Over the past nine and one half years, I have served as the Chief Administrative Judge for the 5th Judicial District, as well as a Justice of the Supreme Court. I approach both of these important responsibilities with the utmost dedication and commitment.
In the course of the past several years, in addition to my duties as Administrative Judge and Supreme Court Justice, I have personally handled the establishment and development of these critical projects:
Housing Court in the City of Syracuse regarding demolition of deteriorated housing stock
Civil management of sexual offenders
Preservation, modernization and improvement of the Town and Village Court System
I also hope to continue our work on several very important Fifth District initiatives. We have addressed such topics as improved education for judges and staff, computerization of the Courts, and renovation of the courthouses. Now, we are focusing our attention on consolidation of the courts when requested by the various towns and villages throughout the 5th Judicial District. We also are engaged in preserving our historical reliance on non-lawyers as Town and Village Justices and the conveniences those courts provide to the citizens of their respective jurisdictions The Jury initiative we began now provides every citizen in our 5th Judicial District (6 counties) an exemption of 8 years from service for jury duty. When I became Administrative Judge, that exemption period was 4 years. We are the only district in New York State to achieve this milestone for our citizens
Personally, I have dedicated my adult life and professional career to the law. I have done so to the best of my ability and with every ounce of fairness, common sense and good judgment that I have. I have always tried to listen carefully to every side of the legal argument, research for myself what other information may be required, and in each and every case, make a fair and just decision based on the facts and the law. I enjoy being a judge, and I remain truly committed to providing every citizen with equal protection under the law.
James C. Tormey
Justice of the Supreme Court
Fifth District Administrative Judge
