Among her successes while upon the bench is her effort to push the court system to advance. She has also fought for attention to specific issues such as drug abuse, mental health, and domestic violence. She has notably supported gay rights and has voted against the death penalty.
Most impressive beside her accomplishments is the respect and likability she has gained. Even when she was fighting for things she did not win, her opponents have admired and like her. A fellow member of the Court of Appeals, Judge Robert S. Smith, who has often voted in opposition to Judge Kaye, praises her kindness, ''There's a basic nice, human-being quality about her. She's very nice just by instincts. It's not just with important people. The people who empty the waste baskets in the middle of the night get the same treatment.''
At the time Judge Kaye was appointed to the Court of Appeals, she was not considered as strong candidate. She lacked broad legal experience and was not as familiar as necessary with the state's procedural laws. However, twenty-five years of success have proven those wrong, including the Woman's Bar Association of the State of New York, who ranked her low among the seven candidates for the position. The then-president of the association, Marjorie E. Karowe, went so far as to call the decision to appoint Judge Kaye ''unfortunate.'' However, Karowe gracefully concedes that the past is unimportant now, saying, ''What's done is done. Judge Kaye has proved herself to be a remarkable chief judge.'' That she certainly has.
Judge Kaye does not officially retire until December 31, 2008, and she is not letting herself get distracted by that. She continues to start her days at 5:00 a.m. and is focusing on the responsibilities which are still hers. She has three children and seven grandchildren, who will likely get more of her time after her retirement, but she hopes to continue working in whatever capacities she is allowed to.
Among all of Judge Kaye's accomplishments remains one battle she is still striving to win. What some call the weakness of her tenure, the ''inability to move the Legislature,'' is seen in her remaining failure to get the State Assembly and Senate to approve a pay increase for judges. These judges have not received a raise in eleven years. Judge Kaye has been forced to file a lawsuit demanding the change.
Judge Kaye has led a remarkable career and has maintained respectability and honor throughout it. In addition to this, she has been instrumental in initiating several necessary changes in the court system to allow different courts to focus on specific clients' needs. She has also instituted alternative options for defendants other than punishment, such as completing community service instead of jail time. She has also made drug treatment and job training available where necessary.
Judge Kaye has certainly earned a break. She will long be remembered for her fearless steps forward in overhauling several things in the court and jury systems. Even more significantly, she will be remembered for her kindness and that ''human-being'' quality others have taken note of in her.
