13 Facts About Deborah Batts

Deborah Anne Batts was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Deborah Batts took senior status on her 65th birthday, April 13,2012.

Deborah Batts received a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from Radcliffe College in 1969, and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1972.

Deborah Batts subsequently clerked for Judge Lawrence W Pierce of the United States district court on which she served as a judge until her death.

Deborah Batts was an Assistant United States Attorney from 1979 to 1984.

Deborah Batts was a special associate counsel to the Department of Investigation for New York City from 1990 to 1991.

Outside of work, Deborah Batts dedicated her time to the RISE program, aiming to lower recidivism amongst at-risk offenders and continued to teach at the Fordham University School of Law.

Deborah Batts was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 6,1994, and received her commission on May 9,1994.

Deborah Batts continued to serve concurrently as an adjunct professor at Fordham University.

Deborah Batts served until her death on February 3,2020, from complications during knee surgery.

Bourne argued that "I Need a Jew" uses the copyrighted melody of "When You Wish Upon a Star" without commenting on that song, and that it was therefore not a First Amendment-protected parody per the ruling in Campbell v Acuff-Rose Music, Inc On March 16,2009, Batts held that Family Guy did not infringe on Bourne's copyright when it transformed the song for comical use in an episode.

In 2007, Deborah Batts was a prominent figure in the litigation over the case of the Central Park Five, permitting the Central Park Five's lawsuit against the City of New York for malicious prosecution and racial discrimination to proceed to trial.

Deborah Batts was married to Ira A McCown, with whom she had two children, Alexandra S McCown and James Ellison McCown.