When Stella Isaza waters the garden in her front yard, in the very center of town, where the much beloved Dr. Russo once lived, neighbors sometimes stop by to ask her for legal advice. Sharing that knowledge and pointing people in the right direction is what she envisions doing for the entire community if she is elected to a four-year term as Pine Plains town justice.
In a recent interview on a sunny porch, Isaza, who has been practicing law for 28 years, explained that she is running to become “a fully integrated” participant in the town she has lived in for more than two decades. “As a town justice, you get to see everything that touches community members on a daily basis—their housing, how they get to and from work, if they are speeding, domestic violence,” she said. “You’re on a more intimate level with your neighbors.”
The Town Justice Court has jurisdiction over misdemeanors, violations and traffic infractions arising from incidents that occur in Pine Plains, and it handles arraignments in felony cases. It also handles small claims proceedings and landlord-tenant disputes, and has the power to issue orders of protection in domestic violence cases. Given the breadth and potential complexity of matters that the court handles, it is critical that the town justice has everything “carefully lined up, checked off so that such things as the transfer to another court happen in a timely fashion” Isaza said, adding, “I don’t dabble in law. I do law. This is an extension of my vocation, the need to serve.”
Isaza, who is running on the Democratic Party line, has a private practice in the Hudson Valley, doing family law and criminal work. She has served as an assistant corporation counsel for the City of Poughkeepsie, dealing with building inspections and homeowner compliance, and worked for Hudson Valley Legal Services, handling housing, domestic violence, matrimonial and family law cases. For her, a competent town justice can assess whether defendants have been provided with and taken full advantage of the resources available to them. “You empower members of the community with this information,” she said.
Having a law degree is not a requirement to be town justice, but Isaza said that in some cases, the absence of a formal legal background has forced other towns to hire outside legal or research help. She said that she would have no problem juggling the public post and her private work, adding that many practicing attorneys are town justices. The paperwork, she said, can be substantial; a judge needs to provide statistics to the state, deliver careful documentation to the FBI and write reports that are often tied to grants. Not a problem, Isaza said, “This is what I do.”
In describing the ideal temperament of a town justice, Isaza used the adjectives cordial, respectful, fair, patient and transparent. She said a judge needs to be able to recognize and disclose any possible conflicts of interest, especially given the high possibility that, in a small town, she might know the defendant. Even if the judge’s connection with the person appearing before her seems frivolous or distant, Isaza said, she needs to explain why she can still handle that case without prejudice. As to whether she thought she might ever need to recuse herself, Isaza responded quickly: “Absolutely, that’s a responsibility.”
Isaza called herself a “non-party affiliated person” and said her first big stint as a community member was as the first female president of the Pine Plains Lions Club chapter in 2006–2007. She is from Queens and lived on Long Island and in Pleasant Valley before coming to Pine Plains. Her father, a world traveler, lived in her home in the center of town in between trips; he died in January 2022. Her mother died in October 2001. Isaza’s sister is living with her, preparing for retirement, and her brother lives in Pennsylvania.
The election is Tuesday, Nov. 7. Early voting is from Oct. 28 to Nov. 5. Information about early voting can be found here.