Fifteen COVID-19 cases have been reported among New York judges as of midday Tuesday, and one judge died, according to court officials and media reports.

The court has been operating in an essential-functions-only mode for more than a week, with some courts moving into virtual mode to slow the spread of the virus. The report on infections came from state court spokesman Lucian Chalfen.

The first judge to die of COVID-19-related causes was Brooklyn Supreme Court Johnny Lee Baynes, who died March 26 at 64, the Brooklyn Eagle reported. He was elected to the Kings County Supreme Court in 2011 and presided in civil court.

Baynes was known for his calm demeanor in the courtroom and presided over the embattled closure of Long Island College Hospital, when he balanced a Brooklyn neighborhood's concerns about losing its hospital with the state-owned facility's poor finances.

Prior to joining the Supreme Court, Baynes served as a Civil Court judge. He joined the bench in 1993 when he was appointed as a Brooklyn Housing Court judge.

Baynes graduated from Fordham University and Howard University School of Law.