Click the link below to subscribe to SPECIAL REPORTS from the Niagara Reporter

http://eepurl.com/dnsYM9

By: Staff Reporter

Long time Special Prosecutor and current City of Niagara Falls Corporation Counsel, Christopher M. Mazur, has announced his candidacy for Niagara Falls City Court Judge for 2021.  Mr. Mazur is seeking the seat currently held by Judge Mark Anthony Violante, who will be reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70 next year.

“My professional and life experience has prepared me to take the next step in my legal career as I am ready to follow in the footsteps of past and current City Court judges who are alumni of the Corporation Counsel’s office.”

Mr. Mazur is a lifelong resident of the City and is a graduate of the former Niagara Catholic High School.  The first member of his family to attend college, he graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo with degrees in Political Science and History prior to obtaining his law degree from the SUNY Buffalo Law School.

Mazur has worked as an attorney in the City of Niagara Falls Law Department since 1997, advancing through the ranks to his appointment as Corporation Counsel in January 2020. His experience as the City’s legal counsel is wide ranging, and he has represented the City in countless civil and administrative proceedings. Mazur has practiced extensively before New York State Supreme Court as well as the New York State Division of Human Rights, the Workers Compensation Board and the Public Employment Relations Board.

In 1997, Mazur was appointed as the City’s Special Prosecutor by the Niagara County District Attorney; he has been re-appointed on a yearly the basis ever since. “In my 23 plus years in the position, I have prosecuted several thousand cases in Niagara Falls Criminal, Housing and Traffic Courts. In addition to advocating for the interests of the public, it has given me the opportunity to work closely with Court staff and understand how the Court functions. This unique experience has prepared me for the rigors and responsibilities that go along with the position I am seeking.”

Mazur is also active in the legal community and well respected by his peers. He currently serves as a director of the Western New York Prosecutors Association. He is a

Past President of the City of Niagara Falls Bar Association and previously served on the board of directors of the Niagara County Bar Association.  He is a member of Niagara County, Erie County, New York State and American Bar Associations.  Mazur was also a long-time director at Neighborhood Legal Services and currently serves as the City’s Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator.

Mazur is admitted to practice in the State of New York and before the US District Court for the Western District of New York, the US Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York and has briefed and successfully argued numerous cases before the Supreme Court Appellate Division, Fourth Judicial Department, in Rochester.

Additionally, for over 20 years, Mazur has also represented hundreds of children in custody/visitation, child protective, PINS and juvenile delinquency proceedings as a member of Family Court’s Attorney for Children/Law Guardian program. “I am very aware that many children in our community do not have the same opportunities that I had when I was growing up. That is why I find it to be very rewarding to part of the Attorneys for Children program and provide guidance to those who most need it.”

“As a lifelong resident of the City, I know our neighbors are concerned about their future and the future of their families. In these uncertain times, the already important role of the Courts in protecting the life and liberty of our citizens takes on even greater significance. Unfortunately, many people have lost confidence in our system. That is why it’s crucial to have experienced individuals of the highest character to fill positions in the judiciary. I believe that my professional experience and my reputation for fairness, honesty and integrity demonstrates that I am worthy of your trust and that I have what it takes to your next City Court Judge.”

He currently resides in the same home which he grew up in the LaSalle section of the City with his wife Allicia and his son Lucas. He is also a member of the St. Vincent DePaul parish and is a past president and board member of the Niagara Falls Bowling Association.

Mazur plans to in run the Democratic, Republican, Conservative and Working Families’ party primaries in 2021. “I am looking forward to meeting as many people as I can in the coming year. However, given our current situation with the pandemic, the last thing that people want to see right now is a candidate knocking on their door asking for support. But I will do whatever I can, whenever I can, to get our message out there and connect with our community.”