Two Familiar Names in Town Vie for North Castle Town Justice
Elections for town justices often don’t attract much attention.
This year In North Castle, however, two well-known public servants are facing each other for the right to serve one of the two seats on the local bench.
Incumbent Douglas Martino, a Republican, is being challenged for the first time since being elected in 2013 by Democrat Ira Schulman, a 22-year member of the Byram Hills Board of Education.
Martino, 63, a partner in his own law firm that practices family law, personal injury, litigation and criminal law, said he has the key qualities that are important for a judge to possess in order to serve effectively.
His legal career has seen him appear before judges for about 30 years, before becoming one of North Castle’s two justices, he said.
“You have to have the personal knowledge, you have to have the experience as either an attorney or as a judge to have handled these cases before because every case is different,” said Martino, who has served as president of the Armonk Lions Club. “But it helps to have the experience and the experience of making decisions. It’s not as easy as you think. You have to have a certain temperament.”
Schulman, 67, said he’s dedicated his life to service to the community since moving to North Castle in 1987, and running for town justice seemed like the next logical step. He specializes in construction law and is an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association.
This wasn’t the first time Schulman had considered running for the seat.
“I’ve been asked to consider running from time to time over the last number of years, but this seemed like an opportune time to do it,” he said.
Schulman highlighted the qualities that would make for a successful town justice, including being a good listener, something he’s been able to hone from his years on the Board of Education.
“I think I bring integrity, the willingness to listen to both sides of a story, the willingness not to pre-judge anyone that comes before me based on matters that aren’t actually relevant to the dispute and I believe I’m a very good listener,” he said. “And I also think I have a sense of empathy.”
Whether he’s faced with a criminal matter, disputes in Small Claims Court or traffic tickets in his courtroom, Martino said he can deftly handle any matter that comes before him. Anyone who appears in his courtroom will have their case adjudicated fairly.
Martino said he was somewhat surprised by Schulman’s challenge but is confident in his abilities, and he has the experience in criminal law, both in his eight years on the bench and in his private practice.
“I feel like I’m doing a better job than someone else in my position could have done,” he said. “That, in and of itself, is rewarding, knowing you’re doing a good job. I find it very rewarding to dispense what I believe to be the proper justice in any particular case and allow people to be heard.”
Schulman said while he doesn’t have a criminal law background, he is ready to immerse himself in that area of the law.
“I believe that the criminal law that is applied as a town judge is something that can be quickly picked up by a judge and I have no reason to believe I wouldn’t be more than equal to the task,” Schulman said.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/