Town of DeWitt Justice Hon. David S. Gideon was recently installed as the president of the New York State Magistrates Association at its 108th annual conference.

The conference was held at the Turning Stone Conference Center and Resort in Verona from Oct. 15 to 18. More than 265 local town and village judges from all areas of New York state took part in the four day event, which combines the State Magistrates Association Annual Meeting and Conference with the advanced training courses which are required by New York state for all of the town and village justices in the Unified Court System.

Gideon has served as Town of DeWitt Justice since 2000 and is the Town and Village Court Special Counsel for the 5th Judicial District; providing guidance and assistance to the town and village justices throughout Onondaga, Oneida, Herkimer, Oswego, Jefferson and Lewis counties.

The New York State Magistrates Association represents and supports the approximately 2100 town and village justices throughout New York state, offering educational programs to the judges and interacting with New York state agencies regarding laws and other matters affecting local justice courts.

With the assistance of his wife, Kathy, and his sons, Joshua and Alex, Judge Gideon was sworn in as president of the association by James C. Tormey, the 5th Judicial District Administrative Judge using his late father’s bible.

In accepting this new position as president of the association, Gideon said he looks forward to facing challenges and changes in improving the town and village justice court system to provide for the fair and impartial administration of justice to the many citizens who appear for the first time in our justice courts, often their first encounter with the judicial system.