Oma Deonarine

Queens County Family Court

Court Attorney

Oma Deonarine is an attorney with 30 years of experience in criminal law.  Deonarine currently works as a Court Attorney in Queens County Family Court. Before that, Deonarine was a Court Attorney to the Hon. Michael Sonberg for 15 years in Supreme Court in Manhattan.  Deonarine is the product of the NYC Public Schools and City University system. After graduating from William Howard Taft HS in Bronx County, Deonarine earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the City College of New York. Deonarine then attended the City University of New York Law School. Upon graduation, she became an Assistant District Attorney in Bronx County. Deonarine spent 11 years as an Assistant District Attorney prosecuting major felony cases, including murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, gun cases, and drug cases — all during the height of the crack epidemic in the 1990s.  Deonarine then worked as the NYC Dept of Correction at Rikers Island, litigating excessive use of force cases.

As the child of immigrants, Deonarine became acutely aware at an early age of inequality and discrimination, subsequently dedicating her life’s work to ease the migratory transition for people like her. Instilled with the importance of commitment to family, community, and country, she was compelled to become an agent for social change.  Deonarine is a mentor and tutor for youth literacy projects, works with food banks and senior centers, acts as a community resource for legal aid. Deonarine has organized community meetings and facilitated community relations with law enforcement, lending her voice and expertise to uplift her community.