The first time Patrick Kilmartin saw the inside of a courtroom he was no older than nine.
Patrick Kilmartin’s father, Ben Kilmartin, was in the deputy sheriff’s department and was assigned as a court attendant at the Onondaga County courthouse. Ben Kilmartin would bring his son to the courthouse.
“It very quickly inspired me to pursue a career and an education in the law and in the court system,” Patrick Kilmartin recalled.
Now Kilmartin, already a county legislator, is running to be one of Onondaga County’s Family Court judges in the November election. He is the Republican candidate in the race against Democratic candidate Julie Cecile, the executive director of the McMahon/Ryan Advocacy Center.
Family Court judges hear cases that often involve allegations of neglect and abuse. They make decisions on child custody and visitation, paternity and spousal support. Family Court judges are elected for ten-year terms.
The election is Nov. 6.
As he campaigns for the Family Court judgeship, Kilmartin and supporters cite his experience as a lawyer, as an advocate for children and his own experiences as the father of four.
From his work with the Family Court as a guardian for children, Kilmartin said, “One thing that resonates with me is you have a great appreciation for the family that you have at home, for the family structure that you have at home.”
Since 2007, Kilmartin, R-Syracuse, has represented Onondaga County Legislature District 11. His district includes the town of Onondaga, portions of the city of Syracuse and the town of Camillus. If elected as Family Court judge, a full-time position, he will have to resign as county legislator. Kilmartin has a bachelor’s degree from University of Rochester and a law degree from New England School of Law. Kilmartin and his wife, Katie, have three daughters and a son.
Fellow Republican Steve Kimatian, chair of the city GOP, stresses Kilmartin’s legislative experience as an asset for the Family Court judgeship. “The fact that he’s had the legislative experience allows him to understand a wide perspective of how the court system works, which is important for a judge,” said Kimatian. “Plus having practiced before the courts, I think that gives him a wide perspective.”
Ryan McMahon, R-Syracuse, is chair of the county legislature and works closely with Kilmartin, who is the party’s floor leader. McMahon describes Kilmartin as meticulous and thoughtful. “Pat always does his homework, he has temperament that all judges in an ideal world need,” said McMahon. “He deliberates, he goes through the issue, listens to both sides of a legislative issue and then comes to judgment. He has all the characteristics that you want in someone who’s going to be behind the bench.”
For his part, Kilmartin says that becoming a judge would fulfill his childhood ambition that has followed him in his career. He’s been a district attorney and a Family Court law guardian.
As a district attorney, he said, “I loved being in the courtroom. I loved working with witnesses, judges, and the court staff and advocating for a cause.”
He cites his experience as a law guardian for children as one of his qualifications for the Family Court judge position. A law guardian is assigned by a court to a child in cases of custody or abuse. The guardian acts as an attorney for the child. Serving as a law guardian, Kilmartin said, has taught him to make decisions in the best interest of children.
“The thing that probably stands out the most in my mind,” said Kilmartin, “is reaching that level of trust with children – because once they’re comfortable, then you can really start to be a very strong advocate for them once they open up to you.”
As the father of four, he said, knowing that his children have a structured family life helps inspire him to get children and families that come through the courts back on the right track. He said it also works in the reverse as well. In Family Court, he said, “You see some very difficult circumstances, some gut wrenching and heart wrenching cases.” That makes him appreciate his own family even more, he said.
“Knowing that my children have a structured family life and get some of the benefits of that helps to inspire me to work on cases,” Kilmartin said. “To make certain that I try to get children back on the right track and try to get families back on the right track for the long term benefit of children in family court.”
(Allison Nachman is a graduate student in broadcast and digital journalism.)
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