L-R-Support Magistrate Keri Fiore, Judge Elena Goldberg Velazquez, Amy Puerto, Administrative Judge Anne Minihan
By Dan Murphy
On Nov. 8, Westchester voters will be electing Seven State Supreme Court Justices in the 9th Judicial District of NY, which includes Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Dutchess counties. This is the largest number of judicial seats open on the state supreme court in some time, and the recent attention placed on the United State Supreme Court has underscored the importance of the role that the judiciary plays in our lives.
“It’s important that democrats pay attention to all of the elections this year. For the first time in recent memory, republicans have put up 7 judicial candidates for State Supreme Court (for seven open seats). If there is one thing we have learned, it’s that judges are critical to preserving our liberties, liberties that we thought we had for the last 50 years,” said Westchester Democratic Chair Suzanne Berger.
The democratic candidates are:
Administrative Judge Anne Minihan, who has served as an Administrative Judge of the 9th Judicial District, and as an Acting Justice of the Supreme Court, and a Westchester County Court Judge.
David Squirrell, Chief Attorney of the Putnam County Legal Aid Society, Inc., and a Former Assistant District Attorney, New York County District Attorney’s Office.
Amy Puerto, Westchester County Assistant District Attorney from 2000-2015 and Deputy Chief of the Domestic Violence Bureau
Support Magistrate Keri Fiore, currently a Support Magistrate presiding over child support, spousal support, and paternity matters
Judge Elena Goldberg Velazquez, currently serving as an acting Family Court Judge, and was elected a Yonkers City Court Judge in 2019
Judge Sherri Eisenpress, a Family Court Judge, and an acting Supreme Court Judge in Rockland
Judge David Zuckerman, presently presiding in NYS Supreme Court, 15 years of experience as a judge in Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess and Rockland Counties
The republican candidates are:
Linda Murray-25 years’ experience as an attorney, former Assistant District Attorney.
Richard Guertin -Judge Middletown city court
Michael Grace– Former Yorktown Town Supervisor former Town Attorney
John Sarcone -25 years legal experience in Westchester
John Ciampoli -35 years legal experience across NY State
Robert Cypher -Rye City Judge
Joseph Farca -practicing attorney since 1996
The Republican slogan is In a Healthy Democracy, Judges Don’t Make Law, They Rule on Law.
The Democrats slogan is Your VOTE is your VOICE. You VOTE is your CHOICE. Vote Row A all the Way.
One Westchester voter from the legal community told us, “Voters need to do their homework on the candidates and don’t sleep on this election. “
State Supreme Court candidates are elected to 14-year terms. Early voting begins on October 29 and Election Day is November 8.
