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Founded in 1901 VOLUME 92, NUMBER 22 FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2014 REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION By LINDA LEAVITT The Westchester Democratic County Committee met at the Crowne Plaza Hotel last Wednesday, May 21, and chose can- didates for Westchester County Family Court judge and Westchester County Court judge. Both candidates will be on the bal- lot in November. Scarsdale Acting Village Justice Arlene Katz, 54, was nominated for Westchester Family Court. Katz has been a practitioner in the family court for over 20 years, han- dling cases of child abuse and neglect, de- linquency, persons in need of supervision and custody. She has been the part-time village jus- tice for 19 years. When appointed by for- mer Mayor Anne Janiak, she was only 36, the youngest ever to serve, but no strang- er to the ways of the bench. Her father, Ascher Katz, was a longtime town justice in Greenburgh. In a 1996 article in the In- quirer, Katz told reporter Louise Wollman her deep convictions about children and family life led her to envision seeking a family court judgeship in the future. That time has come. She understands the needs of children and families and does her best to ensure that they get the best representation possible, said Mark Lewis, former chairman of the Scarsdale Democratic Town Committee. This is the type of person we want sitting on the family court bench. Judge Katz has complete control of her court and makes sure defendants understand their rights. If they do not, she takes the time to explain before proceeding on. She cares about the people who come before her and tries to make them feel that they will be heard and get a fair trial. Before coming to Scarsdale, Katz was an arbitrator in White Plains Civil Court, a staff attorney for the juvenile rights division of the Legal Aid Society in the Bronx and an associate at various law frms in Manhattan. She earned her J.D. at Emory Law School and her B.A. in psychology at the State University of New York at Albany. She has held several positions on the West- chester Magistrates Association, including president in 2007, and belongs to fve bar associations. Observing Katz at work in Scarsdale Vil- lage Court 18 years ago, Wollman noted that she directs 100 percent of her atten- tion to the speaker Her quiet unharried style says theres plenty of time to do the judging part. Asked what she considered to be her particular qualifcations for family court, Katz said, I have a gift for relating to families in need and the ability to listen with patience and compassion. She said that the keys to being a fair and effective judge are experience, knowledge and preparation. In many cases, a more satisfactory solution is reached when the parties settle, Katz said. If both sides are reasonably satisfed, they can move on with their lives. In Scarsdale Katz has been an active volunteer, serving currently on the board of directors of the Center @ 862 and on the board of Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service (she is now a director at large); as a Girl Scout leader, on the ad hoc committee to study the feasibility of Scarsdale Youth Court, on various commit- tees of the Quaker Ridge PTA and on the Caring Community Committee at West- chester Reform Temple. Shes also been a sustaining member of the Junior League of Central Westchester and a judge at the trial advocacy and mediations competitions at Pace University School of Law. Katz is married to Jeffrey Spitzer and has a son, Jacob, entering his sophomore year at Emory and a daughter, Hannah, soon to be a ninth-grader at Scarsdale High School. If elected I will do my best to see the children and families receive the services, guidance and protection they badly need and so much deserve, Katz said. Current Family Court Judge David Klein, also a Democrat, has reached the mandatory retirement age of 70. Croton-on-Hudson Acting Village Court Judge Anne Minihan was nominated for Westchester County Court judge. She is also the principal law clerk to J. Emmett Murphy, Supreme Court. Minihan has worked as an assistant dis- trict attorney in Westchester County where she prosecuted criminals to the fullest ex- tent of the law. She has presided over thou- sands of criminal, vehicular, civil and land- lord/tenant matters. She is married and has two children. Katz to run for Family Court judge Arlene Katz