Patricia DiMango has handled many important cases over the years, both as a justice of the Supreme Court of Kings County, New York and as a judge on the panel court show Hot Bench. Some of her most notable cases include:
- The Kalief Browder case: One of the most important cases of Patricia’s career was about an African-American by the name of Kalief Browder. Kalief was held in Rikers Island for three years without trial. He spent two of those years in solitary confinement. After 31 court appearances, Patricia dismissed the case citing insufficient evidence. Even though Kalief pleaded guilty numerous times, he was sent home. Two months after, he committed suicide. His family filed a lawsuit which New York City settled for USD 3.3 million.
- The Bronx backlog cases: She was brought in from Brooklyn to clear a backlog of felony cases that had swelled to crisis proportions in the Bronx courts. In six months, she resolved more than 500 cases, reducing the backlog by 40 percent. She used her tough negotiation skills and plea bargains to expedite the process, sometimes drawing criticism for being too lenient or compromising justice for statistics.
- The Hot Bench cases: She has presided over hundreds of cases on the syndicated court show Hot Bench, created by Judge Judy Sheindlin. She and her co-judges Tanya Acker and Michael Corriero hear and deliberate cases together, often disagreeing and debating on various legal issues. Some of the memorable cases she has dealt with on the show involve landlord-tenant disputes, family feuds, personal injuries, frauds, and animal rights.
