Buffalo, NY - Mayor Byron W. Brown today announced the appointment of attorneys Samuel P. Davis and Gary Wilson to fill two openings on the Buffalo City Court bench.
Samuel P. Davis, an attorney in private, fills the vacancy created by Mayor Brown’s June 30, 2022 appointment of Judge JaHarr S. Pridgen as Chief Judge of Buffalo City Court.
Gary A. Wilson, Principal Law Clerk to the Hon. John B. Licata, New York State Supreme Court, fills the spot previously held by Judge Betty Calvo Torres, who has appointed to the New York State Court of Claims by Governor Kathy Hochul.
“I am honored to make these appointments to Buffalo City Court. They are not only accomplished attorneys, they also bring diverse educational and life experiences to the bench which will make Buffalo City Court even more representative of the residents of our city,” Mayor Brown said.
Judge Davis, is a South Chicago native, whose parents were teachers in the Chicago Public School System, gained a deep appreciation of the power of education to put him on a path of success.
Judge Davis earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Western Illinois University and relocated to New York City where he worked as a full-time substitute high school teacher in the New York City Public School System.
He moved to Buffalo in 1999 to attend the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law, and after earning his Juris Doctorate degree, he decided to make Buffalo his home. His law practice has focused on criminal, family, and personal injury law.
Judge Davis is married to Immigration Attorney Hollis DeAbreu Davis.
Judge Wilson, a Buffalo native and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, believes visibility and representation matter, and looks forward to bringing the qualities of justice and equality to the bench of Buffalo City Court.
A graduate of Nichols School, he earned his Juris Doctorate degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Urban and Regional Studies, and a Master’s Degree in Regional Planning from Cornell University.
Prior to becoming Principal Law Clerk to State Supreme Justice John B. Licata, Judge Wilson served as Erie County Commissioner of Labor Relations for nearly four years, and previously served as the County’s Deputy Labor Relations Commissioner.
Judge Wilson also served as a Labor Relations Specialist for the University at Buffalo and Assistant Legal Counsel to the Buffalo Public School System.
Judge Wilson is the life partner of Fillmore District Buffalo Common Council member Mitch Nowakowski.