The debate of just who would be taking over the Wawarsing Town Justice seat left vacant by Justice Bill O'Brien's untimely passing in February has gone on for months, and this November, residents may finally see an answer. In June, the Wawarsing Town Board appointed Village Justice Matt Parker, only to have him resign a few weeks later because of his prior obligation to Ellenville's court. Now that November is fast approaching, voters have to choose between two candidates: Democrat Julie Lonstein or Republican Charlie Dechon.

Julie Lonstein
Born and raised in Mountaindale, NY, Julie Lonstein earned her bachelor's from SUNY Albany and graduated from Brooklyn Law School in 1990. She came to Ellenville to work at the Lonstein Law Office, and she's made the Town of Wawarsing her home ever since.

A practicing attorney since 1990, she says she's appeared in over 2,000 federal litigation matters, and has dealt with hundreds of other cases including family court, landlord-tenant disputes, criminal matters, civil cases, and in mediations and arbitrations. She's also performed pro bono work for members of the community, such as handling legal matters for residents of the area who can't otherwise afford legal services.

"I've done that as an attorney's obligation to give back, and I pride myself on always doing that," she says. "It's under the radar, that's not something that's publicized. It's just something you do because those are the ethics that you're taught."

Lonstein was approached this summer to seek the position, and she believes that it's her obligation to give back to the community that has given her so much. "It's the place that I live, it's the place that I've raised my children�this is our home. And I have the knowledge and the skills as well as the schooling and the training and the ability to be an effective and efficient town justice."

Lonstein believes her 18 years' worth of legal experience have given her the tools to segue into this position smoothly. "It's a natural transition," she says, explaining that New York State's laws do not require her to seek any additional training because of her experience as an attorney.

"I feel that I'm better qualified than my opponent because of my diverse legal background," she says, referring to republican candidate Charlie Dechon. "His background is solely based in criminal procedure and criminal investigation, when mine is based on legal training and the application of every type of law that there is in my daily practice. I have no affiliation with any organization. I am not biased in any way. I have not taken any campaign contributions from any source. I don't owe any favors to anybody, and have no preconceived notions of justice."

Lonstein also points out a study conducted by a commission appointed by Chief Judge of the State of New York Judith Kaye which found that "non-attorney judges are typically not qualified to preside over juries, lack the training to handle complex motions, and cannot constitute an effective guarantor of constitutional rights," she says.

"I am better qualified than my opponent based on the fact that I am an attorney and he is not."

More information about Lonstein can be found at lonsteinforjudge.com.

Charlie Dechon
Charlie Dechon grew up in Brooklyn, NY, and made his way to Ellenville as a trooper with the New York State Police's Ellenville Barracks on Route 209. Of his decision to pursue the position of town justice after being asked to run, Dechon says that it was "a natural progression."

"It's my career � it's what I've done," he says, describing how he came to run. "I spent 21 years on one side of the bench, dealing with the courts, the people in the courts, cases in the courts � it's a natural progression to keep giving to the community, and working to make the community a better place. I chose law enforcement to help people, to make life a little bit better for them, and to give them a hand when times are difficult when things go wrong."

Dechon spent 21 years with the state police, and 18 years in the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, or BCI. Since retiring from that position, Dechon has devoted himself to contributing to the community, spending some time coordinating and teaching the school's Project Adventure program, coaching, and running Ellenville's Youth Court, a juvenile intervention program that teaches kids about law and the criminal justice system. In the youth court, the participants learn about real family court cases, and determine appropriate punishments, which according to Dechon have resulted in a lower recidivism rate among first-time offenders.

"It's probably reaffirmed my belief in accountability and responsibility," he says of his experience teaching the youth court program in the high school these past nine years. "People that go through the youth court, they wind up getting in trouble again less than 12% of the time, which is way below the average up in family court."

Responding to Lonstein's charge of his lack of qualification because he's not an attorney, Dechon laughs the idea off.

Dechon says that he had to have his knowledge "at the tip of his fingers," and that he "couldn't use it in an office and go to a book."

"To sit there and say I'm an attorney, nobody else has this knowledge � I don't know what my opponent's knowledge is," he says. "I don't see how she can have the background in criminal knowledge that I do, except for studying in a book. I have the practical application of it for years."

Dechon also points out that, should his opponent be elected, it would create a conflict for those in court because of her relation to the other Town Justice, Wayne Lonstein: "If you have a problem with me, you can go stand before Judge Wayne Lonstein. If you have a problem with Judge Lonstein, you can come before me. If you have a problem with Judge Lonstein or Judge Lonstein, what do you do?"

More information about Charlie Dechon's candidacy can be found at dechonforjudge.com.

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