Judge Kristin Garland has already made history. She will make more if she is elected Cayuga County family court judge in November.听
Garland, an Auburn City Court associate judge, has been endorsed by the Cayuga County Democratic Committee. She is seeking the position created after Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation to address a family court backlog in several counties, including Cayuga.听
It is an historic designation. Garland is the first woman to run for a county judgeship. If elected, she will be the first woman to serve as a county judge and the third to hold a countywide position.听
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Garland is familiar with being first. In 2019, she became the first woman to serve as an Auburn city judge.听
"You don't understand the gravity of girls and women not seeing themselves reflected in a place of power and government until you do it," she told 水果派AV. "In this particular position on the family court, it's the impact of the position where seeing a woman on the bench is imperative. It touches every single part of families' lives."聽
Before being appointed as a city judge, Garland practiced in family court for 11 years. Her experience includes working for the county prosecuting child abuse and child neglect cases. As a private attorney, she represented clients in cases ranging from child support matters to juvenile delinquency.听
Garland's interest in family court began as a law student. While attending what is now known as the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota, she worked on child support cases in the local county attorney's office.听
"It very quickly became clear to me that I wanted to work in family law with family issues and the legal matters that affected children," she said.听
If elected, one of Garland's responsibilities will be to reduce a backlog of family court cases. The state Office of Court Administration says there are more than 900 pending cases in Cayuga County.听
Garland welcomes that challenge. Auburn City Court is a high-volume court and she is consistently moving cases, she said.听
"In family court, when we're talking about a backlog of cases, we're talking about people that are seeking visitation with children that may need to have court-ordered services in order to have a family in recovery," she explained. "We have emergency petitions... You don't want to see families waiting to get into court when they're seeking enforcement of a child support order or modification of a child support order."聽
As an experienced judge and family court attorney, Garland thinks that will help her stand out in the race. Her background was highlighted by Cayuga County Democratic Chairwoman Dia Carabajal, who said Garland "has the experience and temperament that the position demands."
Garland also has empathy for those who appear in court. Her family court experience, she said, affected her a judge.听
"I try to treat every single person with respect and make sure they fully understand the proceedings and what's going on in the courtroom," she said. "I do not believe that, from the bench, we can have effective court proceedings if people are confused or feel run over."
For now, Garland is the only declared candidate for family court judge. The Cayuga County Republican Committee has yet to make its nomination. Cayuga County Conservative Party Chairman David Pappert said they will interview candidates this weekend.听
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.听
Government reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.