Politics

Meet Judge David M. Ascher, Candidate for Rockland County Court

Published

2 years ago

January 23, 2024

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY – Judge David Ascher seeks election to the Rockland County Court, a court that hears felony criminal matters. He currently serves as a Clarkstown Town Justice, as well as running a busy law practice in New City, NY since 2005. Judge Ascher has presided over a variety of criminal and civil cases filed in Clarkstown since becoming a Town Justice in 2015. He also previously worked as a Village Prosecutor and Assistant District Attorney, both in Rockland County.

TOWN JUSTICE – TOWN OF CLARKSTOWN, NY (January 2015 –Present)

Oversee case load of approximately 300 cases monthly
Conducts Hearings and Trials for Criminal, Civil, Landlord/Tenant and Vehicle & Traffic Matters
Manage financial aspects of Court, collect fine monies, authorizes deposits, approval of monthly financial statements

DAVID M. ASCHER – ATTORNEY AT LAW, Chestnut Ridge, N.Y.

Founder/Principal, January 2005 – Present

Created and manages legal office, including client management, finances and organizational growth
Conducts litigation including, depositions, trials and appellate arguments in State and Federal Courts
Assisted in the Creation and Filing of Condominium Plans
Manages client interests and communication for diverse clientele including Commercial, Land-Use, Corporate, Development and Criminal Clients
Represents lenders and provides financial counsel to private and commercial lenders
Drafts, negotiates and closes hundreds of real estate transactions from contract through closing
Conducts legal research, including identification of legal issues, research of statutes, and case law
Conducts persuasive presentations before Town/Village Planning and Zoning Boards
Represents Condominium Boards and Management Companies

VILLAGE PROSECUTOR – South Nyack, Chestnut Ridge, Spring Valley & Airmont N.Y. (2009-2014)

Prosecuted NYS Trooper issued Vehicle and Traffic Violations
Prosecuted and resolved Village Code Enforcement Matters
Negotiated and interacted with both individuals and attorneys for resolutions
Managed a monthly and bi-monthly Court calendar of nearly 40 cases per scheduled appearance

DORFMAN, LYNCH, KNOEBEL & CONWAY, LLP. Nyack, N.Y.

Litigation Associate, December 2003 – December 2004

Handled all aspects of law, including Complaints, Notice of Claims, Article 78 Petitions, Discovery, Motions and Appeals
Represented interests of Builder/Developer clients in all aspects of development of property from contract through Municipal Approval to Residential and/or Commercial Closing
Conducted Depositions and Jury Trials focused on Civil Rights, Land Use, Zoning, Real Estate and Property Law
Conducted presentations before Planning, Town/Village and Zoning Boards throughout Region

OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY, New City, N.Y.

Assistant District Attorney, August 2002 – December, 2003

Prosecuted all aspects of crimes in Rockland County, New York
Drafted criminal complaints, search warrants, wire-tap applications, and legal motions
Earned the earliest jury trial conviction for a new assistant in the 2001/2002 class
Managed case-load of 400 active cases throughout the county

Conducted numerous bench trials, jury trials and Grand Jury presentations
Oversaw and Managed Interns and Hiring Process

NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL – ORGANIZED CRIME TASK FORCE, White Plains, N.Y.

Legal Intern, June, 2000 – December, 2000

Prepared petitions and orders on Civil Forfeiture cases to New York State Supreme Courts
Drafted and edited attorney and law enforcement affidavits
Conducted legal research regarding criminal issues including Wiretap and Pen Register Law
Analyzed wiretapped phone conversations
Assisted New York State Police in undercover criminal investigations

EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE

PACE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, White Plains, N.Y.

Juris Doctorate: May, 2002
Pace Law National Moot Court Team Member
Dean’s List
Criminal Justice Society (Founding Member and Officer)

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND, Kingston, R.I.

Bachelor’s Degree, Political Science: December, 1998
Minor(s) Spanish Language Studies and Human Development & Family Studies
Dean’s List

COMMUNITY & PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Rockland County Magistrates Association
NYS Magistrates Association
Clarkstown Soccer Club Coach
Clarkstown Girls Softball League Coach
Make-a-Wish, Hudson Valley
Rockland County Bar Association – Co-Chair Real Estate Committee; Mock Trial Committee
Host of RCBA Mock Trial Competition
Leadership Rockland Speaker on NYS Court System
Teen Leadership Rockland Mock Trial Host
New City Rotary Member

Politics

Congressman Mike Lawler Announces Bid for Reelection to Congress, Will Not Run for Governor

Published

4 months ago

July 23, 2025

Rockland Report Editor

Rockland County, NY — Congressman Mike Lawler, a lifelong Rockland County resident and graduate of Suffern High School, officially announced today that he will seek reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives, putting to rest speculation that he might enter the race for Governor of New York.

Lawler, who represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, said his decision to remain focused on Congress reflects his commitment to continuing the work he’s started on behalf of Hudson Valley residents. Since taking office in January 2023, Lawler’s office has closed over 6,000 constituent service cases and successfully returned more than $27.2 million to residents throughout the district.

One of his signature achievements has been his leadership in reforming the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction cap. Under Lawler’s advocacy, the SALT cap was quadrupled to $40,000, providing significant tax relief to middle-class families across the region for the next ten years.

Lawler’s decision not to run for governor preserves his role as a key Republican voice in a competitive swing district, and positions him for what is expected to be a closely watched race in 2026.
About Congressman Mike Lawler:

New York’s 17th Congressional District, includes Rockland and portions of Westchester and Putnam County.

Politics

Siena Poll Shows Lawler Outperforms Stefanik Versus Hochul in General Election

Published

4 months ago

July 1, 2025

Rockland Report Editor

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — A new Siena College Poll released today shows Governor Kathy Hochul maintaining commanding leads over all three potential Republican challengers in hypothetical 2026 New York gubernatorial match-ups. The poll shows Rockland’s Congressman Mike Lawler outperforming Stefanik versus Hochul in the general election.

According to the poll of registered voters across the state, Hochul leads Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman 44-19%, Representative Elise Stefanik 47-24%, and Representative Mike Lawler 44-24%. These results are largely unchanged from May, indicating a stable political landscape heading into the second half of 2025.

“A first look at how New York voters feel about potential gubernatorial matchups shows that partisanship wins out,” said Siena College Research Institute Director Don Levy. “Hochul leads Lawler by 20 points, Stefanik by 23 points, and Blakeman by 25 points.”

Democrats and Republicans Show Clear Preferences for 2026

Among Democratic voters, Hochul remains the overwhelming favorite in a possible primary scenario, garnering 49% support. She is well ahead of Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado (12%) and Representative Ritchie Torres (10%). These numbers are virtually unchanged from last month’s Siena poll.

On the Republican side, voters are rallying most strongly behind Elise Stefanik, who leads the GOP field with 35% support, compared to Mike Lawler’s 18% and Bruce Blakeman’s 7%.