Roy Wheatley King, former Rochester City Court judge, dies at 81
Will Cleveland
Roy Wheatley King, a former Rochester City Court judge and the first African-American to work in the city of Rochester law department, died Friday. He was 81.
King, who was known for his compassion, even temper and calm demeanor, served as a Rochester City Court judge from 1997 to 2006. He was promoted to supervising judge in 2002. He was named to the position after practicing law privately for over 30 years, where he was considered one of the area's best.
Prior to retiring in 2006, King served as presiding judge of the Rochester Drug Treatment Court and was also acting Monroe County Court judge.
"To me and to his colleagues and, most importantly, to people that appeared in front of him, he was just a gentle giant," said state Supreme Court Justice Craig Doran, who is administrative judge for the region's courts. "Well respected. A wonderful demeanor and very compassionate about the lives of the people appearing in front of him in court. He was just a hero among judges."
King, a native of the Bahamas, was hired as junior assistant corporate counsel for the city of Rochester on Aug. 6, 1965. He served in the United States Army from 1956 to 1958. King graduated from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and then followed by graduating from Syracuse University Law School in 1964. He was employed as an insurance claim adjuster before becoming a lawyer.
King was named to the position of City Court judge by former Mayor William Johnson. "I didn't even have to think about it, I said, 'Let's put Roy King on that bench," Johnson said. "He was just a distinguished jurist because of his demeanor."
King was an active member of the Monroe County Bar Association and the Rochester Black Bar Association. He also taught college courses through Keuka College and The College at Brockport.
Later in life, King completed his master's degree in theological studies at the Northeastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan College.
Johnson and King knew each other for over 40 years. They worked together through the Urban League of Rochester, shared a passion for the Los Angeles (formerly Brooklyn) Dodgers baseball team, and were longtime neighbors on Rockingham Street in Rochester.
"He overcame a lot of obstacles," Johnson said. "He was certainly viewed as one of the best criminal attorneys in Rochester, regardless of race. He did a lot of pro bono work, too."
Johnson said he had lunch with King last month. King had just completed a book on the history of African-American lawyers in Rochester, Johnson said.
"I think he was made for the role of being a judge," Johnson said. Johnson marveled at King's varied interests. "From the Dodgers to the law, everything in between, religion, medicine, I have never met a person who was so keenly interested in so many different things.
"And he was also such a proud father. He and Lucille (his wife) raised a wonderful family."
In a Democrat and Chronicle story in 1996, it was noted that "King didn't flinch when asked about a one-year suspension from practicing law he was given in 1983 for diverting funds from a trust account to pay his office's overhead expenses.
"'Yes, I do have a chink in my armor, just like everyone else,' King said. 'I am not perfect.' But he said the experience made him a better advocate for his clients because he found out firsthand what it was like to be accused."
Rep. Louise Slaughter called King "one of our community’s finest and most notable jurists." She added, "Judge King’s wonderful legacy as an attorney, supervising city court judge, professor, mentor, youth volunteer, and assistant pastor of his local church will long be remembered and revered.”
Mayor Lovely Warren expressed her respect and admiration for King. She said in a statement, "Judge King was a great friend, mentor to many and an inspirational leader in Rochester’s legal community. His rulings from the bench were delivered with a sense of compassion and a deep commitment to achieving the kind of justice that helped lift our society to greater heights."
As noted in a 1997 Democrat and Chronicle endorsement, "It's reassuring that someone with the quality of King's legal and personal experiences is meting out justice in this community."
King is survived by his wife Lucille; four children and numerous grandchildren.