Today Durin Rogers, attorney and City of Batavia part-time judge, announced his candidacy for the full-time Judge of the Batavia City Court post that will become vacant at the end of this year. Judge Rogers would be running to replace current City Court Judge Robert Balbick, who will retire after reaching mandatory retirement age.
Judge Rogers has served as the part-time Batavia City Court judge for almost four years following his unanimous appointment by Batavia City Council in 2015.
“I am excited to officially announce I will be seeking the full-time Batavia City Court judgeship this coming November...," said Judge Rogers. “I made this decision because I sincerely believe that I have the qualifications, experience, and commitment to our community that the residents of the City of Batavia deserve.”
During his past four years on the bench, Judge Rogers has handled all types of cases within the court's jurisdiction including civil, criminal, small claims, housing code violations and even matters in the drug court and veteran's courts. He has championed effective service to the community including cochairing the Centralized Arraignment Part Program (CAP), a program designed to assist in the timely arraignment and representation of Defendants in criminal proceedings. He has spear-headed the efficient processing of housing code violations and established a protocol to effectively and timely deal with "zombie" properties neglected by non-local corporations and owners.
“Each of these responsibilities comes with difficult decisions that impact the lives of those before the Court and those in our community," Judge Rogers said. "A judge’s legal background and experience, commitment to the community, and character are essential to making fair and honest decisions while holding offenders accountable."
Judge Rogers has dedicated his almost 25-year legal career to public service, including volunteering with the Public Defender's Office and handling assigned counsel matters throughout the GLOW region in criminal and family courts. He has served as an attorney in the Genesee County Attorney's office since 1995, where he was lead prosecutor for juvenile delinquency proceedings for more than 20 years; and handled all types of matters within the office including domestic violence/family offense matters; abuse and neglect proceedings; and contractual negotiations for the Genesee County Public Radio system.
Judge Rogers has extensive experience in electronic evidence particularly in admission of social media. He has been a frequent speaker in this area across New York State.
“As more and more individuals integrate this form of electronic communication into their lives, my unique knowledge of this area of law will be of great value to the Batavia City Court Bench,” added Judge Rogers.
“It is with this background, having been a prosecutor, a defense attorney and now a judge, that I believe I have the unique qualifications and legal experience to understand and administer justice in the City of Batavia so that all residents of our community feel safe and are treated fairly… I will do so with integrity, respect and the temperament that a judge must have when hearing cases fairly, each day, every day,” Judge Rogers said.
Judge Rogers commitment and passion for public service extends beyond the court system. Over the years, Judge Rogers frequently volunteered his time and commitment to coach youth sports including baseball and basketball for more than 15 years. He assisted in bringing the "Youth Court" to Genesee County. He was a founding board member of Habitat for Humanity of Genesee County; a volunteer Budget Ambassador for the Batavia City Schools District; an appointed member of the Batavia City Youth Board; a member of the original Board of Ethics for the City of Batavia; and a member of the City of Batavia Police Facility Task Force.
Other volunteer activities included being an attorney for the Surrogate’s Decision-Making Committee (SDMC), and president of the Genesee County Bar Association (GCBA), during which time he collaborated with the Genesee Community College to bring a new program to Genesee County known as the “People’s Law Series,” a biannual symposium designed to educate and guide the public in topical areas of law.”
Judge Rogers lives with his wife, Paula, and their four children in the City of Batavia. His family has resided in Batavia for almost 18 years and are proud to call Batavia home. Rogers is a graduate of the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Law; and received his Juris Doctor legal degree from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in Cleveland, Ohio.
