NEW YORK – Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks today announced the appointment of Hon. Kevin M. Carter as Administrative Judge of the Eighth Judicial District. The appointment was made with the approval of Chief Judge Janet DiFiore and after consultation with Hon. Gerald J. Whalen, Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, Fourth Department. Judge Carter succeeds Hon. Paula L. Feroleto, who is returning full-time to the trial bench.
In his new position, Judge Carter will oversee the management and day-to-day operations of the trial courts in the Eighth Judicial District, which comprises Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chatauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties.
“Judge Carter is a skilled judge and forward-thinking leader who, over the past two years as the District’s Supervising Judge of Family Courts, adeptly navigated the many challenges posed by the COVID crisis, working closely with Judge Feroleto in the creation and implementation of operating protocols leading up to and throughout the pandemic. I thank him for taking on this new challenge and look forward to our working together to keep the courts moving ahead in today’s new normal,” said Chief Administrative Judge Marks.
Judge Carter has been serving as the Eighth Judicial District’s Supervising Judge of Family Courts since 2019. He began his judicial career in Erie County Family Court, to which he was elected in 2003. He was designated an acting Supreme Court Justice in 2008 and presided over civil jury trials and post-divorce matters in State Supreme Court in Erie County. He was re-elected to Erie County Family Court in 2013.
In 2017, New York State raised the age of criminal responsibility to 18 years of age, ensuring that young people in New York receive the intervention and evidence-based treatment they need. Judge Carter co-chaired the Erie County Raise-the-Age Committee, developing the plan that established the Erie County Youth Part in Buffalo, New York. In 2018, he was appointed the presiding judge of the Erie County Youth Part, which has jurisdiction over felony charges and accompanying misdemeanors committed by adolescent and juvenile offenders.
Prior to becoming a judge, Judge Carter was employed by the law firm of Sullivan Oliverio & Gioia LLP in Buffalo. He began his legal career as a solo practitioner in the general practice of law. Among his extra-judicial activities, he is a member of the New York State Commission on Parental Legal Representation and an adjunct professor in Canisius College’s Criminal Justice Department. He sits on several boards and is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Erie County Bar Association Liberty Bell Award, the Minority Bar Association of Western New York Trailblazer Award and the Business First 40 Under Forty Award. He received his law degree from State University of New York at Buffalo.
Judge Carter’s appointment is effective immediately.
In tribute to Judge Feroleto, Judge Marks added, “Judge Feroleto has served with distinction as Administrative Judge over the last 12 years, with the Eighth Judicial District thriving under her stewardship and becoming a statewide model of excellence and innovation. I am pleased that the District will continue to benefit from her expertise and commitment to the pursuit of justice in her capacity as a full-time trial judge.”
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