari served as Principal Law Clerk to Suffolk County Surrogate Court Judge John M. Czygier, Jr. In that capacity she was responsible for drafting decisions and preparing presentations for a Surrogate Judge who is nationally recognized for his in-depth of knowledge in the field of Trusts and Estates law. Because there is a single Surrogate Judge in Suffolk County, Justice Tinari worked alongside the Chief Clerk of the Surrogate’s Court and the Surrogate Court Judge on all administrative tasks related to the Court including personnel and other facility related issues. The duties of Principal Law Clerk require utilization of highly developed research and writing skills as well as extensive involvement in complex negotiations to resolve disputes relating to high-value estates. While serving in the Surrogate’s Court, Justice Tinari frequently lectured on topics relevant to Trust and Estate matters to members of the Bar. (2002-2009)
After working with Judge Czygier, Justice Tinari worked in the Suffolk County Supreme Court Law Department. In that capacity she drafted memorandum decisions for several Supreme Court Justices, several of which were featured as front-page news in the New York Law Journal. (2010-2011)
Justice Tinari joined the court system as a Law Clerk to New York State Court of Claims Judge Michael F. Mullen. Judge Mullen presided over many high-profile criminal and civil cases including a landmark capital case (People v LaValle). Justice Tinari was also responsible for ongoing administrative matters while serving as Clerk to Judge Mullen during his term as Supervising Judge of the Criminal Courts. As his Law Clerk, Justice Tinari was tasked with communicating with the Judges of the Criminal Courts to ensure all administrative responsibilities were executed efficiently and collaboratively. (1987-2002)
Prior to her tenure with the courts, Justice Tinari served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. There she served in the District Court, Grand Jury, and Major Crimes Bureaus and successfully prosecuted misdemeanor and felony matters from investigation to trial. Justice Tinari was selected to head a newly formed Bias Crimes Unit. This Unit was a prototype for many others later established throughout the country. In that capacity, Justice Tinari worked with the District Attorney, members of law enforcement, and defense attorneys to create a new Bureau designed to track and prosecute hate crimes. (1984-1987)
Justice Tinari began her career at Chase Manhattan Bank where she was responsible for crafting appropriate investment strategies for high net worth clients while adhering to the legal requirements for trust accounts. While at Chase, she was promoted several times, ultimately serving as an officer and direct contact and strategist for select client groups. This position required the utilization of leadership skills particularly in connection with addressing the concerns of direct reports including Chief Officers within the Bank. (1981-1984)
Professional Associations and Organizations:
Justice Tinari is currently Co-Chair of the Suffolk County Women in the Courts Committee Mental Health sub-committee, Co-Chair of the Suffolk County Courts Children’s Center Advisory Board, and member of the Suffolk County Bar Association’s Bench Bar Committee. She is a past President of the Suffolk County Brehon Society and past Co-Chair of the Suffolk County Bar Association’s Surrogate Court Committee. She served as President of the Suffolk County Brehon Society, Chair of the Suffolk County District Administrative Judge’s TASK force on the Supreme Court, and Co-Chair of the District Administrative Judge’s Women in the Courts Committee. Justice Tinari served on the New York State Court System’s Foreclosure Program and the Board of Managers of the Suffolk County Bar Association Pro Bono Foundation. She is a past member of the Suffolk County Bar Association’s Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. She has also served on the Lawyer Assistance Foundation of the Suffolk County Bar Association. Justice Tinari is a recipient of the Rosemary Nelson award from the Suffolk County Brehon Society. Justice Tinari and her husband have presented as Pre-Cana instructors for over 15 years.
Educational Background:
Justice Tinari is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and Capital University Law School where she was an editor on the Law Review. While working in the Trust and Estate Management Division at Chase Manhattan Bank’s New York headquarters, she was awarded a certification in Trust and Estate Law from the National Bankers Association’s program at Northwestern University.
Personal Information:
Justice Tinari has lived in Huntington, New York for many years and has three adult children. She has been married to her husband, Frank, an attorney, for over 33 years.
