Justice Caruso

Justice Vito Caruso, the current administrative judge of the fourth judicial district, was named the new deputy chief administrative judge for courts outside New York City on Monday, the Office of Court Administration announced.

Caruso will succeed Justice Michael Coccoma, who will be returning to the trial bench full-time after serving in the deputy chief administrative judge position for the past decade.

The position is significant; Caruso will be the main administrative official overseeing the state's courts outside New York City under Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks. Marks announced the appointment in a statement on Monday.

“Judge Caruso is widely recognized as an outstanding judge and administrator. He has served with distinction as Administrative Judge of the Fourth Judicial District, where he helped advance the core goals of the Chief Judge's Excellence Initiative,” Marks said. “His hardworking nature and strong commitment to public service will serve him well in this demanding post.”

Caruso will manage day-to-day operations of trial-level courts in the 57 counties outside New York City, which have about 700 judges and more than 5,000 nonjudicial employees. He'll also be responsible for overseeing the state's town and village courts.

The position will require Caruso to work in tandem with Marks and local administrative judges to implement the state court system's programs and initiatives, including Chief Judge Janet DiFiore's Excellence Initiative. The program, which launched in 2016 as a way to reduce court backlog, has seen significant progress in areas both within and outside New York City.

DiFiore said in a statement on Monday that she was confident in Caruso's ability to effectively lead the state's courts outside New York City.

“I am extremely pleased to welcome Judge Caruso as our next Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Courts Outside New York City and have every confidence in his ability to successfully carry out the wide-ranging duties, and navigate the many challenges, of this critically important administrative assignment,” DiFiore said.

Caruso has spent more than two decades in the state court system after first being elected to the state supreme court in 1994 and subsequently re-elected. He was selected in 2004 to serve as chief administrative judge of the fourth judicial district, which encompasses parts of the Capital Region and North Country. He's served in the position since.

His career in law extends beyond his election to state courts; Caruso was previously a principal at the law firm Wemple & Caruso and served as counsel to the town of Duanesburg in Schenectady County. He was also an assistant county attorney in Schenectady County and worked, at one time, as counsel to the Republican minority of the State Assembly.

Aside from membership with both the State Bar Association and the Schenectady County Bar, Caruso is also a past district deputy of the New York State Elks Association and a former volunteer firefighter. He was the first recipient of the Pro Bono Distinguished Service Award of the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York.

DiFiore also had kind words for Coccoma, who was recently honored at Law Day in Albany for his service as deputy chief administrative judge of courts outside New York City.

“During his tenure as Deputy Chief Administrative Judge, he worked tirelessly to help shepherd court reforms to increase operational efficiency and better respond to local needs. We are fortunate to continue to benefit from his vast judicial expertise as he transitions to a full-time trial calendar,” DiFiore said.

Marks also noted that Coccoma, before serving as the deputy chief administrator outside New York City, also led the sixth judicial district as administrative judge. He'll now return to the state supreme court bench full-time.

“Judge Coccoma has done a superb job as Deputy Chief Administrative Judge as evidenced by the enormous success of the Chief Judge's Excellence Initiative in dozens of counties around the State,” Marks said. “We are immensely grateful for his many contributions to the court system, including his efforts as Administrative Judge of the Sixth Judicial District from 2008 until his appointment as Deputy Chief Administrative Judge.”

Caruso is set to start his new position in July. His replacement in the Fourth Judicial District is expected to be named in the coming weeks, according to OCA.

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