JUDGE TRACHTE IN THE NEWS

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 Paul Trachte hopes to not only win a seat long held by Republicans, but to build a more progressive criminal justice system.

“Just having the structure and the specialist and the relationship that develops and the assistance to get the resources that they need—you can literally see how it has changed their lives,” says Trachte of the Wellness and Recovery Court he brought to Newburgh. 

Judge Trachte is honored to be endorsed by the NYS Supreme Court Officers Association. Furthermore grateful to Lieutenant Joel Ramos, a leader among the court officers, for his testimonial on my record and campaign for Orange County Court.   

Thank you Joel for the work you do every day to keep our courts safe and secure. Thank you for your commitment to fairness and just conduct in our courts. 

 Former Orange County Assistant District Attorney Luisa A. Fuentes offered a testimonial explaining her support for Judge Paul Trachte for Orange County Court.  

We wanted to share her views. People are worried, whether justice can be blind, impartial in the face of power. Let's build a better, more fair system and institutions of local jurisprudence. 

I'm honored to have had Councilmember Grice's support throughout this election season. As a Newburgh City Court judge, I have borne witness to Newburgh's new turns away from its recent past. There is a lot of hope here, a lot of youth activism and a lot of impassioned political work and social healing. I want to thank Councilmember Grice and his colleagues in City Hall for helping build out those new turns at hope.   

Friends, we're one day away from National Vote Day. Please vote your values, please vote for hope, kindness, wellness and compassion. 

Honored to have spoken at the vigil celebrating Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's life and work at the Old Court House. 

Let us not fail to keep faith with Justice Ginsburg's commitment to equal justice for all. Let us, instead, work together to expand our shared views on equality, and work to entrench equal treatment under the law. 

Richie Rosencrans, lifelong Newburgh resident, speaks to Judge Trachte's commitment to defend the public. His drive to reinforce the sense of justice within our community.   

Thank you to Richie for his social and issues-activism. And, for sharing your belief that Judge Trachte has the ethics and principles that Orange County deserves in its County Court Judge. Thank you for your leadership, and for being there for your friends and neighbors. 

Judge Trachte is proud to call Joe Alvarez a good friend. They've known each other for decades and worked together on restorative community-led projects throughout that time. And as much as Judge Trachte appreciates Joe's testimonial on behalf of his record and candidacy for Orange County Court, he is awed by and thankful for the work Joe has done for our community in Newburgh and across Orange County.  

Friends - when you build community in your block, your neighborhood, your city, like Joe has done in collaboration with so many others, you build community everywhere. Our lives are enmeshed, powerfully entangled. We are one 

Innocence Powell speaks to Judge Trachte's focus on justice and problem-solving. His ability to understand when a second chance can help get people back on the right track for themselves, their families, and their communities. Thank you to Ms. Powell for her moving testimonial. Thank you for your powerful commitment to all you do.  

It is a privilege to serve as judge in the City of Newburgh Court. Should Judge Trachte successfully earn the extraordinary privilege to serve in Orange County Court, he will render out that greater privilege with compassion, fairness, and respect for all. 

 Cynthia Maria is a home health care worker and a committed social activist. Many of you know her, many of you work with her in Newburgh and across Orange County, and you know exactly how generous she is with her time and her work. And, if you don't know her personally, know she is the kind of leader we deserve in every one of our communities across Orange County.  

Thank you Cynthia Maria for your powerful testimonial! And, for your confidence in Judge Trachte to serves as our next Orange County Court Judge. 

 In his five years on the Newburgh bench, Trachte said he has seen the courts transition to allow for treatment of illness, whether it be addiction or mental health.

“In Newburgh City Court, I oversaw the beginnings of mental health court, which we which we just instituted, which is having tremendous early results and will create a safer environment for the community,” he said. “Remember, when you are treating a person’s illness to incarcerate them and have them come back out without treating that illness is going to create a more dangerous community, not a less dangerous one.” 

 “On every block, without exception, there were one or two people whom Paul had represented, or represented a member of their family,”  City Court Judge Peter Kulkin told those gathered for the oath-taking ceremony. “You’d see faces light up – how happy they were to see him ... That gratitude was a reflection on Paul’s work.” 

“I’ve been practicing law in Newburgh for more than 20 years, and I love the City of Newburgh,” Trachte said following the ceremony. “I felt this was an opportunity to serve the community at another level.”