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Jennifer Bienstock Cohen

Street Address: 746 The Parkway Mamaroneck

Race: Mamaroneck village Justice

More Mamaroneck village Justice candidates: Daniel Gallagher |

Political and civic experience: I strongly believe that party politics should not play a role in local government. At the local level we are not dealing with national or constitutional matters. In addition, particularly within the local village court system, there is no such thing as "Republican Justice" or "Democrat Justice" therefore party politics have no place in our judicial system. Politics tend to polarize residents. We need people in the Village of Mamaroneck to work together to solve any issues in our community. My tenure on the Village of Mamaroneck Court will be fair, firm, and decided upon the facts. All who appear before me will be on a level playing field and justice will be afforded to all.

Age: 50

Family: My husband Matt and I met in college and have been married for 23 years. We have 2 children, Ben and Rachel. Rachel is a sophomore at Rye Neck High School and is on the Varsity Volleyball team. Ben is a sophomore at Birch Wathen Lenox School in New York City. Both Ben and Rachel attended the Village of Mamaroneck Day Camp, played for many years in the Larchmont Mamaroneck Little League and played in the Larchmont Mamaroneck Recreational Soccer League.

Residency: We moved from New York City to Mamaroneck in 1998 when the twins were one year old. We looked at many areas of Westchester and kept coming back to Mamaroneck based upon its beauty, diversity, good schools, friendly residents, and proximity to NYC. We love living in Mamaroneck.

Incumbent?: No

Ballot lines:

Education: I graduated from SUNY Stony Brook in 1984 with a B.A. in Political Science and then attained a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School in 1987. I am admitted to practice law in New York State, New York Federal Courts, and the United States Supreme Court.

Occupation: For 25 years I have been a litigation attorney with a specialty in medical malpractice and drug products liability in the New York State trial courts and in the Federal Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. I have also handled cases at the State and Federal Appellate Court levels. I retired two years ago to spend more time with my family and dedicate more time to pro bono activities. I am a Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children in foster care and I am a Surrogate Decision Maker for the Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities in Westchester County.

Why are you running for office or seeking re-election?
I am seeking election to the position of Village Justice because I have always been involved in community service and, as a trial court litigator, my skill-set is precisely matched to the role of Village Justice. I am very comfortable in a courtroom, have a strong background in the trial court process, and will bring to our Village Court fair and efficient justice. Having the opportunity to serve my community as Village Justice would allow me to give back to a community that has given me and my family so much.

What in your personal, civic or professional experience recommends your election or return to office?
In addition to my extensive litigation experience, and experience as a Small Claims Court Arbitrator for the City of New York, I have been actively involved in numerous local community activities. I am currently a Commissioner for the Village of Mamaroneck Recreation and Parks Commission, I was on the Principal's Advisory Committee for the Rye Neck Middle School, I just completed my term as Vice President of the Windward Parents Association in charge of the Ways and Means Committee, and I was on the Board of Directors for Shore Acres Point Corporation, to name a few. As someone who has been very involved with this community I am looking forward to continuing my service to our community as the next Village Justice.

What would be your top three priorities if you are elected or re-elected?
The Village of Mamaroneck Court system is one of the busiest courts in Westchester County. Currently, some people who have business before the court are spending inordinate amounts of time waiting for their case to be heard. My strong litigation experience will allow me to dispense justice fairly and efficiently to speed the process along. In addition, I would recommend to the Village Board of Trustees that a separate Parking Violations Bureau be established to remove the parking violations from the general court calendar. This would help the people appearing in court to contest a parking ticket as they would have a shorter wait for their case to be heard. It would also help the civil and criminal case loads as the parking violations would no longer be on the same court calendar. Additionally, I would look into how cases are currently scheduled to be heard in the court and determine if there is a more efficient way to schedule cases so that the time people have to wait for their case to be called is greatly reduced.