NY judge found dead on shore of Hudson

<p>The first African-American woman to serve on the New York Court of Appeals was found dead in the Hudson River.</p><p><a href="http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/04/12/appeals-court-justice-found-dead/" target="_blank">According to local media</a>, police discovered 65-year-old Justice Sheila Abdus-Salaam unconscious and unresponsive in the water Wednesday. She was pronounced dead by paramedics soon after.</p><p>Police say she was fully clothed when they found her, and there were no signs of trauma on her body.</p><p>It&#39;s unclear how she ended up in the river or how long she had been there. But she had been reported missing from her home in Harlem earlier in the day.</p><p><b>SEE MORE: <a href="http://www.newsy.com/stories/new-york-city-to-shut-down-rikers-island-jail/">New York's Infamous Rikers Island Jail Is Shutting Down</a></b></p><p>Abdus-Salaam&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nycourts.gov/ctapps/jasalaam.htm" target="_blank">was appointed to the Court of Appeals</a>&nbsp;in 2013 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. She was also the first Muslim woman to become a judge in the U.S.</p><p>Shortly after she was declared dead, Cuomo said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/statement-governor-andrew-m-cuomo-passing-judge-sheila-abdus-salaam" target="_blank">in a statement</a>&nbsp;that he was &quot;proud&quot; to make that appointment, calling her a &quot;pioneer&quot; and &quot;a force for good whose legacy will be felt for years to come.&quot;</p><p>The cause of Abdus-Salaam&#39;s death is under investigation.</p><hr><b>Trending stories at <a href="http://www.newsy.com">Newsy.com</a></b><ul class="inline-related-links"><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/stories/just-one-black-teacher-notably-helps-black-kids-graduate/">Study: Having Just One Black Teacher Notably Helps Black Kids Graduate</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/stories/north-carolina-lawmakers-introduce-same-sex-marriage-ban/">Lawmakers In North Carolina Want To Ban Same-Sex Marriage</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/stories/artist-behind-charging-bull-wants-fearless-girl-to-go/">Wall Street&#039;s &#039;Charging Bull&#039; Artist Wants The &#039;Fearless Girl&#039; Gone</a></li></ul>