Judge James R. Griffith
Candidate for the
Oneida Family Court

• Elected ten years ago, I have been making changes to help our familes. I helped plan and put in place the Family Drug Treatment Court to help children of substance abusers; the Integrated Domestic Violence Court to allow victims to go to one court to get justice; the Model Court to closely supervise parents whose children have been removed; greater use of community-based services to help families (and taxpayers too); and increased court efforts to identify and help children with educational and other special needs. The purpose of the Family Drug Treatment Court is to return children to safe and sober homes. The court constantly monitors parents' recovery and holds them accountable to successfully participate in a demanding sobriety program. Our experience shows children go home sooner to sober homes, reuniting families safely at less cost to taxpayers. I previously practiced law in New York , Syracuse, Utica, and with my father, Emlyn Griffith, in Rome. I have received outstanding service awards from the Mohawk Valley Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse and from the Peacemaker Program. The Bar Association rated me "well-qualified" for re-election.

• Conservative
• Independence
• Republican

• Princeton University, A.B., 1976
• Columbia University, J.D., 1980

• New York 1981

• Family Court Judge

• Partner, Griffith Law Offices, Rome, New York.
• Partner, Felt, Hubbard, Utica, New York
• Associate, Hiscock & Barclay, Syracuse, New York
• Associate, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, New York, New York