Hyun Chin Kim is the Republican candidate for Orange County Court.

"I am not asking you to vote for me because I'm a woman. I am asking you to vote for me because I am the most qualified candidate for this position and if we make history by doing it, all the better," said Hyun Chin Kim.

If elected, Kim would be the first female county court judge in Orange County. She worked for 13 years at the Orange County Attorney's Office, and since 2018, she has served under the current county court judge William DeProspo as the court attorney. Now she wants to take her 25-year career as an attorney to the court bench.

"I work for a wonderful county court judge who really has afforded me the opportunity to do everything that I want to do. I help him with all the judicial proceedings. I have been with him through every single trial that has been tried in that courtroom," said Kim.

When she heard there would be a vacancy for court judge, she didn’t immediately jump on the opportunity.

"I thought to myself, 'gosh I really hope that that] next judge is going to be great'," said Kim. " I hope that next judge is going to be fair. I hope that the next judge knows the law, all these qualities that I was thinking about I started thinking that the type of judge I wanted in that position, the type of job they would do, is something I wanted to do."

Kim immigrated from South Korea to America with her parents when she was just 3 years old. She's lived in the Hudson Valley for the last 20 years, raising her two daughters with her husband, Paul Ernenwein. She recently spent her evening with her husband, campaign staff and friends sending out mailers to unaffiliated voters.

"Judicial races are unique from any other race because we're really not political," Kim said. "It's not about party, its not about politics I think you can see that in the judicial ethics because we're not allowed to take a stance on anything we can't be for something or against something."

For the last six years, Judge Paul Trachte has been the Newburgh city court judge. Now he’s is running as the Democratic candidate for Orange County Court judge. He took a walk through Newburgh with community leader Gabrielle Burton-Hill to talk to voters and pass out yard signs.

"Historically, right from enforcement through the court system the focus has always been what are already marginalized communities by both enforcement and the resolution of the cases and the statistics of the makeup of our correctional institutions that’s wrong and that has to change," said Judge Paul Trachte.

As they walked, they stopped in on a local barber shop.

"My message my approach through life has always been a progressive approach to the criminal justice system. There's a need to put less emphasis on incarceration," said Judge Trachte.

"He's a good guy. I knew him for a long time he was there for me when I needed him," said barbershop owner Moleek Murphy.

Before he became a judge, Trachte had a 26-year career as an attorney, trying over 50 criminal court cases. After encountering people with mental illness in the criminal justice system, as judge, Trachte developed the mental health treatment court in Newburgh.

"The thing about mental illness is when treated properly, it's one of the most treatable illnesses. But when left unchecked, it's one of the most dangerous because it results in the complete deterioration of the individual," said Judge Trachte.

Anyone throughout the county that has a mental illness diagnosis and has been accused of nonviolent criminal behaviors can be referred to the court to get the mental health services they need. Trachte said as an attorney and judge, he’s seen the impact the court system can have on a community and he’s determined to make a change.

"In my life, I have a personal commitment to treating people with respect and kindness I found that to be very effective in generating change in the community as well as generating change in behavior through the court system," said Trachte.

To vote for Kim or Trachte for county court judge, you can vote by absentee ballot, during early voting, or on Election Day.