Patch 2011 Elections: Orangetown Town Justice

Patch has asked your candidates a set of questions. Last week we looked at county races. This week we focus on town elections, starting with Orangetown Town Justice. Attorney Patrick Loftus is running unopposed for the position.

Check back with Patch for the candidates for Orangetown Town Council Thursday and Orangtown Supervisor Friday.

Party Lines

Republican, Conservative, Independence

What community do you live in?

Pearl River

How long have you lived there?

I have lived in Pearl River for the past 16 years.  Prior to that, four years in South Nyack.

How old are you?

46 years old.

Provide family information?

Wife, Ellen, and three daughters - Annie, 15, Emily, 13, and Erin, 10.

What is your educational background?

B.A. from Holy Cross College, Worcester, MA in 1987.  J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law, Lexington, VA in 1990.

Why do you think you are qualified for this position?

I have been a practicing attorney in Rockland County for 21 years.  For five years I worked in the Rockland District Attorney's Office, first as an Assistant DA prosecuting hundreds of cases in local Justice Courts, later as a Senior Assistant DA as lead prosecutor for the Rockland County NarcoticsTask Force and as a prosecutor of violent felonies in the Target Criminal Investigations Unit.  For the past 15 years, I have been in private practice as a partner in the firm of Freeman & Loftus RLLP in New CIty.

Why are you running for this elected office?

I am running because I want to be of service to Orangetown in a vital position and because I believe that my experience makes me a capable replacement for retiring Judge Paul Phinney, who served the Town with distinction for over 25 years.

Have you held elected office before?

I have held no other elected positions.

What organizations do you belong to?

Member of AOH Div. III, Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, Committee Chair of the Jay Shepard Memorial Golf Outing for the benefit of St. Margaret's School.