NEW YORK - Chief Administrative Judge Jonathan Lippman
today announced the appointment of Hon. Sharon S. Townsend as Administrative
Judge for the Eighth Judicial District. The appointment was made with the
approval of Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye and in consultation with Hon. Eugene
F. Pigott, Jr., the Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, Fourth
Department.
Judge Townsend will become the first Family Court Judge to serve as
a District Administrative Judge in the New York State courts. The selection
of Judge Townsend followed an exhaustive screening process initiated by
Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Joseph J. Traficanti, Jr., and a comprehensive
assessment of the operational needs of the Eighth Judicial District. Judge
Townsend has served as District-wide Supervising Judge of the Family Court
over the past seven years, during which time she has functioned as an integral
part of the Eighth District's administrative team.
Judge Lippman stated, "Judge Townsend has served with distinction for
the past seven years as Supervising Judge of the Family Court in the Eighth
District and is a proven leader and effective court administrator. She
comes to this position with wisdom gained from 18 years as a judge, extensive
managerial experience, a keen grasp of the law, and the respect and admiration
of her colleagues. The many years she has served as a part of the administrative
core of the Eighth Judicial District well equip her for her new role as
Administrative Judge and should make the transition to this latest assignment
seamless. I am grateful to Judge Townsend for accepting the new challenge
and look forward to working with her in this new capacity."
The position of Eighth District Administrative Judge will become vacant
at the end of this year when the current District Administrative Judge,
Hon. Vincent E. Doyle, Jr., steps down from serving in that capacity.
Judge Lippman added, "I want to thank Judge Vincent Doyle for his outstanding
service as Administrative Judge in the Eighth District for the last eight
years. During Judge Doyle's tenure, countless new programs were initiated
to enhance productivity and to improve the quality of justice for Eighth
District residents. I applaud Justice Doyle for his long years of dedicated
service to the court system and the public."
Judge Townsend was elected to the Erie County Family Court bench in
1991 after serving for seven years as Village Justice in the Village of
Williamsville. She was appointed an Acting Supreme Court Justice in 1996
and took on the position of Supervising Judge of the Family Court for the
Eighth Judicial District at that same time. Prior to her tenure on the
bench, Judge Townsend had served in various capacities within the Buffalo
legal community, including serving as counsel to the County Department
of Social Services, a professor of family law at Medaille College, a court
clerk for the Erie County Family Court and an associate attorney in private
practice. Judge Townsend chairs the Office of Court Administration's Family
Court Advisory and Rules Committee, founded the Erie County Family
Court Children's Center Advisory Committee, and is a member of the National
Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the Permanent Judicial Commission
on Justice for Children, the National Center for State Courts Family Violence
Advisory Committee, the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence
Advisory Committee, the Office of Court Administration's Town and Village
Judges Curriculum and Training Committee and the Children's Justice Task
Force. A graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law, Judge
Townsend was awarded the Erie County Bar Association's "Outstanding Jurist
of the Year" award in 2001.
Judge Townsend's appointment is effective January 1, 2003. |
