N.Y. Uniform District Court Act § 103: Judges

§ 103. Judges.

(a) In each judicial district there shall be elected such number of

judges as may be provided by law.

(b) The judges of the court shall be elected for a term of six years

from and including the first day of January following such election.

(c) No person, other than one who holds such office when this act is

made applicable in the court, may serve in the office of judge of the

court unless he or she is a resident elector of the district from which

he or she has been elected and has been admitted to practice law in this

state for at least five years as of the date he or she commences the

duties of office.

(d) A judge of the court may not:

1. hold any other public office or trust except member of a

constitutional convention or member of the armed forces of the United

States or of the state of New York in which latter event the legislature

may enact such legislation as it deems appropriate to provide for a

temporary judge or justice to serve during the period of the absence of

such judge or justice in the armed forces;

2. be eligible to be a candidate for any public office other than

judicial office or member of a constitutional convention, unless he

resigns his judicial office; in the event that a judge or justice does

not so resign his judicial office within ten days after his acceptance

of the nomination of such other office, his judicial office shall become

vacant and the vacancy shall be filled in the manner provided by law;

3. hold any office or assume the duties or exercise the powers of any

office of any political organization or be a member of any governing or

executive agency thereof;

4. engage in the practice of law, act as an arbitrator, referee or

compensated mediator in any action or proceeding or matter or engage in

the conduct of any other profession or business which interferes with

the performance of his judicial duties.

(e) The appellate division of the supreme court may remove a judge of

the district court for cause or retire him for disability after due

notice and hearing, under such procedures as may be established by law.

(f) A vacancy in the office of judge, occurring otherwise than by

expiration of term, shall be filled for a full term of six years at the

next general election held not less than three months after such vacancy

occurs; and until the vacancy shall be so filled, the supervisors

elected in the towns and cities comprising the county district court

system, or if the county has a county executive, said county executive

subject to confirmation by the supervisors elected in the towns and

cities comprising the county district court system, may fill such

vacancy by an appointment which shall continue until and including the

last day of December next after the general election at which the

vacancy shall be filled. In such case the person appointed must be a

resident in the district from which such office is required by this act

to be filled by election.