Rockland County Bar Association Recommends Judicial Candidates

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — The Rockland County Bar Association has made its recommendations in the 2021 judicial races for candidates who participated in their independent review.

"It is essential to the effectiveness of an elected judiciary that qualified candidates obtain judicial office," RCBA officials said in their announcement. "In order to promote greater public confidence in the judicial election process, an Independent Judiciary Review and Screening Committee of the Rockland County Bar Association interviews those candidates for judicial office who voluntarily submit to the Bar Association’s screening process."

In addition to reviewing the candidates’ experience and demonstrated abilities, the committee also considers each candidate’s ethical conduct, temperament, aptitude and fitness for judicial office.

The RCBA's Judiciary Review and Screening Committee met on Oct. 12, 13 and 14, and interviewed the candidates named below. After careful consideration, the Rockland County Bar Association’s recommendations of the candidates for judicial office for 2021 are:

CANDIDATES FOR SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, 9 TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT

• Hon. Christie L. D’Alessio – Highly Qualified
• Hon. Robert M. Berliner – Highly Qualified
• Mr. Thomas R. Davis – Highly Qualified
• Hon. Richard J. Guertin – Highly Qualified
• Hon. James M. Hendry, III – Qualified
• Mr. James L. Hyer – Qualified
• Hon. Thomas Quinones – Highly Qualified

CANDIDATE FOR FAMILY COURT JUSTICE

• Hon. Sherri L. Eisenpress – Highly Qualified

CANDIDATE FOR HAVERSTRAW TOWN JUSTICE

• Hon. Ivonne S. Santos – Highly Qualified

CANDIDATE FOR ORANGETOWN TOWN JUSTICE

• Hon. Richard C. Finning – Highly Qualified

CANDIDATE FOR STONY POINT TOWN JUSTICE

• Hon. Frank J. Phillips – Highly Qualified

CANDIDATE FOR VILLAGE OF PIERMONT JUSTICE

• Mr. Marc R. Ruby – Qualified

Please note that judicial members of the Bar Association had no involvement with the rating of judicial candidates, RBA officials said.

Not all candidates volunteered for the screening process.

Also running for State Supreme Court Justice in the 9th Judicial District is Republican Mark T. Starkman.

There are also races for town justice in Clarkstown and for village justice in Spring Valley. The Rockland County Bar Association in May made recommendations for:

CANDIDATES FOR CLARKSTOWN TOWN JUSTICE

• Leslie Kahn – Highly Qualified
• Nabeela McLeod – Highly Qualified
• Aimee Pollak – Highly Qualified

CANDIDATES FOR VILLAGE OF SPRING VALLEY JUSTICE

• Ricki H. Berger – Highly Qualified
• Christopher J. Exias – Highly Qualified
• James K. Mellion – Highly Qualified

On the ballot in November will be:

Clarkstown Town Justice (Vote for 2)

• Nabeela McLeod - Democratic
• Aimee Pollack - Democratic
• Scott B. Ugell - Republican, Conservative, Working Families
• Leslie Kahn - Republican, Conservative, Working Families

Spring Valley Justice (Vote for 2)

• Christopher J. Exias - Democratic, Republican, Conservative
• James H. Mellion - Democratic, Republican, Working Families
• Thomas V. Sassone - Conservative
• Ricki H. Berger - Working Families