COOPERSTOWN – Honorable Michael V. Coccoma, acting Supreme Court justice and Otsego County judge, announced Tuesday, that he is running for election for State Supreme Court Justice in New York’s Sixth Judicial District. Coccoma, acting Supreme Court Justice since his appointment in 2000, currently hears about 40 percent of the Supreme Court cases in Otsego and most of the Supreme Court cases in Delaware County. He manages these duties in addition to his responsibilities conducting Family Court, County Court, Drug Treatment Court and Surrogate’s Court in Otsego County. “The combination of being acting Supreme Court justice and county judge serves me well for this position,” said Coccoma, “With my 12 years of judicial experience I have a strong working knowledge of the region’s judicial system as well as a diverse trial judge background. During my judicial service I have been assigned in many of the counties of the sixth judicial district.” In addition to this experience, Coccoma has served on important state-wide committees, including the New York State Matrimonial Commission charged with examining and recommending reforms in divorce proceedings and the Family Court Advisory and Rules Committee to recommend proposals for changes in family court procedure and family law to better serve the public. Cheri Albrecht, Former executive director of Opportunities for Otsego, has worked with Judge Coccoma for two decades on programs that directly improve the lives of families in the region. She credits Coccoma’s leadership for the success of many projects that reflect his concern for children, including the establishment of the county’s law guardians office which ensures that specially trained attorneys represent children in the court system, and the creation of the Children’s Center at the court house to provide a safe haven for young family members awaiting hearings.
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