WALLKILL, N.Y.—David Furlin is running for the third town justice seat in the town of Wallkill. The former councilman believes that his closeness to the community and willingness to put in the effort are what Wallkill needs in its next town justice.
Furlin was born and raised in Wallkill and spent some years in California, obtaining a master’s degree from San Diego State University and working as an anchorman for CW6 News in San Diego. He served as a Wallkill First Ward councilman from 1999 to 2001, and works as a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway.
Furlin became interested in running for town justice when he heard that Judge Joseph Owen would be retiring and not seeking re-election.
“I’m interested in the position because I think I could bring a lot to the community. ... I believe that knowing the community, knowing the town, and being familiar with the courtroom is what you need to be a good judge,” Furlin told The Epoch Times.
Furlin is running on the Republican ticket against Democratic nominee Maria Patrizio, assistant chief attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Orange County.
One concern brought up about Furlin’s campaign is that he has no legal experience. The fact doesn’t concern him greatly, because as he pointed out, “I’m in the majority.”
A major change that Furlin wants to bring to the courtroom is having night courts. Night courts are court sessions that take place after business hours.
The practice is common in New York City courts, which often are in session until 1 a.m. because of an overabundance of cases. Wallkill is also dealing with a high number of court cases; the town has experienced a 53 percent increase in its caseload in the past two years.
“I want to bring back night court. As I talk to people, I think that would be important. I think you should have an option not to come in at 9:30 in the morning and miss work if you can come in, and let’s say, we offer a 6 [p.m.] to 9 p.m. court,” Furlin said.
“I’ve been to the courts lately as an observer and noticed people are coming in in their uniforms, and people have their security badges on them. So they’re either missing work or they’re leaving their family to come to court. ... I’m willing to work evenings to make it easier on people who have to come in for tickets and appearances.”
Criminal court in Wallkill is usually held two to three times a week, at 9 a.m., noon., or 2 p.m. Traffic court, which is especially busy because of the Interstate 84 and New York State Route 17 intersecting in the town, is held three times a week, at 9 a.m. or 2 p.m.
Plea by mail is also on Furlin’s list of changes. Plea by mail allows people to submit pleas via mail for lower-tier charges, especially traffic-related ones. The method was used during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Furlin believes that it could be brought back to speed up case processing.
The Wallkill town justice race has drawn special public attention this cycle. Earlier this year, the Wallkill town board voted 3–1 to cut the third town justice position after Owen’s retirement. The board viewed the position as unnecessary and considered reallocating the funding to establish a new ambulance district.
Patrizio led a public awareness campaign and forced a referendum vote in July on whether the position should be retained. In all, 920 Wallkill residents voted to keep the position, and 444 voted to eliminate it. The board’s decision was overturned.
“It seems to be in the benefit of the town to keep the third judge. The workload is there. I’ve spoken to the other two judges, and they believe we need three,” Furlin said.
Wallkill residents can vote for their preferred town justice during general election voting on Nov. 4. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Early voting is from Oct. 25 to Nov. 2.
