Re-Elect Judge Kim Martusewicz for Jefferson County Court Judge

Judge Martusewicz has said that “The highest responsibility of any judge is to make sure that everyone who comes through the court system is treated fairly, that they all follow the same rules and that each person is treated equally, regardless of status, wealth or position.”

Many people in our community interact with the courts including jurors, prosecutors, defense counsel, defendants, victims, witnesses, police and corrections personnel, court staff, media and spectators, among others. For the past 10 years, Judge Martusewicz has earned a reputation in County Court for being fair to everyone who comes through the county court system. He is a champion of due process and of guaranteeing the equal protection of the law to every citizen. He firmly believes that the United States and New York State Constitutions guide and protect every individual who comes through the justice system.

With 24 years of judicial experience, Judge Martusewicz understands the importance of firm sentencing so that offenders are made accountable for their actions and crimes.

For violent offenders, the public’s safety is the Court’s most important concern which means that convicted defendants are sentenced to lengthy incarceration which is costly, but necessary.

For non-violent offenders, the Court’s goals include: the prevention of future offenses and the Drug Court Statistics compensation of victims. Offenders are held firmly accountable for the economic and non-economic costs of their crimes to society (with the further goal of reducing those costs in the future). Sentences for non-violent offenders sometimes do include jail time and often court-mandated supervision that requires offenders to comply with alcohol and/or substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, gambling treatment, domestic and sex abuse counseling as well as community service and restitution payments, among other things.

Judge Martusewicz believes that judges should be independent of any special interest groups or organizations and that they should be Responsible to the People who have elected them. Justice is for all the People and cannot be limited to just those who are politically connected or financially wealthy.

He vigorously opposes any effort to take away the voters’ right to elect all trial judges in New York as has been proposed by various special interest groups. He has said that if all judges are appointed by elite commissions they will then be subject to secret, “closed door political manipulation”. As a co-equal branch of government with the Executive and Legislative branches, its members should also be elected and not anointed.

Judge Martusewicz has been an elected public servant in both the Legislative and Executive branches of our government. He has successfully run in six prior elections (two times as a LeRay Councilman in 1979 and 1983; three times as a Theresa Town Justice in 1987, 1991 and 1995; and one time as Jefferson County Court Judge in 1999). In all of his elections he has sought and consistently received the endorsement of multiple political parties. Judge Martusewicz received the endorsement (after Primary Elections) of the Democratic, Independence and Conservative Parties for his current position as County Court Judge.