Two attorneys who have worked on both sides of the courtroom are asking voters to choose them as town justice in the Nov. 3 general election.

Republican Anthony LoBiondo, a sitting Town Board member, faces Democrat Kenyon Trachte, an assistant public defender in Ulster County. Both candidates have criminal prosecution and defense experience. In written responses to questions from the Mid Hudson Times, both named protecting individual rights, ensuring fair proceedings and improving access to the court as priorities.

LoBiondo has practiced law since 1991, including six years as an Orange County assistant district attorney. He then moved into private practice, handling criminal defense and civil litigation. His experience includes felony trials and appeals. As a councilman, he has served as the board’s liaison to the Town Court. He was elected to the board in 2020 and reelected in 2023.

Trachte has practiced law since 2007, handling criminal and civil matters in trial and appellate courts. He served on Ulster County’s conflict special prosecutor panel from 2013 to 2017 and has been an assistant public defender since 2018. He also has worked in private practice and as assigned counsel in Orange County.

Experience

LoBiondo said his work as a prosecutor, defense attorney and civil litigator taught him to “listen carefully, examine the evidence and avoid assumptions.” He said his Town Board service gave him an understanding of the court’s operational needs.

Trachte said he has handled thousands of criminal and civil matters. He said that serving as a defense attorney and a special prosecutor gives him a perspective “that is difficult to develop from only one side of the courtroom.” In Ulster County, he said, he handles entire court calendars in local justice courts.

Unrepresented litigants
Asked about fairness for people who appear in court without an attorney, LoBiondo said a judge should explain the process in plain language, be patient and give each person a meaningful chance to be heard. In civil cases, he said, that means explaining procedure without becoming an advocate for either side.

Trachte said he would pay particular attention to the right to counsel, eligibility for assigned counsel and defendants’ need for time to speak privately with an attorney before making important decisions. Both candidates said interpreters and accommodations should be available.

Alternatives to traditional penalties
Both said a judge must first apply the law as written. LoBiondo said incarceration remains necessary in appropriate cases and that alternatives such as community service and treatment should not diminish an offense’s seriousness or its effect on victims.

Trachte said he has referred clients to treatment and problem-solving courts and that options such as treatment referrals, restitution and payment arrangements can promote accountability. He said no sentence should be automatic, including incarceration when warranted.

Court operations
LoBiondo said the Town Court has a reputation as “one of the best and most efficiently run courts in the County.” His priorities include clear information on court dates and procedures, efficient scheduling, access to interpreters and exploring technology within court rules.

Trachte also praised the court’s current justices. He said he would examine calendar organization, reminder systems and remote procedures where the law allows. He cautioned that “efficiency should never become pressure to accept a plea or rush a legal decision.”

Independence
LoBiondo said political affiliation, endorsements and personal relationships “must have no bearing” on how a case is decided. He cited his campaign message, “People, not politics.”

Trachte pointed to his lack of political experience. “I have never held political office and, as a result, owe no political allegiance to anyone,” he said.