David Demarest of Potsdam says he will retire as a New York State Supreme Court Justice this summer after more than 20 years on the bench.

In a recent letter to Court Administration, Demarest announced his intention to retire on July 29, 2015.

Demarest, who began his first term as Justice in January, 1994, was re-elected in 2008. He could have served until the year of his 70th birthday, 2018.

“I have now been employed in the Unified Court System for more than thirty years and firmly believe it is time to move on,” Demarest wrote in his letter to Fourth Judicial District Administrative Judge Vito Caruso.

He said his first 10 years serving the state Supreme Court, before his election as a judge, “were spent working for two of the finest jurists ever to have been elected to the Supreme Court -- Edmund L. Shea and Michael W. Duskas. They both were invaluable mentors to me.”

Before that, Demarest had a law practice in Potsdam. He is a graduate of St. Lawrence University and Albany Law School.

“With now more than twenty years on the Bench, I am the longest serving Supreme Court Justice in the history of St. Lawrence County. That fact alone says it may be time for change,” he wrote.

“My work as a Supreme Court Justice has been rewarding and fascinating and I will miss working with the extremely capable judicial staff here in the County and throughout the Fourth Judicial District, Demarest said.

“I will especially miss my interaction with the citizens who serve as trial jurors. Their service is truly appreciated and a vital component of our judicial system.”

Demarest went on to express his regards and thanks to the many people he has worked with over the years.

“My experiences with the Bench and Bar throughout the State have been outstanding. I have been particularly blessed with working closely with my fellow judges here in the North Country, including Family Court Judges David Nelson, Barbara Potter and Cecily Morris; County Court Judges Eugene Nicandri, Jerome Richards and Robert G. Main; and Surrogate Kathleen Rogers. I have known and worked with both newly elected judges, Surrogate John Richey and Family Court Judge Derek Champagne, both able and compassionate men who will serve well.

“St. Lawrence County Courts have support staff that are second to none in the State. Working behind the scenes tirelessly, often under difficult conditions and time constraints, they do so with a friendly and helpful attitude toward the judges and, more importantly, the people who find themselves in need of the services of our Courts. This County is the pride of the District in terms of collegiality and cooperation of the various court staffs, and for that I will be forever grateful.

“Both my Law Clerk, Mary Farley, and my Secretary, Christine Gamble, are agreeing to stay on until the end of the year to assist the judges you will be assigning to cover my caseload. Their help will be essential to you. These two women are the most dedicated, loyal and hardworking people I have ever worked with. Few outside the system realize the volume of work handled by the Chambers of a Supreme Court Justice, and Mary and Chris have performed above and beyond to see that it is done efficiently and professionally. My deepest regret in leaving is knowing that I will not have them both at my back every day. They are the ones who have given me the opportunity to be my best and to have achieved what I hope will be perceived as a successful career. I am very fond of them and I will sorely miss our daily contact.”

Demarest says he intends that his July departure “will insure that voters in the Judicial District will have an opportunity to elect a successor in this November's election.”