Sullivan judge joins county court race

SULLIVAN, N.Y. >> Town of Sullivan judge and local attorney Michael St. Leger joined the race for Madison County Court judge Wednesday. The judgeship will be on the ballot in November due to the pending retirement of current County Court Judge Dennis McDermott.

“I am running for county court judge to bring my decades of experience as a town justice, attorney and community volunteer to serve the people of Madison County,” said St. Leger. “Judge McDermott has served with dignity and it would be an honor to succeed him. He will leave big shoes to fill, and I am ready to step up to the challenge.”

St. Leger, 58, has served as justice in the town of Sullivan since 2013. As town justice, he presides over criminal and civil trials, misdemeanors, violations and traffic infractions, and arraignments. He also has preliminary jurisdiction over felonies and concurrent jurisdiction over certain Family Court matters, andmuch more.

In addition to serving as a local judge, St. Leger is a practicing attorney with

the firm Dunn, Bruno & St. Leger in Hamilton and Oneida. Earlier in his career, he served in the Madison County Public Defender’s Office and worked in private practice in Syracuse and throughout the region. Admitted to the New York State Bar in 1989, he has been a practicing attorney for 30 years.

Respected by his peers in the legal community, St. Leger has served or currently serves on: the NYS Committee on Professional Standards, the Surrogate Decision Making Panel, the Oneida Housing Authority, the Madison County Bail Fund Board, the Madison County Legal Defense Bureau, and as a Syracuse City Court Volunteer Arbitrator, among other roles and organizations.

St. Leger has also been a dedicated community volunteer for several years, serving as a board member for Madison County Cooperative Extension, Bear Country Little League, Sullivan Area Recreation and Development Association (SARDA), and the Town of Sullivan Development Corporation. He is a member of the Madison County Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, Hamilton Business Alliance, National Rifle Association, St. Patrick’s Church, Farm Bureau, Oneida Elks Lodge, Chittenango Polar Bears Snowmobile Club, Snow Valley Riders, Ducks Unlimited, and Ruffed Grouse Society.

Prior to his election as a local judge, St. Leger served as chairman of the Madison County Republican Committee from 1999 to 2009, as a New York State Supreme Court Sixth Judicial District delegate from 1996 to 2012, as well as a host of other political and community roles.

St. Leger, a lifelong Republican, lives in the town of Sullivan with his wife, Trish. They have three grown children, Brigid, Clare and Seamus.

Michael St. Leger