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pbleiwasphotoAfter 22 years of practicing law Pamela Bleiwas (BLY-weiss) will run in the upcoming race for Tompkins County Court Judge to fill the seat currently held by retiring Judge M. John Sherman.  Bleiwas will seek the Democratic nomination.  The anticipated date for the primary election is September 10, 2013.

Bleiwas has almost two decades of experience representing children and adults who appear before the County Court Judge in Tompkins County.  She advocates for children in child protective and juvenile delinquency proceedings, supports parents as they work with social service agencies to rebuild their families, and crafts solutions to custody disputes that put children first.  She has extensive experience in criminal proceedings on both felony and misdemeanor levels, often representing clients as young as 16 years of age.

Approximately 80% of county court cases take place in Family Court.  The County Court Judge also presides over felony trials and determines the sentences for individuals convicted of these serious crimes.  Bleiwas’s direct involvement with thousands of clients in family and criminal proceedings has uniquely prepared her be a fair and effective judge for Tompkins County.

“I am seeking the position of County Court Judge because I have personally witnessed the serious problems faced by children and families in Tompkins County," Bleiwas says. "As County Court Judge I would focus on breaking the cycle of poverty and abuse underlying many of these problems. I want to ensure that people have better tools to plan and support their families so that we have less crime, more productive members of our community, and a better Tompkins County for all of us.”

A lifelong Democrat, Bleiwas resides in the Town of Ithaca with her husband Jeffrey Silber, his teenage son Aaron, and their dogs Ruby and Trixie.

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