On Monday, August 18, 2025, MSN reported that State Supreme Court Justice James Walsh stepped down from overseeing a lawsuit aimed at removing the Democratic district attorney candidate from the November general election ballot in Saratoga County.

The lawsuit, initiated by Saratoga County Conservative Party Chair Tom Sartin, challenges the Democratic Committee’s nomination process for candidate Barry Logan.

Justice Walsh announced his recusal during a court session in Ballston Spa, citing an inappropriate text message he received. He stated that the message, which he described as lengthy, came from an individual potentially connected to the case. Walsh emphasized that his decision-making is typically guided solely by legal facts, but the nature of the communication led him to withdraw from the case to maintain impartiality.

Following Walsh’s recusal, the case was reassigned to State Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Slezak, who serves in Fulton and Montgomery counties. The hearing was expedited due to the quickly approaching September 11 deadline to certify the general election ballot.

The lawsuit filed by Sartin claims that the Saratoga County Democratic Committee failed to provide its members with the required seven-day notice before nominating Logan as its district attorney candidate. Sartin argues that this omission violates the committee’s bylaws.

Logan is running against Brett Eby, who has endorsements from both the Republican and Conservative parties in Saratoga County. A successful lawsuit could result in Eby running unopposed.

Other Saratoga County Supreme Court justices, Richard Kupferman and Dianne Freestone, had also recused themselves from the case, leading to Justice Slezak’s assignment.

Sartin expressed confidence in Slezak’s understanding of the law, stating that he believes the rules governing the nomination process are straightforward. He also noted uncertainty about the specifics of Walsh’s recusal, questioning how a phone call or text could constitute a conflict but acknowledging the necessity of Walsh’s decision if a conflict existed.

 

 

Source: MSN