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Hon. JaHarr S. Pridgen was appointed to the Buffalo City Court bench by Mayor Byron W. Brown on January 2, 2015. Judge Pridgen was then elected unopposed to serve a ten-year term on the bench the following November. As a Buffalo City Court Judge, she presides over criminal matters, including felony and misdemeanor arraignments, felony hearings, and pre-trial hearings, jury and non-jury trials, sentencings, and civil matters. During her time on the bench, Judge Pridgen presided over the Buffalo City Court Domestic Violence Court. As of August 2020, Judge Pridgen is an acting Erie County Family Court Judge.
Prior to her appointment and election, Judge Pridgen served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Erie County District Attorney’s Office and served as a Legislative Assistant to former University District Common Council Member Bonnie E. Russell. She earned her J.D. from Thomas M. Cooley Law School and her B.A. from SUNY Buffalo.
Thania Charmani is a litigation associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and a member of the firm’s Complex Litigation and Trials Group. Her practice focuses on securities and commercial litigation. Prior to joining Skadden, Thania was a fellow with the Cornell Death Penalty Project. She has a Bachelor of Law degree from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, a Juris Doctorate degree and an LLM from Cornell Law School.