Judge Dandrea Ruhlmann
Judge Dandrea Ruhlmann has served the last 20 years as your Family Court Judge. She has presided over 24,000 cases — from the joy of adoptions to the most egregious child abuse. Family Court is truly a court that makes a difference.
Her experience has taught her to handle the toughest cases both fairly and compassionately. She has seen the resiliency of our children and the power of working together to find the best solutions for our families.
Judge Ruhlmann works tirelessly to make Family Court a better place. She has spearheaded collaborations with community partners, reforming our child welfare and juvenile justice systems, to promote stability and avoid further trauma for our children.
Judge Ruhlmann has written hundreds of decisions and published more decisions than any other family court judge in New York State. Judge Ruhlmann was recognized forJudicial Excellence in 2018 by the Daily Record and received a Women of Excellence Award from RBJ in 2023.
She received the Rochester Black Bar Association's highest rating of “highly qualified, highly sensitive" and the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorney's (GRAWA) "well qualified" rating. She is also a 2013 recipient of GRAWA's Presidential Award.
Raised in Rochester, this is her community: Her husband Ray, a former McQuaid teacher and a USMC, Iraq War veteran, and her two children remind her daily of the impact her decisions have on families.
Those who know Family Court the best support her — from law enforcement to labor, from firefighters to social workers. Please join them in voting to re-elect Judge Dandrea Ruhlmann to Family Court on November 7, 2023.
How I Responded to the Women League Of Voters questions
"Does the decrease of civility which is affecting public life also affect the courtroom? "
"Unfortunately, the decrease in civility affecting public life does affect courtroom decorum. Over the past 20 years, I have presided over 24,000 cases, everything from the joy of adoption to the most egregious child abuse and neglect, with the notion that every person is entitled to meaningful access to justice.
Every person is heard-- and I treat them with the compassion, dignity and respect that I would want my own family to receive in Court. I make my Court more accessible to families by taking into consideration their work and school schedules. I find when people are truly heard, they are more likely to treat each other with civility."
What is the proper role of the Judge in providing assistance to parties who do not have a lawyer?
My work as a Monroe County Family Court Judge for the past 20 years has been guided by a simple principle that every person who appears before my Court is entitled to meaningful access to justice, including the right to have a lawyer.
I advise every person who appears in my Court of their right to a lawyer, and that they may be eligible for one at no cost. I tell them how to apply for a lawyer through the public defender’s office. If they choose to hire their own lawyer I give them enough time to do so. If any party elects to represent themselves, I ensure that they knowingly and voluntarily have given up their right to a lawyer.
As a Family Court Judge, I am prohibited from giving any person who appears before me legal advice.
What improvement in Family Court would you make, and how would you accomplish it?
For 20 years as a Family Court Judge, I have worked to promote the stability of our community’s families and protect our children. My work has been recognized for Judicial Excellence.
I will continue to collaborate with community partners to enhance court practices and improve access to justice.
Here are just a few of my court improvement efforts:
To curb the escalation in gun violence and increase community safety, I worked with Probation's GIVE (Gun Involved Violence Elimination) Program to ensure that when a juvenile has a pending delinquency case which includes a weapons charge, a weapons search is conducted before the youth is released home.
I partnered with SPCC and Alternatives for Battered Women on a Safe Haven project to create a safe setting for children who have experienced domestic violence or abuse, to visit with non-custodial parents.
I co-chair Monroe County's Adoption Day to raise awareness of and celebrate the adoptions of children from foster care.
"Over the past 20 years as my family has grown, I have had the privilege of
serving our community’s families."
Family
Born and raised in Rochester, I am dedicated to this community. My
husband Ray is a USMC-Iraq War veteran and former McQuaid Jesuit teacher.
We are blessed to have two children, a daughter Olyvia and
son Ray IV. They have kept me on my toes at home over the years,
while giving me great perspective on the bench. Our two children
remind me daily of the impact my decisions have on families.
