The race for Warwick Town Justice

Republican Peter Barlet and Democrat Jennifer Echevarria are seeking a four-year term as one of Warwick’s two town justices.

The Warwick Advertiser asked candidates three questions:

1. Personal information. I.E. job, community service, some people include their families, etc.

2. Why are you running for office and why should people vote for you?

3. What is the most critical issue before the town or village and what can be done about it?

Here are their responses:

Peter Barlet

It has been my privilege to serve as the Town Justice in Warwick for many years and I am asking for your support for re-election on Nov. 2. My wife, Iris, and I have three children who were born and raised in this community and my parents lived here as well.

I have dedicated my legal career to helping local citizens with a wide array of legal issues and my initial decision to run for Town Justice grew out of my desire to continue to provide assistance to the local community as a Judge.

My interest in pursuing issues involving criminal justice, civil litigation, small claims matters, animal control issues, landlord/tenant disputes and vehicle and traffic cases has never diminished.

All of these areas of the law handled by the Town Court require an individual with the experience to administer justice in an even handed and impartial manner and I believe that I have amply demonstrated my ability to do so throughout the years.

Our Court system needs to continue to incorporate the technological advances which we began during the recent pandemic. As the Court which is most accessible to the community, the Town Court also needs to continue to embrace the Warwick community and draw upon the unique individuals and services which make this Town such a unique place to live.

Jennifer Echevarria

I have resided within Warwick since 1989 when my family moved to Greenwood Lake from Queens. I attended primary and middle school in Greenwood Lake, graduated from Tuxedo H.S., and moved into Warwick proper in 2009. My son currently attends W-V Middle School. (Please see my advertisement in this week’s newspaper for more information.)

I want to give back to the community that raised me and bring diversity to the bench. If I’m elected, I would be the first Peruvian-American to hold judicial office in New York State, and the first Latinx to hold the position in Warwick. Let’s make history.

One of the most critical issues for us is the drug and opioid epidemic. None of our families are immune from this problem. If I am elected, I will try to create a drug and/or opioid court in Warwick. Regular justice courts are limited to sentencing people with jail time and fines, and judges’ hands are tied in sentencing based on mandatory sentencing guidelines. In drug/opioid courts, nonviolent, addicted offenders can agree to enter court-supervised treatment; if they successfully complete their programs, they may be eligible to have their charges dismissed or reduced, or to have their sentences reduced. See nycourts.gov.