Governor David Paterson today announced that he has nominated two judges from Westchester for vacancies on the County Court and State Supreme Court.

The Honorable Lawrence H. Ecker has been nominated to serve as a Justice of the Supreme Court, Ninth Judicial District, filling a vacancy created by the removal of Justice Joseph S. Alessandro. He is currently a Village Justice in Irvington, New York, a position he has held since 1993. Justice Ecker is also currently a Partner in the law firm of Ecker & Ecker, LLP (formerly Ecker, Loehr, Ecker & Ecker, LLP), a position he has held since 1974. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Syracuse University in 1968, and his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School in 1972. From 1972 to 1974, Justice Ecker was an Associate Counsel at the Legal Aid Society of Westchester County. From 1988 to 1989, he was an Acting Village Justice in North Tarrytown, New York. From 1990 to 1993, Justice Ecker was an Acting Village Justice in Irvington.
The Honorable Barry E. Warhit has been nominated to serve as a Judge of the Westchester County Court, filling a vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Jeffrey Cohen, who was elected to Supreme Court in 2009. Judge Warhit currently serves as an Acting Village Justice for the Tarrytown Village Court, a position he has held since 2006. He also serves as an Acting Judge of the City Court for the Mount Vernon and New Rochelle City Courts and as an Acting Village and Town Justice for the Villages of Sleepy Hollow and Ardsley, and the Town of Ossining. Finally, Justice Warhit is also engaged in private practice, focusing on criminal litigation, and has run his own law office since 1994. Justice Warhit received his Bachelor of Science from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1978 and his J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 1981. From 1981 to 1982, Justice Warhit was an associate at the firm of Otterbourg, Steindler, Houston & Ros! en. From 1982 to 1985, He served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. From 1986 to 1989, Justice Warhit was an associate at the law firm of Lester, Schwab, Katz & Dwyer. From 1990 to 1994, Justice Warhit worked for Devonshire Tire Company, a family owned retail business.
The annual salary for both positions is $136,700. The nominations are subject to Senate confirmation.