There are 13 judges running for five open positions on the state Supreme Court in the Eighth Judicial District, which includes Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties.

Each of the judges has been rated by the state’s Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commission, with eight ranked as highly qualified and five rated qualified. The group is diverse, with a wide range of legal experience. From this group, however, we recommend Paul Wojtaszek, John J. DelMonte, E. Jeannette Ogden, Frederick J. Marshall and Kevin M. Carter.

Wojtaszek has been a lawyer for 23 years, serving as a Niagara County assistant district attorney in charge of the Narcotics Bureau and prosecuting welfare fraud, drug trafficking and homicide cases. After seven years as a prosecutor Wojtaszek was asked to serve as law clerk to state Supreme Court Justice Russell Buscaglia. He is rated well qualified by state’s Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commission, the Erie County Bar Association, Minority Bar Association of Western New York, Women’s Bar Association of New York State’s Western New York Chapter and rated “A Superior” by the Bar Association of Niagara County.

Marshall is seeking re-election to the Supreme Court, a post he has held since 2000. He practiced law for 20 years and served 12 years on the Erie County Legislature. He has received the highest ratings from the Erie and Niagara bar associations, the Minority Bar Association of Western New York and Women’s Bar Association of New York State’s Western New York Chapter. He is also president of the Charles Desmond Inn of Court, the president of the Genesee County jury board, former president of the Erie County Library Board and president of the Eighth Judicial District Supreme Court Justices Association.

Ogden has served in Buffalo City Court. She has been a member of the bar for 30 years, served 19 years as a Buffalo City Court judge serving on the city, county and Family Court while being rated highly qualified by the state Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commission and was rated well qualified by the Erie County Bar Association. Before becoming a judge, Ogden worked as a prosecutor, civil attorney and private practitioner representing litigants in state Supreme Court. She serves on the Advisory Committee for Judicial Ethics, is chairperson of the Gender and Racial Fairness Committee of the Courts in the Eighth Judicial District, is a member of the House of Delegates of the state bar association and elected member of nominating committee of the Bar Association of Erie County. She is also an adjunct instructor at the University at Buffalo Law School and Daemen College.

DelMonte is rated qualified by the Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commission and rated well qualified by the Erie County Bar Association. He has spent 34 years in private practice handling liability injury cases, product liability claims, property law and litigation, corporate, contract and commercial litigation, municipal and educational law litigation and divorce and matrimonial law. DelMonte received a Highly Qualified rating from the Western New York Chapter of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York, a well-qualified rating from the Erie County Bar Association and an “A-Superior” rating from the Niagara County Bar Association.

Carter, meanwhile, began his career in 1991 as a private practice lawyer specializing in domestic relations, personal injury, criminal and real estate cases. He also founded the Kevin M. Carter Attorney Internship Program for African American students in 1991. In 1999, he joined the law firm of Sullivan, Oliverio & Gioia as an associate and law guardian and joined the Erie County Family Court in 2003. He is rated highly qualified by the state’s Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commission and well qualified by the Erie County Bar Association.