The Life and Career of New York Judge Arthur Engoron

New York Judge Arthur Engoron, born in Queens, New York, in the late 1940s, is a longtime judge who has had an eclectic career. From driving a yellow taxi cab in Manhattan while pursuing his undergraduate degree at Columbia University, to working as a musical instructor, and eventually returning to the law profession, Engoron’s journey has been marked by diverse experiences.

Engoron attended The Wheatley School in Old Westbury, New York, where he was active in school, running track and contributing to the school newspaper before graduating in 1967. After high school, he attended Columbia University in Manhattan and even drove a yellow taxi cab while pursuing his undergraduate degree. While hearing a case in 2012 related to New York City taxi cabs, Engoron stated he loved his time as a cab driver because he learned “how to drive like a maniac without being caught.”

Years later, he attended the New York University School of Law, graduating in 1979. Immediately after receiving his law degree, he joined the law firm Olwine, Connelly, Chase, O’Donnell & Weyher as an associate, crossing paths with the late Judith Kaye, who served as chief judge of the State of New York Court of Appeals. Engoron departed the firm to join another firm, Pryor, Cashman, Sherman & Flynn, as an associate in 1981.

Engoron, though, left that firm in 1983 to pursue a career in the music industry. For years, he worked as a musical instructor. “I have had a lot of lawyers who got to another firm, but he’s the only one who told me he was leaving to pursue music,” James Janowitz, a partner at Pryor, Cashman, Sherman & Flynn, told ABC News last year.

Trump, Engoron in court

Engoron ultimately returned to the law profession when, in 1991, he became a principal law clerk for New York Supreme Court Justice Martin Schoenfield. He remained in that position for 11 years. In 2003, Engoron became a judge on the New York City Civil Court and, a decade later, he was appointed to be an acting justice of the state’s trial court. In 2015, he ran unopposed for a permanent spot on the court.

According to his official New York court biography, Engoron remains a member of the New York County Lawyers Association, the American Civil Liberties Union, Brehon Law Society, Columbia College and NYU Law Alumni Associations, Jewish Lawyers Guild and New York Women’s Bar Association.

Meanwhile, in his most high-profile case, Engoron barred Trump from operating his business in New York for three years and ordered the former president to pay $355 million in damages. The case was initiated after Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit alleging Trump inflated his assets and committed fraud.

In a 92-page decision, Engoron ruled that Trump and the defendants were liable for “persistent and repeated fraud,” “falsifying business records,” “issuing false financial statements,” “conspiracy to falsify false financial statements,” “insurance fraud,” and “conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.” Engoron took time in the ruling to criticize Trump and his participation in the trial, stating that he “rarely responded to the questions asked, and he frequently interjected long, irrelevant speeches on issues far beyond the scope of the trial.”

Trump and his allies repeatedly criticized Engoron over his handling of the case, with Trump stating, “We shouldn’t be having a case here because we have a disclaimer clause that every court holds up except this judge.” House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik also filed an ethics complaint against Engoron, alleging he had exhibited “inappropriate bias and judicial intemperance” in the case.

Despite the controversy surrounding the case, Engoron’s career has been marked by a diverse range of experiences, from driving a taxi cab to working in the music industry and eventually becoming a judge. His most recent decision on the Trump case, however, is likely to face reversal.