Profile

Judge (Ret.) Marc J. Whiten ’84 served for 12 years in both Manhattan and the Bronx as a Criminal Court Judge and Acting Justice in Bronx Supreme Court. He was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2007 as a Civil Court Judge, assigned to sit initially in Manhattan Criminal Court. He was subsequently appointed to a full term in Criminal Court. He sat in New York County until 2013 when he was transferred to Bronx County. While serving in the Bronx Court, he was designated as the Deputy Supervising Judge serving under two subsequent Chief Supervising Judges of Criminal Court. Many of Judge Whiten’s written decisions were published including People v. Klapper, an important case regarding computer privacy.

Judge Whiten retired from the bench in 2018 when he became an adjunct professor at New York Law School. He also works as a Special Advisor to the Dean and sits as a member of the NYLS Board of Trustees. Judge Whiten has been the point person and movant for the last three alumni admission candidate groups appearing before the U.S. Supreme Court. He was also instrumental in the dedication of the permanent Tuskegee Airmen Wall, celebrating the accomplishments of the Airmen and their connection to NYLS. Judge Whiten grew up in the village of Harlem and is a product of New York public schools, however he did attend college in Wisconsin at Carroll College (now University).

Judge Whiten’s legal career before reaching the bench was robust. He was a trial attorney and Supervisor in the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office, and also worked as an associate with Bower and Gardner, at the time one of the city’s largest medical malpractice defense firms. He later joined Armienti and Brooks PC, rising to become a name partner in what became Armienti DeBellis and Whiten LLC. Judge Whiten is admitted to practice law in New York State, U.S. Federal Court (Southern and Eastern Districts), and the United States Supreme Court.

Judge Whiten is the former President and current Vice-President of the Claude B. Govan Tri-State Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. Judge Whiten has given back to the community by mentoring, providing judicial internships and volunteering with the Boy Scout program. He currently chairs the Greater NY Councils Uptown Impact Committee, which is working to revitalize and expand Scouting for boys and girls living above 96th Street in Manhattan.