Background
Simons, Richard Duncan was born on March 23, 1927 in Niagara Falls, New York, United States. Son of William Taylor and Sybil Irene (Swick) Simons.
Simons, Richard Duncan was born on March 23, 1927 in Niagara Falls, New York, United States. Son of William Taylor and Sybil Irene (Swick) Simons.
AB, Colgate University, 1949; Bachelor of Laws, University of Michigan, 1952; Doctor of Laws (honorary), Albany Law School, 1983.
Private practice, Rome, 1952-1963. Assistant Corporate Counsel City of Rome, 1955-1958, Corporate Counsel, 1960-1963. Justice 5th judicial district New York Supreme Court, 1964-1983, associate justice appellate division 3d department, 1971-1972, associate justice appellate division 4th department, 1973-1982.
Associate judge New York Court Appeals, 1983—1997, acting chief judge, 1992-1993. Counsel McMahon & Grow, Rome, since 1997. Director New York State Capital Defender Office, 1997-2000.
Chief judge Oneida Indian Nation, since 1997. Jurist in residence Syracuse University Law School, 1998. Member Law School Admission Services, Bar Passage Study Committee.
Member chief judges commission Future of New York Court. Member 4 Courts on the Judiciary.
Chairman Republican City Committee, 1958-1962. Vice chairman Oneida County Republican Committee, 1958-1962. Board managers Rome Hospital and Murphy Memorial Hospital, 1953.
Trustee Rome Arts and Community Center, 2003-2004, member chief judge's commission fidiciary appointments, chief judge's committee promote trust and confidence in legal system, chair judicial election qualification commission 5th Judicial District, New York Fair Elections Project, Inc., Campaign for Effective Justice. Trustee First Presbyterian Church Rome. Served with United States Navy, World World War World War II.
Fellow American Bar Foundation, New York State Bar Foundation (chairman 1997-1998). Member American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association (chair task force on court reorganization 1999-2003, chair special committee court structure and judicial selection 2004-2005, Distinguished Service award 2000), Oneida County Bar Association, Rome Bar Association, American Law Institute, Institute Judicial Administration.
Married Muriel (Penny) E. Genung, June 9, 1951 (deceased 1992). Married Esther (Esi) Turkington Tremblay, May 21, 1994. Children: Ross T., Scott R., Kathryn E., Linda A, stepchildren: Cindy Tremblay, Mark Tremblay.