Monroe County voters have some important judicial races on the ballot this year.
Two state Supreme Court seats are up for grabs, and four candidates are facing off for them: Democrats David Siguenza and Darius Lind, and Republicans Joe Dinolfo and Kristina Kitty Karle.
And two candidates are squaring off for a seat on Monroe County Family Court: Democrat Tonia Ettinger and Republican Mallorie Rulison.
New York state Supreme Court 7th Judicial District
State Supreme Court generally hears civil matters, including divorce, separation, and annulment cases. It handles some criminal cases.
Supreme Court justices serve 14-year terms and are paid annual salaries of $232,600.
The Supreme Court seats cover the 7th Judicial District, which comprises Monroe, Cayuga, Livingston, Ontario, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne and Yates counties.
Here are the candidates:
David Siguenza Party lines: Democratic, Judicial Integrity Siguenza has been an attorney for 15 years and has worked as an assistant district attorney in Monroe County, an attorney in the city of Rochester's law department, as a state Family Court magistrate, and an attorney in private practice. He is currently first assistant in the county's Conflict Defender's Office. | 
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Darius Lind Party lines: Democratic, Judicial Integrity Lind currently serves as a court attorney referee who presides over custody and domestic violence cases. He previously worked as an assistant public defender, where he specialized in abuse and neglect cases. He's worked in private practice and early in his career was a supervising attorney with Legal Assistance of Western New York. | 
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Joe Dinolfo Party lines: Republican, Conservative Dinolfo has been an attorney for more than 30 years, and in that time, he had a practice of his own where he handled cases in family, civil, and criminal courts, and he also served as a hearing officer for the city of Rochester. For the past 14 years, he's been an attorney with the state Appellate Division's 4th Department. | 
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Kristina Kitty Karle Party lines: Republican, Conservative Karle was elected as Ontario County judge in 2018 and also serves as an acting Supreme Court justice. Previously she worked as a prosecutor for 13 years, first in Erie County and then in the Monroe County District Attorney's Office, where she rose to become the chief of the Domestic Violence Bureau. | 
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Monroe County Family Court
Family Court judges hear matters involving children and families, including adoptions, guardianship, foster care approval, domestic violence cases, child protective proceedings around abuse and neglect, termination of parental rights, custody and visitation of children, and child support.
Family courts do not grant divorces in New York. That power falls to the state Supreme Court.
Family court judges serve 10-year terms and make an annual salary of $221,100.
Here are the candidates:
Tonia Ettinger Party lines: Democratic, Working Families Ettinger was appointed as a Family Court judge in June. She is an attorney who has practiced law for 20 years, including stints as an attorney for the child at The Legal Aid Society of Rochester. Prior to her judicial appointment, she served as confidential court attorney to Monroe County Family Court Judge Fatimat Reid. | 
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Mallorie Rulison Party lines: Republican, Conservative Rulison has practiced law for 14 years and is currently the principal law clerk to state Supreme Court Justice Kevin Nasca. She previously was a Monroe County deputy attorney, who represented various departments and employees in litigation. She has a background in family and matrimonial law. | 
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