Voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to keep an appointed town justice on the bench or elect a newcomer when Judge Eve Lincoln faces Michele Marte-Indzonka in the general election.

Lincoln was appointed town justice in January after serving four years on the New Windsor Town Board. Marte-Indzonka has practiced law for 38 years and is admitted to practice in New York and Connecticut.

The candidates responded to questions submitted by the Mid Hudson Times about their experience, judicial fairness, alternatives to traditional penalties, court operations and judicial independence.

Lincoln, who earned her law degree from Pace University in 2017, has 19 years of legal experience, including about a decade of litigation in county courts. Her legal background includes family law, adoption and child welfare cases. Before opening her New Windsor practice, she worked as an Orange County assistant county attorney and represented children through the Children’s Rights Society.

She also has served as president of the Women’s Bar Association of Orange and Sullivan Counties, on the Second Department’s Character and Fitness Committee and on Orange County’s Assigned Counsel Panel.

Lincoln said her experience as the current town justice gives her an understanding of the court’s day-to-day responsibilities and allows her to provide continuity.

“I seek to continue the much-needed consistency in our court, where some people could otherwise face their fourth judge in four years,” Lincoln said.

She said she would continue to focus on treating defendants and litigants with dignity while ensuring that proceedings follow legal safeguards.

Marte-Indzonka began her legal career in the Bronx criminal courts, where she handled a large volume of cases. She later represented clients in criminal and civil matters in courts in the Bronx, Sullivan, Rockland and Orange counties and has maintained a private practice involving areas including vehicle and traffic law, criminal law, small claims and landlord-tenant matters.

She also has worked in a personal injury firm and has mentored law students at Pace University. She has served as a moot court judge at Columbia and Pace law schools and is a member of the Board of Governors of the Hudson Valley Hispanic Bar Association.

Marte-Indzonka said her decades of legal experience would prepare her to handle the broad range of matters that come before Town Court.

“The judge must be knowledgeable in the many areas of criminal and civil laws that pertain to the cases in the court,” she said.

Both candidates emphasized the importance of making sure people who appear in court without attorneys understand their rights and the proceedings.

Lincoln said the court should make people aware of available legal assistance, including assigned counsel in criminal cases and free legal assistance for eligible tenants facing eviction. She also pointed to the court’s free mediation service for small claims cases.

“When the matter proceeds to a hearing, I explain the process in plain language and take each stage slowly because everyone deserves patience and a fair hearing,” Lincoln said.

Marte-Indzonka said judges must ensure that unrepresented defendants and litigants understand their legal rights and the possible consequences of decisions made in court. She noted that those consequences can extend beyond a fine or other immediate penalty and can include loss of a driver’s license, gun permit, employment or financial college aid.

The candidates also agreed that alternatives to traditional penalties can have a role when permitted by law.

Lincoln pointed to community service, educational programs and specialty courts, including Drug Court, Veterans Treatment Court and Mental Health courts. She said the goal should be to impose meaningful consequences while helping prevent repeat offenses.

Marte-Indzonka also cited specialty courts as an important option when appropriate, saying they provide participants with attorneys, counselors and judges who have specialized training.

The candidates offered similar ideas about making Town Court more accessible, particularly through evening sessions.

Lincoln said she has restored evening court sessions since taking office, resulting in better attendance from people who otherwise would have to miss work. She said court staff are also preparing applications for state grants aimed at modernizing technology, improving efficiency and enhancing safety.

Marte-Indzonka said she would hold court during early evening hours and make sure people appearing in court are treated with courtesy and respect. She also proposed briefly explaining procedures and available options at the beginning of court sessions involving traffic, small claims and landlord-tenant matters.

On judicial independence, both candidates said decisions must be based on the law and evidence rather than politics or personal relationships.

Lincoln said she discloses relevant relationships and recuses herself when required, noting that procedures are available to bring in another judge when conflicts arise.

“People may not always agree with a decision, but they should leave court understanding why it was made and knowing they were treated fairly,” she said.

Marte-Indzonka said judicial ethics rules require a town justice to make decisions based solely on applicable law. She said she has completed an ethics training course for judicial candidates, although she said the course is not mandatory for local justice candidates in New York.

The election will give New Windsor voters a choice between an incumbent seeking her first full four-year term and a longtime attorney seeking to bring her decades of courtroom and private-practice experience to the Town Court.